There looks to be a hope of a cure for osteoarthritis (OA) becoming available someday, as researchers have developed an injectable cell therapy that could tackle the condition from different angles.
Cartilage damage is a major culprit in the incidence of OA. Once this occurs, it is all but impossible to correct or repair naturally.
Researchers from the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) report in this new study that their novel cell therapy may resolve this degenerative joint disorder by reducing inflammation and restoring articular cartilage.
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“Without better understanding of what drives the initiation and progression of osteoarthritis, effective treatment has been limited,” stated Johanna Bolander, the study’s lead author. “Initially, we studied what goes wrong in osteoarthritic joints, compared these processes to functional environments, and used this information to develop an immunotherapy cell treatment.”
The results of the study were published in the journal Science Advances.
Osteoarthritis and the body
Recently, OA was declared an epidemic or a public health crisis. People numbering over 520 million battle with this disease globally, according to an estimate. The condition is commonly characterized by inflammation and pain.
OA results from traumatic or mechanical stress on the joints that cannot be naturally repaired. The failure to regenerate following trauma plays a major part not only in OA but also in other degenerative disorders.
The human joint features a synovial membrane that protects the inner surface of the joint. This membrane releases a fluid that lubricates and promotes smooth, painless movement.
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Under normal conditions, the body directs a host of inflammatory cells to injury sites to help prevent issues. This aids with cleaning damaged tissues, for example.
However, in OA, a traumatic injury brings about synovial inflammation and cartilage damage in the affected joint.
Little can be done currently to deal with the degenerative joint disorder because not enough is known about the core pathology.
Promising comprehensive treatment for osteoarthritis
In this study, Bolander and her fellow researchers wanted to know what happens in an OA environment to impede the healing process. They isolated cells from the synovial fluid (SF) of people with OA for their research.
The research team examined the cells in both the absence and presence of the autologous joint fluid. It found that the cells displayed a capacity for processes needed for tissue repair in the absence of SF. However, this ability was weakened when a small part of the fluid was added to the cell culture assay.
These findings helped to guide the making of a cell therapy that can help to deal with the inflammatory OA environment and renew cartilage. Its efficacy for these goals was proven in pre-clinical model testing.
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“Cartilage activated immune cells target inflammation, combined with progenitor cells aid tissue regeneration,” said senior author Anthony Atala. “It’s really a dynamic communication between these two cell populations that are crucial for the efficacy of the treatment.”
The heterogeneous cell population does not only fight inflammation and correct cartilage damage. It also treats other aspects of OA, including subchondral bone sclerosis and pain sensory neuron innervation.
A compassionate use study of the therapy in some patients also produced impressive results in terms of efficacy. For example, it led to decreased pain, improved participation in recreational activities, and a better quality of life.
References
The synovial environment steers cartilage deterioration and regeneration
