Stem cell therapy: is there a future for reconstruction of large bone defects?
Abstract
Large bone defects caused by fracture, non-union and bone tumor excision has been a major clinical problem. Autogenous bone grafting and Ilizarov method are commonly performed to treat them. However, bone grafting has limitation in volume of available bone, and Ilizarov method requires long periods of time to treat. Accordingly, there is need for stem cell therapy for bone repair and/or regeneration. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold the ability to differentiate into osteoblasts and are available from a wide variety of sources. The route of "intramembranous ossification (direct bone formation)" by transplantation of undifferentiated MSCs has been tested but it did not demonstrate the success initially envisaged. Recently another approach has been examined being the transplantation of "MSCs pre-differentiated in vitro into cartilage-forming chondrocytes" into bone defect, in brief, representing the route of "endochondral ossification (indirect bone formation)". It's a paradigm shift of Stem Cell Therapy for bone regeneration. We have already reported on the healing of large femur defects in rats by transplantation of "MSCs pre-differentiated in vitro into cartilage-forming chondrocytes". We named the cells as Mesenchymal Stem C...Continue Reading
References
Citations
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Allogenic & Autologous Therapies
Allogenic therapies are generated in large batches from unrelated donor tissues such as bone marrow. In contrast, autologous therapies are manufactures as a single lot from the patient being treated. Here is the latest research on allogenic and autologous therapies.
Adult Stem Cells
Adult stem cells reside in unique niches that provide vital cues for their survival, self-renewal, and differentiation. They hold great promise for use in tissue repair and regeneration as a novel therapeutic strategies. Here is the latest research.