It crunches and down, and in Sport, certain movements really hurt. When the knee is wear and tear shows signs of to desire a wonder drug that builds up the cartilage again. The hope rests on stem cells.
- The body’s own stem cells have a positive effect on osteoarthritis-related inflammation in the knee.
- Whether you are building a real and permanent cartilage, now wants to clarify a study.
- Small cartilage defects in young patients can repair a transplant.
After a certain age, manifestations in the knee wear and tear is noticeable. Already after the 30. Age increases the risk linearly. 150,000 Times per year, and the painful ends-inflammatory removal of cartilage in the operating room, and with an artificial knee. Then smooth metal is necessary to replace the layer of Cartilage in the healthy knee, round, pain-free movements allowed.
The idea scares a lot of osteoarthritis Sufferers. They hope for new methods, lost cartilage to rebuild: stem cells to remedy the situation.
Belly fat provides for the best stem cell Material
The doctor belly fat of the patient, utilizes as a starting material. The idea is that stem cells from the vascular rich fatty tissue very easily and quite a win. To the place of the defect is injected, you will learn of the micro-environment, in which cell type to develop.
According to this principle, such as the physician and stem cell researcher Eckhard uses Old, non-differentiated cells: stem cells from the fat tissue of the patient to be treated within one hour in the operating room and the patient, there is injected, where he needs it – for example, to osteoarthritis of the knee.
The founder of the “Interdisciplinary Stem Cells Research Center” in Houston, and a private clinic in Munich, in stem cells the future of therapy for chronic inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system, among others.
No guarantee of success, by the cell extract in the knee
Some orthopedic practices that offer the procedure, in all honesty, it is a generally accepted therapeutic attempt with no guarantee of success. Rather, it is a last experimental attempt to fix knee pain without joint replacement.
“In this so-called ‘point-of-care’-application of a cell is not injected extract that consists of only stem cells,” explains Oliver Pullig from the Fraunhofer translation center for Regenerative medicine in Würzburg. How many stem cells to develop into cartilage material, in fact, in the knee, is regulated, as well as the processing of the extracted Fat.
Most often, osteoarthritis occurs in the fingers, thumbs, knees, hips and big toes.
Osteoarthritis cartilage damage is always. Cartilage are regarded as “shock absorbers” of the joints. Initially, the damage of the cartilage is often superficial and on a small area limited. In the advanced stage, the symptoms increase. Pressure on pain and the joints will change.
The cartilage damage to the joints react with pain, swelling, or inflammation.
Stem cells instead of knee prosthesis
A Europe-wide study of addiction, however, according to the scientific evidence, which Anti-osteoarthritis potential in the body’s own stem cells.
A small pilot study with eight patients in Wuerzburg and ten in Montpellier, France in 2013 led to the success: Almost all the participants said their before the inevitable surgery for a knee prosthesis. “Their complaints had improved consistently,” explains Oliver Pullig. “A reconstruction of the cartilage was in a such a large injury, which is unlikely.”
The just started follow-up study with 153 participants in ten European locations, therefore a requirement of the German study leader Ulrich Nöth from the Evangelical forest hospital in Berlin-formulated Spandau already at the time: stem cell therapy is best for patients with moderate osteoarthritis, and middle-aged. You are no longer eligible for a cartilage transplant in question, but are too young for an artificial joint.
New cartilage through stem cells? A study to show it
The ADIPOA2 study used as the pilot study, so-called mesenchymal stem cells from abdominal fat of each subject. These precursor cells of the connective tissue possess the ability to develop into cartilage, bone, or fat cells.
Biologist Oliver Pullig, explains: “We remove fat to each participant 100 milliliters of the abdomen. The resulting stem cells are grown in special laboratories by the millions. It takes a good two weeks. 51 patients will receive two million of these pure stem cells in the joint column injected, 51 patients received a syringe with 10 million cells, and 51 patients taking a Placebo.“
By the end of 2018, the results will be available, and therefore a scientific proof of whether stem cells are to fulfill the hope of permanent cartilage. The scientist is optimistic: “In the case of success, the therapy with stem cells could be used as a medicine at the next study level, already ready for the market. It doesn’t even take five years.“
Cartilage transplant helps only to a limited extent
Another method, lost cartilage to restore, is the since 20 years proven transplant. It shows so far, however, only in inches small damage in an otherwise intact knee success. The surgery is complicated, healing process long.
In a first key-hole procedure, the doctor removes a small piece of healthy cartilage, hardly bigger than a grain of rice. These cartilage cells are propagated in three to four weeks in the laboratory. These cells and / or cartilage Patch, the surgeon uses a second OP on the defective area in the knee.
After this, the knee must not be charged for six weeks, and even then for a further six weeks. Only after a year, the joint is again so stable that the Sport is possible.
Cartilage from the laboratory is expensive
The transplant is only suitable for younger knee patients whose cartilage and the joint is free of osteoarthritis. This therapy is successful, you can prevent further damage to the cartilage and a later threat of a knee prosthesis.
Then the cost of several 1000 Euro for lab-grown cells to expect in the long term.
Hyaluronic acid can at least relieve the pain
If these methods do not come in question, helps a different medium: Synthetic hyaluronic acid is often understood as a substance for Cartilage, miss. You can, however, restore any worn-out cartilage, but serves as a lubricant and for joint care.
Orthopedic surgeons, the moisture-syringe-retaining Gel three to five times at Weekly intervals. Hyaluronic acid relieves pain and promotes mobility – in some patients permanently, in others, at least, two years. Then the treatment can be repeated.