Osteoporosis is typically treated with orally administered drugs, which may take up to a year to have a noticeable effect. A new injectable hydrogel, however, is claimed to drastically boost bone density in as little as two weeks.

The disease occurs when there’s an imbalance between a person’s osteoblasts – which are bone-building cells – and their osteoclasts, which are bone-degrading cells.

Ordinarily, osteoclasts serve a beneficial function by reshaping bones so they become stronger over time. When those cells outnumber the osteoblasts, though, there’s an overall loss of bone tissue, resulting in weaker, more fragile bones.