Knee arthritis has become a serious health problem that plagues many middle-aged and elderly people. This degenerative disease of the joints is not only painful but also has a serious impact on the quality of life of the patient. However, just as advances in science and technology have been bringing new breakthroughs to human medicine, stem cells** are attracting widespread attention.
Knee arthritis (KOA) is a degenerative disease of the joints that seriously affects the quality of life of patients, which plagues most middle-aged and elderly people, especially in people over 60 years old, accounting for 50%, and the prevalence rate of people over 75 years old soars to 80%, and even half of the probability of disability, seriously affecting the quality of life of patients.
As a peculiar cell with self-renewal and multi-directional differentiation ability, stem cells are believed to provide a new option for patients with knee arthritis, bringing hope and hope.
This article will bring readers a deeper understanding and thinking about the potential impact and advantages of stem cells on knee arthritis.
Efficacy of stem cells
Stem cells are a class of cells with the ability to self-renew and differentiate in multiple directions, and they can be transformed into different types of cells, including chondrocytes, osteocytes, and joint synovial cells. Doctors can use the patient's own stem cell resources, extract and process them, and then re-inject them into the damaged joint area to promote tissue repair and regeneration.
Stem cells** have shown encouraging results in patients with osteoarthritis. Through the ** of stem cells, they can be transformed into chondrocytes and promote cartilage regeneration. This new cartilage tissue fills the joint gaps and reduces friction and pain between bones. In addition, stem cells also have the ability to fight inflammation and modulate immune responses, helping to reduce the inflammatory response of arthritis and further improve symptoms.
The advantage of stem cells is that it is an autologous method that uses the patient's own stem cells, reducing the risk of rejection and rejection. In addition, stem cells** are less invasive and have a shorter** time, which is gentler and more convenient than traditional surgery.
Stem cells** knee arthritis
Stem cells have the ability to proliferate, self-renew, and differentiate into multilineage cells.
One of the characteristics of MSCS is that it adheres to tissue culture plastics and produces colonies when seeded at low densities. MSCs grow from single lesions or microscopic colonies, and these colonies produced by progenitor cells are known as colony-forming unit fibroblasts. The ability of MSCS to perform chondrogenesis, osteogenesis, and adipogenesis differentiation has been reported in vitro and in vivo.
Select the appropriate MSCS**, then isolate the MSCs from other cells and authenticate them. MSCs-derived exosomes are injected or isolated by centrifugation or other methods, and the exosomes are injected after authentication.
The role of stem cells in cartilage regeneration
1. Effect on chondrocytes
Increasing chondrogenesis, improving proliferation, reducing apoptosis and maintaining autophagy of chondrocytes are the main functions of mesenchymal stem cells.
2. Effect on the extracellular matrix
Regulating the balance of ECM synthesis and catabolism is essential for degenerative diseases such as KOA. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) refer to the zinc-dependent ECM remodeling endopeptidase family that degrades ECM.
3. Effect on inflammatory cytokines
The inflammatory response plays an important role in the pathogenesis of KOA. The most important groups that control the disease appear to be pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines, which have antagonistic effects.
4. Effect on immunity
Macrophages can play a key role in regulating inflammation during the pathogenesis of KOA through various secreted mediators. These cells can be polarized into both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes.
5. Effect on mitochondrial function
Aging and exposure to stress will determine chondrocyte phenotype in osteoarthritis, and age-related mitochondrial dysfunction and associated oxidative stress may contribute to chondrocyte senescence. Mitochondria were found to metastasize from BM-MSCs to osteoarthritic chondrocytes.
6. Effect on paracrine effects
Some researchers believe that paracrine action in MSCs is mediated or performed by MSC-derived extracellular vesicles, while others support that the induction of paracrine effects is independent of extracellular vesicles.
Clinical application of stem cells** knee arthritis
A 5-year follow-up study published in STEMS Cells Translational Medicine at Gangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital in Seoul, South Korea, confirmed that intra-articular injection of mesenchymal stem cells is safe and effective** for knee osteoarthritis.
The results of the study found that:Patients with knee osteoarthritis who received mesenchymal stem cells** experienced less pain and better functional status of their knee osteoarthritis 6 months after injection until the end of follow-up.
A five-year follow-up study confirmed:Stem cells** Knee osteoarthritis is safe and effective!The results of this 5-year follow-up study showed that:Intra-articular injection of mesenchymal stem cells is effective** for knee osteoarthritis, and studies have confirmed the safety of this **.
From this study, we can see that a single high-dose intra-articular injection of stem cells significantly delayed disease progression in patients with osteoarthritis within 5 years, while improving patients' symptoms and function, and significantly improving joint structural damage.
As a highly differentiated cell, stem cells can repair various tissues in the human body, especially in joint repair, cartilage healing and post-traumatic inflammation.
Stem cells can actively migrate to damaged parts for repair and reconstruction under the action of the microenvironment in the body, and promote the regeneration of damaged cartilage. At the same time, it can secrete a variety of cytokines with immune-regulating and anti-inflammatory effects to alleviate the clinical symptoms of osteoarthritis and fundamentally improve osteoarthritis.
A large number of clinical research data have confirmed that stem cell technology is safe and effective in the intervention of knee arthritis. With the development of regenerative medicine, stem cell technology has not only been limited to arthritic diseases, but also has a good prospect in difficult and refractory diseases.