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Stem Cells to the Rescue of Osteoarthritis Patients
April 12, 2008 at 11:36 AM
Genetics & Stem Cells News
They have identified a type of stem cell which can be transformed into cartilage cells known as chondrocytes.
In theory, it should be possible to create new chondrocytes in sufficient numbers to achieve a real therapeutic effect for osteoarthritis patients.
The Cardiff University work was presented to the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting.
Osteoarthritis, which affects more than two million people in the UK, occurs when changes in the make-up of the body's cartilage causes joints to fail to work properly.
At its worst it can bring about the break-up of cartilage, causing the ends of the bones in the joint to rub against each other.
This results in severe pain and deformation of the joint.
One current treatment for younger patients is to harvest cartilage cells from neighbouring healthy cartilage and transplant them into the damaged area. Unfortunately, only a limited number of cells can be generated.
Immature stem cells have the ability to become any tissue in the body.
However, the cell identified by the Cardiff team is at a more advanced stage, where it has lost some of its plasticity but not its ability to become a chondrocyte if cultured in the lab in the right way, BBC reports.
Lead researcher Professor Charlie Archer said: "We have identified a cell which, when grown in the lab, can produce enough of a person's own cartilage that it could be effectively transplanted.
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