Haemoglobin isn’t used only in blood, scientists find in major discovery
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Surprising discovery of haemoglobin in chondrocytes reveals its essential role in cartilage health and opens possibilities for new treatments of joint diseases. Scientists from China found that haemoglobin bodies, or Hedy, are essential for chondrocytes' survival and may be involved in stem cell fate in the growth plate. Further research is needed to understand the role of haemoglobin in joint diseases.

Haemoglobin is a key component of red blood cells, and transports oxygen across the body. However, a team led by Dr Feng Zhang and Dr Quiang Sun has discovered haemoglobin bodies (‘hedies’) in cartilage chondrocytes. They also saw that hedies are essential for chondrocyte survival, and that they store and release oxygen as they do in the bloodstream. This is of medical interest as many bone deformities arise from cell death of chondrocytes.

Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06611-6