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Researchers to conduct first clinical study using stem cell therapy for knee cartilage repair
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Rush University Medical Center has launched a 2-year clinical study on the effects of a stem cell drug for the regeneration of knee cartilage and reduction of pain.
The drug, Cartistem, is manufactured from mesenchymal stem cells derived from allogeneic umbilical cord blood. The stem cells are mixed with hyaluronan and will be administered arthroscopically during microfracture. Brian J. Cole, MD, MBA, from Rush University Medical Center, and colleagues are assessing the drug’s safety as well as its ability to regenerate cartilage and reduce pain in patients with localized cartilage loss in the knee.
Brian J. Cole
“With a burgeoning aging, yet active population, our patients are looking for effective non-joint replacement solutions to treat their damaged knee cartilage,” Cole stated in a Rush University Medical Center press release. “This research is significant in that it utilizes a commonly performed operation (microfracture) in an effort to improve upon variable outcomes.”
Cole and colleagues plan to enroll 12 participants 18 years old and older who have a body mass index less than 35. They will include 6 participants with lesions 2 cm to 5 cm in length and an additional 6 participants with lesions larger than 6 cm, according to the press release. Following enrollment, the researchers will observe the effects of the drug for 12 months with an additional long-term follow-up at 24 months.
“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,” Cole said.