Stem Cell Therapy Touted To Be The Best Treatment For Arthritis

Low-cost treatment will be soon be available for patients with osteoarthritis instead of the only available total knee replacement. Team headed by Dr Rajni Vyas received a grant of Rs 48.03 lakhs from the central government for their project Baroda Protocol. The project is aimed at making stem cell therapy as the future treatment for arthritis. Vadodara is set to be the biggest center for this therapy. The grant will be used to treat 20 patients free.

"This therapy will bring down osteoarthritis treatment costs considerably. Baroda Protocol project can reduce the cost from the lakhs to Rs 50,000 for both knees," said team member Dr Bhaskar Vyas.

Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of the union ministry of science and technology for the first time has first sanctioned this grant for a stem cell research project headed by medical practitioners and includes human trials. The project was sanctioned by Biotechnology Industrial Research Assistance Council under its Biotechnology Ignition Grant. The project will function from Raopura-based center of the group. "Within a month, we will start treating patients under the project, based on their age, degree of knee degeneration, medical history and pain. Each patient will be monitored for 18 months to ensure that new cartilage is produced effectively," said Dr Rajni Vyas.

Source-Medindia