ArticleJournal of orthopaedic surgery and research2025
Rapamycin-mediated inhibition of the mTOR pathway promotes tendon healing in a collagenase-induced achilles tendinopathy.
Article in Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Low Shear Stress Promotes Atherosclerosis by Mediating Pathological Accumulation of Endothelial Lipid Droplets via the KLF4/TFEB/ATP1A1 Axis.Journal of cardiovascular development and disease · 2026Article
- Rapamycin reduces peritendinous fibrosis but has a limited effect on intratendinous healing in a rodent Achilles tendon injury model.Scientific reports · 2026Article
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4 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundAchilles tendinopathy is a common musculoskeletal disorder, typically caused by overuse and repetitive injury, leading to micro-damage and structural alterations of collagen fibers. Traditional treatment methods have limited efficacy. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, a crucial regulator of tissue repair, has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for tendinopathy.
objectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the impact of the mTOR pathway inhibitor, rapamycin, on tendon healing in a collagenase-induced Achilles tendinopathy model (CITM).
methodsTendinopathy was induced by collagenase injection into the Achilles tendon, followed by an intraperitoneal injection of rapamycin. Tendon tissues were collected at various time points for histological, immunohistochemical, Western blot, and biomechanical analyses.
resultsHistological and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that the collagenase injection induced tendon damage. At 4- and 8-week post-injection, there was a significant upregulation in the expression of the cartilage markers Col-2 and SOX-9. Rapamycin treatment resulted in a marked reduction in cellular density and significantly improved histological scores while inhibiting Col-2 and SOX-9 expression. Western blot indicated that rapamycin effectively suppressed the mTOR signaling pathway activated by collagenase, reducing the phosphorylation levels of mTOR, AKT, and p70/S6K. Finally, biomechanical testing revealed that the diameter of the Achilles tendon normalized after rapamycin treatment, but non-significant differences in maximum mechanical load, tensile stress, or elastic modulus were observed compared to the CITM group.
conclusionRapamycin effectively promotes Achilles tendon healing by inhibiting the collagenase-activated mTOR signaling pathway, particularly exhibiting potential in mitigating cartilage formation and improving histological recovery. Although its impact on biomechanical strength is limited, it may serve as a promising new strategy for treating tendinopathy.
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