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Scientists move towards stem cell therapy trials to mend shattered bones
February 19, 2008Scientists are developing a revolutionary way to mend damaged bones and cartilage using a patient's own stem cells
The UK Stem Cell Foundation, the Medical Research Council and Scottish Enterprise, in partnership with the Chief Scientist's Office, are funding a £1.4 million project to further the research at the University of Edinburgh with a view to setting up a clinical trial within two years.
The initiative could have a major impact on treating conditions such as osteoarthritis as well as treating trauma victims whose bones have been shattered beyond repair.
It involves using a "bioactive scaffold" made to protect the stem cells and simulate their growth into bone or cartilage once they are placed in the affected area. The scaffold consists of a fairly rigid mesh structure, coated or impregnated with a drug that affects the patients cells.
Dr Brendon Noble, of the University of Edinburgh's MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, said: "This is a novel approach in terms of treating damaged bones and cartilage. The aim is to translate the knowledge we have gained from bone biology studies into tangible treatments for patients."
Researchers will also work with clinicians, headed by Hamish Simpson, professor of orthopaedics and trauma at the University of Edinburgh, with a view to eventually translating their findings into treatments for patients.
As well as using cells derived from bone marrow, the scientists will work in collaboration with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service to culture bone forming cells derived from blood.
The advantage of these blood-sourced cells is that they can be extracted without the need for surgery. The use of a patient's own stem cells means that they are also unlikely to be rejected.
Dr Anna Krassowska, research manager for the UK Stem Cell Foundation said: "In the UK hip fractures kill 14,000 elderly people every year - more than many cancers. The worldwide market for orthopaedic devices alone represents some $17 billion. This research has the potential not only to impact on a significant number of people's lives but to open up one of the largest stem cell markets in the industry."
For nearly a decade, scientists have known broadly the right chemical conditions required to encourage undifferentiated stem cells taken from a patient's bone marrow to change into bone and cartilage cells in the laboratory. However, the use of the "bioactive scaffold" being developed at the University of Edinburgh aims to enable these cells to grow within the human body. The initial clinical trial, resulting from the laboratory work is likely to involve around 30 patients.
University of Edinburgh
It involves using a "bioactive scaffold" made to protect the stem cells and simulate their growth into bone or cartilage once they are placed in the affected area. The scaffold consists of a fairly rigid mesh structure, coated or impregnated with a drug that affects the patients cells.
Dr Brendon Noble, of the University of Edinburgh's MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, said: "This is a novel approach in terms of treating damaged bones and cartilage. The aim is to translate the knowledge we have gained from bone biology studies into tangible treatments for patients."
Researchers will also work with clinicians, headed by Hamish Simpson, professor of orthopaedics and trauma at the University of Edinburgh, with a view to eventually translating their findings into treatments for patients.
As well as using cells derived from bone marrow, the scientists will work in collaboration with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service to culture bone forming cells derived from blood.
The advantage of these blood-sourced cells is that they can be extracted without the need for surgery. The use of a patient's own stem cells means that they are also unlikely to be rejected.
Dr Anna Krassowska, research manager for the UK Stem Cell Foundation said: "In the UK hip fractures kill 14,000 elderly people every year - more than many cancers. The worldwide market for orthopaedic devices alone represents some $17 billion. This research has the potential not only to impact on a significant number of people's lives but to open up one of the largest stem cell markets in the industry."
For nearly a decade, scientists have known broadly the right chemical conditions required to encourage undifferentiated stem cells taken from a patient's bone marrow to change into bone and cartilage cells in the laboratory. However, the use of the "bioactive scaffold" being developed at the University of Edinburgh aims to enable these cells to grow within the human body. The initial clinical trial, resulting from the laboratory work is likely to involve around 30 patients.
University of Edinburgh
Stem Cell Current Events and Stem Cell News RSSNew discovery about the formation of new brain cells
The generation of new nerve cells in the brain is regulated by a peptide known as C3a, which directly affects the stem cells' maturation into nerve cells and is also important for the migration of new nerve cells through the brain tissue, reveals new research from the Sahlgrenska Academy published in the journal Stem Cells.
Gene mismatch influences success of bone marrow transplants
A commonly inherited gene deletion can increase the likelihood of immune complications following bone marrow transplantation, an international team of researchers reports in the November 22 advance online issue of Nature Genetics.
New research shows versatility of amniotic fluid stem cells
For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that stem cells found in amniotic fluid meet an important test of potential to become specialized cell types, which suggests they may be useful for treating a wider array of diseases and conditions than scientists originally thought.
First reconstitution of an epidermis from human embryonic stem cells
Stem cell research is making great strides. This is yet again illustrated by a study carried out by the I-STEM* Institute (I-STEM/ Inserm UEVE U861/AFM), published in the Lancet on 21 November 2009. The I-STEM team, directed by Marc Peschanski has just succeeded in recreating a whole epidermis from human embryonic stem cells.
Your Own Stem Cells Can Treat Heart Disease
The largest national stem cell study for heart disease showed the first evidence that transplanting a potent form of adult stem cells into the heart muscle of subjects with severe angina results in less pain and an improved ability to walk. The transplant subjects also experienced fewer deaths than those who didn't receive stem cells.
U of M researchers find 2 units of umbilical cord blood reduce risk of leukemia recurrence
A new study from the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota shows that patients who have acute leukemia and are transplanted with two units of umbilical cord blood (UCB) have significantly reduced risk of the disease returning.
Researchers find potential treatment for Huntington's disease
Investigators at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham), the University of British Columbia's Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics and the University of California, San Diego have found that normal synaptic activity in nerve cells (the electrical activity in the brain that allows nerve cells to communicate with one another) protects the brain from the misfolded proteins associated with Huntington's disease.
Researchers 'notch' a victory toward new kind of cancer drug
Scientists have devised an innovative way to disarm a key protein considered to be "undruggable," meaning that all previous efforts to develop a drug against it have failed.
UCI embryonic stem cell therapy restores walking ability in rats with neck injuries
The first human embryonic stem cell treatment approved by the FDA for human testing has been shown to restore limb function in rats with neck spinal cord injuries - a finding that could expand the clinical trial to include people with cervical damage.
First use of antibody and stem cell transplantation to successfully treat advanced leukemia
For the first time, researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have reported the use of a radiolabeled antibody to deliver targeted doses of radiation, followed by a stem cell transplant, to successfully treat a group of leukemia and pre-leukemia patients for whom there previously had been no other curative treatment options.
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