Aripiprazole is an antipsychotic but could have beneficial effects on cartilage since the growth plate is made of cartilage this makes this medication intriguing.
Aripiprazole has been used on children for ADHD but I could not find studies on its impact on height.
Drug Repurposing: Therapeutic Role of Aripiprazole in the Cartilage Defect
“The effect of aripiprazole on cartilage was evaluated in aripiprazole-treated adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) and chondrocyte using qRT-PCR and 3D pellet culture. The cartilage restoring efficacy was verified in vivo by mixing it with a scaffold and introducing it into the artificially damaged cartilage of Sprague-Dawley rats.
Next, mRNA was sequenced for mechanistic analysis. As a result, aripiprazole significantly increased the mRNA expression of COL2A1 and SOX9, two cartilage differentiation-related genes, and chondrogenic condensation in vitro. Moreover, it effectively promoted cartilage regeneration in the cartilage defect rat
model. Analysis of mRNA sequencing data from chondrocyte treated with aripiprazole, using KEGG and GOBP , indicated that aripiprazole significantly upregulates genes associated with ribosomes and cytoplasmic translation, thus promoting chondrogenesis. In conclusion, we discovered that aripiprazole can effectively improve damaged cartilage, providing a promising approach for cartilage regeneration.”
The question is can this be used to generation growth plates or increase articular catilage height.
“treatments with aripiprazole and irinotecan were found to elevate the expression of COL2A1, SOX9, and ACAN, genes known to promote cartilage differentiation”
“Analysis of gene expression changes in chondrocytes treated with aripiprazole revealed a significant impact on genes associated with the ribosomal pathway and translation.”
“Metformin treatment (1 mM) inhibits micro RNA-34a while promoting SIRT 1 expression in osteoarthritic chondrocytes, regulating senescence and proliferation in human chondrocytes” SIRT1 could potentially keep growth plates open for longer.
“Statin medications, such as simvastatin, have also been investigated for their potential effects on cartilage regeneration. Statins are commonly used to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA. However, they also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which may benefit cartilage repair and regeneration. This mechanism is beneficial in preventing cartilage degradation. In a
simvastatin-treated model, type II collagen loss was inhibited, and the ERK-1/2 and p38 kinase pathways regulated the simvastatin-induced differentiation of chondrocytes.”
“several repurposed drugs have been used for cartilage regeneration, including apremilast
(primarily used for psoriatic arthritis), bevacizumab (antiangiogenic drug), and suramin (medication for African sleeping sickness)”. Drugs to investigate for height increase
It seems that this medication is one to watch but more testing will have to be done to see if it can impact height. The authors primarily mention that it helps damaged cartilage which could prevent growth plate height loss and prevent articular cartilage height loss but would not give additional height.