On the morning of April 21, 2015, a team from the Jiménez Díaz Foundation Research Institute (IIS-FJD) and the Rheumatology Service of this Madrid hospital announced the results obtained from their studies in vivo and in vitro, and that have already been published in the prestigious journals Nature Rheumatology and Molecular Nutrition & amp; Food Nutrition .
According to these studies, they have identified a compound derived from ginger, 6-Shoagol (6-S), capable of curbing the mechanisms involved in the development and evolution of osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is the most frequent rheumatologic disease. According to the Spanish Society of Rheumatology (SER), more than 6,800,000 Spaniards over 20 years old (16.6%) suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee, hand or spine.
Professor Gabriel Herrero-Beaumont , director of the IIS-FJD Osteoarticular Pathology Laboratory and head of Rheumatology at the Jiménez Díaz Foundation University Hospital: “the pathology is characterized by the narrowing of the joint space that causes progressive degradation of the cartilage and alterations in the subchondral bone and synovial tissue.These disorders have serious consequences: pain, disability and loss of the integrity of the joint structure, and at present we can only treat the symptoms of the disease, but not stop its progress “.
Dra. Raquel Largo Carazo, member of the IIS-FJD and the Rheumatology Service of the FJD. : “In traditional Asian medicine, ginger has been used as a remedy for certain ailments rheumatic, including osteoarthritis. Hence we decided to investigate whether some of the active ingredients of ginger had inhibitory activity on inflammatory and degrading processes of articular cartilage. “
Dr. Largo herself explains that the process of obtaining and purifying 6-S was carried out in several stages: “We obtained 6-S from dry ginger powder undergoing an alcohol extraction process followed by isolation by high performance liquid chromatography. Pure 6-S was obtained by dehydrating its hydrated form. “
According to the words of the IIS-FJD member and the FJD Rheumatology Service Dr. Rodolfo Gómez , “As a result of the progressive destruction of the articular cartilage that occurs in osteoarthritis, many fragments of the matrix and other molecules are generated that, through the activation of TLR4 receptors, initiate the inflammatory response of chondrocytes (cartilage cells) These responses, in turn, generate a vicious circle that perpetuates and aggravates the destruction of the matrix and adjacent tissues, generating more inflammatory molecules and other activators of TLR4 receptors. < / em> In this scenario the action of 6-S presents the ability to block the activation of TLR4 receptors thus preventing amplification of the degrading process “.
Dr. Gómez also explained the incidence of subchondral bone in osteoarthritis: “our group determined that the degradation of subchondral bone increases the degradation of articular cartilage during osteoarthritis. According to these data the action of 6-S by inhibiting the activity of cathepsin-K, the main bone protease, suggests that 6-S will also contribute to the recovery of articular cartilage preventing the deterioration of subchondral bone. Studies we have done in animals confirm that the drug improves bone quality. “
Finally, Dr. Carmen Ayuso , director of the IDCsalud Health Research Institute Jiménez Díaz Foundation (IIS-FJD), highlighted the importance of this research work, and put highlight the need to implement all the tools so that this type of progress can be transferred as soon as possible to clinical practice for the benefit of patients.
