Nidhi Bhutani

Stories

Stanford's Gerozyme breakthrough: regrowing cartilage without stem cells

As of June 2026: Co-senior author on breakthrough study

A November 2025 study in Science showed that blocking an enzyme called 15-PGDH regrew cartilage in older mice and in human joint tissue from knee replacement patients. Blocking it shifts cartilage cells from degrading to rebuilding—without stem cells.

Updated Jun 13

Notable Quotes

Millions of people suffer from joint pain and swelling as they age. It is a huge unmet medical need. Until now, there has been no drug that directly treats the cause of cartilage loss. But this gerozyme inhibitor causes a dramatic regeneration of cartilage beyond that reported in response to any other drug or intervention.

from Stanford's Gerozyme breakthrough: regrowing cartilage without stem cells · Updated Jun 13