Joint restoration
A group of researchers from Osaka University have grown artificial cartilage from allogeneic (donor) mesenchymal stem cells obtained from the synovial system to treat diseases accompanied by damage to cartilage tissue that were previously considered incurable.
After the end of the study, the first operation was performed at Osaka University Hospital as part of Phase III clinical trials to study the effectiveness and safety of therapy.
This is the first attempt in Japan to introduce allogeneic stem cells into clinical practice and commercial use of the stem cell bank of the Medical Center for Translational Research of Osaka University.
It is known that articular cartilages do not contain vessels, so their ability to self-repair is quite low. There are currently no effective ways to medically restore cartilage. The use of stem cells and tissue engineering have been researched all over the world, but it has been difficult to achieve good quality regeneration and fusion with living tissues.
A group of scientists combined monolayer and suspension cell cultures and developed a three-dimensional artificial tissue with excellent differentiation ability and adhesive properties. The starting material was mesenchymal stem cells. These properties made it possible to perform artificial cartilage tissue transplantation using minimally invasive surgery (during arthroscopy).
Cartilage restoration (from the results of the Phase I/II study). Top left: before implantation; bottom left: 1 year after implantation; right: histological picture. Source: Osaka University.
The currently investigated method of tissue engineering has the advantage that it does not require the use of animal cells and chemical components that have been patented in Japan and other countries.
In this clinical study, the allogeneic culture functions in an artificial nutrient medium that does not contain serum. Its transplantation requires one operation, unlike the well-known autotransplantation techniques, for which the patient needs to perform two operations. This fact will be attractive both for patients and for health care organizers from the standpoint of cost effectiveness.
This method of treatment will help not only professional athletes after injury, but also patients with early stages of degenerative joint diseases. The number of potential candidates for this operation – people at risk of osteoarthritis – is about 30 million people. The authors hope that they will be able to prevent the progression of osteoarthritis in middle-aged patients.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on ResUO: Phase III clinical trials for stem cell-based cartage regeneration therapy have started.