Researchers are breeding cartilage from stem cells

Researchers are breeding fresh cartilage from stem cells

10/04/2012

US researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital recently succeeded in breeding fresh cartilage from stem cells. Until now, cartilage cells had to be removed from a healthy cartilage in a lengthy procedure and then multiplied in the laboratory until they finally could be inserted into the defective joint. However, the new method has so far only been applicable to traumatic cartilage damage. In osteoarthritis with a damaged joint bone, transplantation does not work.

Proliferation of cartilage cells in the laboratory so far too tedious
It has recently caught goalkeeper Nadine Angerer of the 1. FFC Frankfurt: because of a cartilage damage in the knee joint, she has to pause for weeks. Especially in sports such as squash or football, there are often twists of the foot or knee. Cartilage pieces can easily break out of the joint. „Cartilage is a very metabolically poor tissue that heals only very badly“, explains Ingo Tusk, team doctor of the 1st FFC and Vice President of the German Society for Sports Medicine „World Online“. In order to treat such injuries, different methods are possible, but they have one thing in common: the quality of true articular cartilage has never been achieved.

An established and frequently used procedure is the „Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation "Private Assistant Philipp Niemeyer, member of the German Society for Trauma Surgery and Trauma Surgeon at the University Hospital of Freiburg reports „World Online“, that this method is the most modern method of treating cartilage defects. However, the proliferation of cartilage cells in the laboratory could take several weeks. Scientists have been researching for a long time on a better procedure that the cartilage cell removal in advance is unnecessary.

Kartogenin transforms stem cells into cartilage cells
Peter Schultz of Massachusetts General Hospital and his team report in the latest issue of the journal „Science“ from the development of such a procedure. In the investigation of 22,000 substances, the researchers discovered the so-called „Kartogenin“, which can cause the conversion of stem cells into cartilage cells in the laboratory. „Molecules that promote the selective differentiation of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells into cartilage cells can stimulate the repair of damaged cartilage“, the researchers report. „This work provides new insights into the control of cartilage tissue formation, which can ultimately lead to stem cell-based therapy for osteoarthritis“, means in the trade magazine. „When transplanting autologous stem cells, it would be feasible to operate only once, as larger amounts of cells could be processed directly from the iliac crest bone marrow during surgery and then immediately inserted into the joint, without the need for lengthy breeding, "he said Niemeyer from the work of his colleagues.

Tusk explains that this discovery does not yet help with the most common joint disease, osteoarthritis: „Transplantation only works with traumatic cartilage damage with a healthy joint bone. Degenerative bone is already too damaged for the cartilage cells to grow again. "

According to the Federal Association for Medical Technology, around 400,000 artificial joints are used each year in the Federal Republic of Germany with an upward trend. Although an artificial joint is better than a diseased one, the articular cartilage is so complex that an artificial joint never reaches the quality of a true one. Due to the high water content of the articular cartilage is not only ideal sliding material but also an effective shock absorber, which cushions when walking about three to four times the body weight.

Although many cartilage injuries occur during exercise, they can also be prevented by exercise. It should be paid attention to the sport. Tusk recommends cycling, swimming and nordic walking. „A joint wants to be moved but not burdened. "(Ag)

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Picture: Picture credits: Martin Gapa