Healthy living
Body matters
Stem cell hope for arthritis
Trials to test cell transplants to treat painful arthritis could begin soon
British scientists are developing a cutting-edge treatment to mend bone damage, which could revolutionise the way we tackle conditions such as osteoarthritis. Clinical trials of the treatment – which uses the patient's own stem cells - are expected to start in the next two years.
The research at Edinburgh University involves taking stem cells from the patient’s bone marrow and using them to grow tiny pieces of bone or cartilage in the lab.
Stem cells are unique in that they are able to turn into many different kinds of tissue – serving as a sort of repair system for the body. Once the fragments of bone and cartilage have reached a suitable size, they are then placed in the damaged area, encased by a unique 'bioactive scaffold,' which is a rigid polymer mesh. This protects the cells allowing them to grow quickly and carry out repairs.
It is hoped this new technique will have a major impact on the treatment of bone damage, especially in older people, offering less invasive treatments with shorter recovery times. The therapy could be used to repair bones shattered in serious accidents as well.
'This is a novel approach in terms of treating damaged bones and cartilage,' said Dr Brendon Noble, who led the team. 'We hope that this will kick start the body's natural healing processes, enabling cells to grow and carry out repair to the damaged area.'
At the moment, stem cells are collected from bone marrow but the Edinburgh team are hoping to develop a way of the taking bone-forming cells from blood instead. This will mean that the cells can be gathered without surgery.
'In the UK hip fractures kill 14,000 elderly people every year – more than many cancers,' said Dr Anna Krassowska, research manager for the UK Stem Cell Foundation. 'This research has the potential to impact on a significant number of people's lives.'
Reader comments
I call myself 'arthritically inclined' as about 15 years ago, after using a strimmer, three fingers on my left hand became inflamed and the GP's verdict was 'arthritis'. However, as Margherite Patten discovered (and wrote a book about), people who are arthritically challenged need to find out to which food items in their diet they are intolerant. I managed to totally get rid of any arthritic signs by eliminating certain food items as well as daily take the Green-lipped Mussels supplement. It is not easy to change dietary habits; I have found that most people prefer to eat chemicals and suffer pain rather than change their diets.
Posted by: Elvira Madelin | 06/04/2008 19:51:59
Iwould love to be a part of this trial. I am 44 soon to be 45 and is suffering with RA pain since I was 27 years old. Please help, have to be using a wheel chair to get aroung.
Posted by: Georgia | 02/04/2008 03:35:01
I, too, would be very interested in hearing about the clinical trials and perhaps taking part.Pleae keep me informed.
Posted by: Sheila Catterall | 09/03/2008 16:14:55
My question is the same as Rosemarys how does one volunteer for the trials????
Posted by: MIKE ROY BRIDGE | 03/03/2008 18:46:25
How does one volunteer for the trials?
Posted by: Rosemary Shakespeare | 25/02/2008 20:34:39
Let the clinical trials begin!
Posted by: Jan Pearce | 23/02/2008 21:45:04
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.