Stem Cell Therapy for the
Treatment of Osteoarthritis
http://wn.com/Knee_Aspiration_Injection
Daniel Carey
Osteoarthritis
• Degenerative joint disease
• 27 million Americans
(cdc.gov/osteoarthritisplan)
• Degradation of synovial membrane
• Few treatment options until late stages
-Arthroplasty
-complications
-long recovery times
http://youtugreen.com/hager-ceruloplasmin-dogosteoarthritis/
Mesenchymal Stem Cell
• Also called “multipotent stromal cells”
• Ability to differentiate into many cell
types
– Osteocytes, chondrocytes,myocytes
• Relatively easy to harvest
– Bone marrow, adipose tissue
• Self renewal ability
• Immunosuppresive effects
http://www.xpand-biotech.com/technology_bioreactor.htm
Use in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis
• Advantages over Arthroplasty
• Disadvantages
– US laws
– Not covered by insurance
– More research needed to increase effectiveness
Professional Athletes
• A growing trend that aging
athletes are using this
treatment
• Going to Germany due to
less restrictive laws