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Rush Researchers Studying Stem Cell Therapy to Repair Damaged Knee Cartilage
January 24, 2013
(CHICAGO) - Rush University Medical Center is conducting the nation's first
clinical study of an innovative stem cell drug, Cartistem, to repair knee
cartilage damaged by aging, trauma or degenerative diseases such as
osteoarthritis.
Cartistem is manufactured from mesenchymal stem cells derived from allogeneic
(donor) umbilical cord blood. Umbilical cord blood is a readily accessible
source of high-quality stem cells, is associated with minimal health risks and
carries relatively few ethical concerns.
The stem cells are mixed with hyaluronan, a natural polymer that plays a major
role in wound healing and is a building block of joint cartilage. Cartistem is
surgically administered into the area of cartilage damage following an
arthroscopic surgery as an adjunct to microfracture, a commonly used technique
used to repair cartilage damage.
The principal investigator on the study is Dr. Brian Cole, a professor in the
department of orthopedics and anatomy and cell biology at Rush University
Medical Center. Dr. Cole is the head of Rush's Cartilage Restoration Center and
is also the head team physician for the Chicago Bulls. Cole and his
co-researchers will assess the drug's safety as well as its ability to
regenerate cartilage repair tissue and reduce pain in patients with localized
cartilage loss in the knee.
Treating cartilage damage can be problematic because the tissue does not contain
blood vessels or nerves and therefore has a limited ability to re-grow. Various
treatments for cartilage degeneration, such as drug therapy, arthroscopy and
joint replacement, yield mixed results and are unable to regenerate damaged
tissue.
"Finding a biological solution for cartilage regeneration in orthopedics is one
of the fastest growing areas of research and development in our specialty, said
Cole. "Rush is spearheading this field of research with the ultimate goal of
safely improving outcomes and sparing patients from having more complicated
surgery at a relatively young age."
The two-year, phase I/IIa study will enroll a total of 12 participants aged 18
years and older, with a body mass index of less than 35. Initially, six
individuals with lesions sized 2 to 5 centimeters will be recruited into the
study; an additional six volunteers with lesions larger than 5 centimeters will
be enrolled sequentially. Each participant will undergo eligibility screening
followed by a 12-month observation period to determine the safety and efficacy
of the drug with an additional long-term follow-up evaluation at 24 months.
"With a burgeoning aging, yet active population, our patients are looking for
effective non-joint replacement solutions to treat their damaged knee
cartilage," said Cole. "This research is significant in that it utilizes a
commonly performed operation (microfracture) in an effort to improve upon
variable outcomes."
"Notably, this is a treatment for patients with localized cartilage damage and
not for patients who are diagnosed with diffuse or bone on bone arthritis who
have otherwise been told they require a knee replacement." said Cole.
For information on the Cartistem study at Rush University Medical Center, call
(312) 563-2214.
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