There’s a reason “arthritis” is a
household word, familiar even to those who don’t know exactly what it is. An
estimated 30 million Pakistani currently suffer from osteoarthritis – and
that’s just one kind of arthritis. This number includes people between the ages
of 40 and 65, many of who have limited treatment options due to their age.
Luckily, younger patients who are not yet candidates for total joint
replacement may now have access to an alternative treatment for regenerating
cartilage and fighting arthritis pain.
Stem
Cells as an Alternative to Joint Replacement
Arthritis occurs when the cartilage
in your joints breaks down and the bones rub against one another. One of the
many reasons cartilage exists in your body is to provide cushioning in your
joints. With arthritis, what begins as pain turns into joint stiffness and
eventually decreases a person’s overall mobility. Traditionally, an arthritic
patient’s only options were to undergo either partial or total joint
replacement, or to just deal with the pain and limited mobility.
Now, with a goal of finding an
alternative to painful and risky joint replacement surgery, scientists at
Washington University have programmed stem cells to grow new cartilage on a 3-D
model shaped like the ball of a hip joint. What’s more, they’ve also activated
the newly generated cartilage to release anti-inflammatory molecules to prevent
arthritis from flaring up in the future.
How
Stem Cells Regenerate Cartilage
Stem cells are the only cells in the
body that can transform into another type of cell. After being harvested from a
patient’s own fat tissue, stem cells can be deployed back into the body, either
infused by IV or injected directly into painful joints. In the right
environment, these stem cells can change into new, healthy tissue, replacing
lost cartilage and alleviating arthritis pain.
A
New Discovery in Stem Cell Therapy
A new technique, developed by
Washington University School of Medicine and Cytex Therapeutics, Inc., involves
a 3-D, biodegradable scaffold molded to the precise shape of a patient’s joint.
The scaffold, which would be placed on the surface of the arthritic joint, is
covered in the patient’s own cartilage. By rebuilding the patient’s damaged
joint with his or her own tissue, it is assumed that the patient would find
relief from arthritis pain and perhaps even be able to avoid joint replacement
surgery all together.
The
Importance of Gene Therapy
Beyond regenerating cartilage with a
patient’s own stem cells, the research team has inserted a gene into the newly
grown tissue that they can program to fight inflammation. This is significant,
because inflammatory molecules are what destroy cartilage and trigger joint
pain in the first place. By adding gene therapy to the scaffold, it may be
possible to program a patient’s joints to fight arthritis and remain healthy
and mobile for a longer period of time.
Find
Relief from Arthritis Pain with Stem Cell Therapy
At Advanced Pain Centers, we are
thrilled about this new development in regenerative medicine and what it could mean for the millions of Pakistani
suffering from arthritis pain. Though scientists are still testing customized
implants in laboratory animals, these new devices could be ready for safety
testing in humans in as little as three to five years.
Meanwhile, you don’t have to wait
for science to catch up in order to find relief from painful joints. We’ve been
using stem cells to help patients with chronic knee, hip, shoulder, and back
pain for years. In some cases, patients are able to avoid surgery completely
due to the miraculous healing properties of stem cells.
Wondering if you’re a good candidate
for stem cell therapy? The process begins with an initial screening by one of
our physicians who will evaluate your condition, determine your eligibility,
and provide more information on the procedure. Give us a call today to set up
your consultation +91 (423) 354-45673 or email at waqas@advancedpaincenters.net .
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