Iranian scientist discovers how to prevent post-injury arthritis using stem cells

An Iranian scientist has discovered a stem cell therapy which can prevent a form of osteoarthritis after joint injury.

Injuring a joint greatly raises the odds of getting a form of osteoarthritis called post-traumatic arthritis, or PTA. There are no therapies yet that modify or slow the progression of arthritis after injury.

But now Dr. Farshid Gilak director of orthopedic research department at Duke University and several of his colleagueshave found a very promising therapeutic approach to PTA. Their method involves using a type of stem cell, called mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), in mice with fractures that typically would lead to them developing arthritis.

Dr. Gilak whose study has been published in Cell Transplantation says the stem cells were able to prevent post-traumatic arthritis.

The scientists thought the stem cells would work to prevent PTA by altering the balance of inflammation and regeneration in knee joints, because these stem cells have beneficial properties in other regions of the body.

They also thought that stem cells from the so-called super healer mice would be better at providing protection, but instead, they found that regular stem cells work just as well.

Their findings could lead to a therapy that would be used after joint injury and before signs of significant osteoarthritis.

URL: http://isna.ir/fa/news/91052414841/

Translation: Shiva Bakhtiari