Breakthrough: Hydrogel injections increase bone density rapidly (about 5 times)

Osteoporosis happens when bone breaks down faster than it rebuilds, making bones brittle and prone to fractures. Dominique Pioletti of EPFL points out that the social and economic costs of osteoporotic fractures are often overlooked.

High-Risk Groups

• Without effective prevention, about 40% of women and 20% of men over age 50 will suffer a major fracture due to osteoporosis.

• For older adults, hip fractures carry up to a 20% mortality rate within one year, and more than half never fully recover.

Limitations of Current Treatments

• After diagnosis, patients take medications that either slow bone loss or stimulate new bone growth.

• These drugs can take up to a year to show full benefit, leaving patients at risk of fracture in the meantime.

A New Technological Breakthrough

• Pioletti and EPFL spin-off company flowbone have created an injectable hydrogel that rapidly increases bone density in targeted areas.

• In collaboration with Vincent Stadelmann at Schulthess Klinik in Zurich, they found:

  • Hydrogel injections alone can double or triple local bone density.

  • When combined with systemic drugs (e.g., zoledronate), local bone density rises by about 4.8-fold within 2–4 weeks.

Key Features of the Hydrogel

• Made from hyaluronic acid and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, it mimics bone's natural mineral structure.

• Once injected, it locks medications in place and quickly strengthens the treated bone.

Looking Ahead

• The flowbone team is awaiting regulatory approval for human trials, aiming to demonstrate rapid bone densification and more effective fracture prevention.

Study reference:
Vincent A. Stadelmann et al., "Combining systemic and local osteoporosis treatments: A longitudinal in vivo microCT study in ovariectomized rats," Bone, Vol. 192 (2025), Article 117373. DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2024.117373.

骨質疏鬆症是指骨頭流失速度超過新生速度，導致骨頭變脆、易骨折。EPFL 的 Dominique Pioletti 指出，骨質疏鬆引發的骨折對社會與經濟的影響往往被忽略。

• 高風險人群

  • 無有效預防時，約有40%的50歲以上女性和20%的50歲以上男性會因骨質疏鬆發生重大骨折。

  • 老年人髖部骨折一年內死亡率高達20%，超過半數患者無法完全康復。

• 現有治療限制

  • 病人確診後需服用藥物，抑制骨頭流失或促進骨頭再生。

  • 這些藥效通常需要一年才能顯現，在此期間患者仍有骨折風險。

• 新技術突破

  • Pioletti 與 EPFL 衍生新創公司 flowbone 研發出一種可注射水凝膠，能在特定部位迅速提高骨密度。

  • 他們與蘇黎世 Schulthess Klinik 的 Vincent Stadelmann 合作，研究發現：

    • 單純注射水凝膠即可使局部骨密度增加2–3倍。

    • 若搭配全身用藥（如唑來膦酸），局部骨密度在2–4週內提升約4.8倍。

• 水凝膠特色

  • 由透明質酸與羥基磷灰石納米顆粒製成，模擬骨骼天然礦物結構。

  • 注射後能把藥物鎖定在目標區域，迅速加強骨頭強度。

• 未來展望

  • flowbone 團隊正等待人體試驗的法規許可，期望證明這項技術能快速增加骨密度並有效預防骨折。

研究參考
Vincent A. Stadelmann 等人，《Combining systemic and local osteoporosis treatments: A longitudinal in vivo microCT study in ovariectomized rats》，發表於《Bone》2025年第192期，文章編號117373（DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2024.117373）。