Stem Cells Modified to Home in Where They're Needed

[Jan]

Stem Cells Modified to Home in Where They're Needed

MONDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. researchers have found a way to modify the surface of stem cells to direct them to where they're needed, an advance that may prove useful in many areas of stem cell therapy.

continued at
http://www.healthcentral.com/newsdetail/408/611649.html

[Mysty119]

This is great, Jan!!! I'm getting more and more excited---(if that's possible), and looking forward to my treatment. Gotta get the passport thing going first.

[yorkere]

I came across ths folowing abstract the other day; this one is quite interesting; how are these super smart guys able to DO this kind of thing?!

FWIW:


A novel cell delivery system using magnetically labeled mesenchymal stem cells and an external magnetic device for clinical cartilage repair.
1-25-08
Kobayashi T, Ochi M, Yanada S, Ishikawa M, Adachi N, Deie M, Arihiro K.
Arthroscopy. 2008 Jan;24(1):69-76. Epub 2007 Nov 28.
PMID: 18182205 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.


PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether it is possible to successfully accumulate magnetically labeled mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), under the direction of an external magnetic force, to the desired portion of osteochondral defects of the patellae after intra-articular injection of the MSCs.

METHODS: MSCs were cultured from bone marrow and were labeled magnetically. Osteochondral defects were made in the center of rabbit and swine patellae, and magnetically labeled MSCs were injected into the knee joints either under the direction of an external magnetic force or with no magnetic force applied. In the rabbit model we evaluated the patellae macroscopically and histologically, and in the swine model we observed the patellae arthroscopically.

RESULTS: Accumulation of magnetically labeled MSCs to the osteochondral defect was shown macroscopically and histologically in the rabbit model and was shown by arthroscopic observation to be attached to the chondral defect in the swine model.

CONCLUSIONS: We showed the ability to deliver magnetically labeled MSCs to a desired place in the knee joint.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Our novel approach is applicable for human cartilage defects and may open a new era of repairing cartilage defects caused by osteoarthritis or trauma by use of a less invasive technique.