Instead, it acts as a stepping stone toward future endeavors.Īlso, this is not the first time that researchers have pitted stem cells against osteoarthritis. However, reservations aside, the investigators did not design the study to offer conclusive evidence that the method is effective. ”Īlso, the pilot study was open-label, meaning that both the researchers and the participants knew who was receiving which dosage. They suggest that “such regenerative effects are more likely to be observed in earlier‐stage. This finding, the authors believe, might be because the trial only included participants with end-stage osteoarthritis. It is also worth noting that although the intervention reduced pain and inflammation, the scientists did not detect any cartilage regrowth, which some earlier trials have reported. Researchers will need to carry out much larger trials before it is possible to use the technique in real-world patients. In fact, the authors believe that much of the pain relief might be due to this anti-inflammatory response.Īs they were carrying out a pilot study, the scientists only recruited a small group of participants. “Pro‐inflammatory monocytes/macrophages and interleukin 12 levels decreased in the synovial fluid after MSC injection.” There was a significant reduction in inflammation within the knee joints of the participants, which is important because experts now consider inflammation to be an important driver of osteoarthritis. Those who received the highest doses experienced the most positive results. The participants tolerated all three doses well, and there were no serious adverse events. They also asked the individuals to rate how well they felt they were doing.īy the end of the year-long study, the team found that there was a significant reduction in pain and an increase in self-reported quality of life. For instance, they measured the levels of inflammatory biomarkers and the rate of cartilage breakdown, and they took regular MRI scans of the affected joints. Over the next 12 months, the scientists followed the participants, assessing their progress using a battery of tests. In this pilot study, one of the main aims was to understand what constituted a safe and viable dosage, so the researchers injected each participant with one of three different doses of MSCs. In all, the team recruited 12 participants with moderate-to-severe KOA and extracted MSCs from each person’s bone marrow. These cells can develop into a number of different cell types, including muscle, bone, and, importantly, cartilage. The scientists wanted to know whether it might be possible to regenerate knee cartilage using mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). They published their results in the journal STEM CELLS Translational Medicine. Recently, a group of researchers from the Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network in Toronto, Canada looked into the potential use of stem cells to treat KOA.
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