Stem Cell Therapy May Prevent Osteoarthritis

Whereas injury to a joint greatly raises the odds of getting a form of osteoarthritis called post-traumatic arthritis (PTA), no therapies currently exist that modify or slow the progression of arthritis after injury. Farshid Guilak, from Duke University (North Carolina, USA), and colleagues delivered 10,000 “superhealer”mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), to the joint, thereby preventing the development of PTA, in mice with fractures that would otherwise typically lead to them developing the disease. The team is hopeful that their findings may lead to a therapy that would be used after joint injury and before signs of significant osteoarthritis.