Orthopedic stem cell treatment for cartilage damage in Osteoarthritis centres on surgical interventions such as arthroscopic debridement, microfracture and cartilage grafting or transplant and total joint replacement. These orthopedic stem cell procedures have complications, are invasive and have a prolonged recovery time. Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) can be yielded through Bone Marrow Aspiration, increased using the patient's growth factors and then successfully implanted to boost cartilage volume in an adult human knee. Mesenchymal stem cells can also be isolated from other tissues including cord blood, peripheral blood, fallopian tube and foetal liver and lung. Because of their multi-potent capabilities, MSC's lineages have been used to regenerate bone.
An instability in bone homeostasis that makes bones fragile and more likely to break is an age- related disease called osteoporosis. If orthopedic stem cell treatment is not done on time, Osteoporosis can spread without a warning until there's a fracture in the hip, spine and wrist. Multipotent mesenchymal stem cells are the direct source of osteogenic regeneration. MSCs have osteogenic power and can repair and maintain the skeleton, hence, they are good for tissue engineering and regenerative purposes.
Rheumatoid arthritis
This is a prolonged auto-immune inflammatory disease with dominant joint disease of corrosive advancing polyarthritis type. The pathogenesis basis of rheumatoid arthritis contains predetermined auto- immune processes that are inherited caused by deficit of T- suppressor function of lymphocytes. MSCs also show zero immunosuppressive properties, which suppress local inflammation and tissue damage in inflammatory autoimmune diseases. Autologous stem cells derived from bone marrow or adipose tissue induce the production of T regulatory cells, an immune cell that protects the body against immunological self-attack.
Avascular necrosis, also known as osteonecrosis, aseptic necrosis and ischemic bone necrosis, is a disease resulting from loss of blood supply to the bones. The bone tissue dies and leads to bone collapse due to the lack of blood. Mesenchymal stem cells from adult bone marrow are multipotent that can mould into fibroblastic, osteogenic, myogenic, adipogenic and reticular cells providing bone repair. Stem cell transplantation into the core pressure places renews dead area by the alteration process of stem cells into the bone cells. In stem cell treatment of AVN, patient undergoes surgery for joint replacement and even after that patient has restricted movements.
Stem cell therapy enriched with a bone-regenerating hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), can help mend broken bones in fractures that are not healing normally. This problem is even more serious in children with osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, and in elderly adults with osteoporosis, because their fragile bones can easily and repeatedly break. Fractures that do not heal within the normal timeframe are called non-union fractures. It is found that the stem cells with high IGF-I became bone cells and helped the cells in the broken bones to repair the fracture, enhancing the healing.
- How are adult stem cells obtained?
- What potential uses do researchers think stem cells have?
- What are some examples of musculoskeletal treatments using stem cells?
Adult stem cells are most commonly obtained from the outside part of the pelvis, the iliac crest. A needle is inserted in the iliac bone and bone marrow is withdrawn or aspirated through the needle. Several samples may be obtained from one area in this manner.
Stem cell researchers are think in the future a wide range of diseases can be treated and cured by some application of cell therapy using stem cells. The great regenerative potential of stem cells has created intense research involving experiments aimed at replacing tissues to treat Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, and diabetes.
Stem cell procedures are being developed to treat bone fractures and nonunions, regenerate articular cartilage in arthritic joints, and heal ligaments or tendons.