Combating Osteoarthritis through Stem Cell Therapies by Rejuvenating Cartilage: A Review

Abstract

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative disorder which could be distinguished by erosion of articular cartilage, pain, stiffness, and crepitus. Not only aging-associated alterations but also the metabolic factors such as hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and obesity affect articular tissues and may initiate or exacerbate the OA. The poor self-healing ability of articular cartilage due to limited regeneration in chondrocytes further adversely affects the osteoarthritic microenvironment. Traditional and current surgical treatment procedures for OA are limited and incapable to reverse the damage of articular cartilage. To overcome these limitations, cell-based therapies are currently being employed to repair and regenerate the structure and function of articular tissues. These therapies not only depend upon source and type of stem cells but also on environmental conditions, growth factors, and chemical and mechanical stimuli. Recently, the pluripotent and various multipotent mesenchymal stem cells have been employed for OA therapy, due to their differentiation potential towards chondrogenic lineage. Additionally, the stem cells have also been supplemented with growth factors to achieve higher healing response in osteoarthritic cartilage. In this review, we summarized the current status of stem cell therapies in OA pathophysiology and also highlighted the potential areas of further research needed in regenerative medicine.

Exosomes produced from 3D cultures of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in a hollow-fiber bioreactor show improved osteochondral regeneration activity

“…However, the potential of MSCs is hampered by aberrant cell phenotype, poor self-renewal ability, and reduced ability to differentiate after multiple passages when cultured in vitro. For transplantation of MSCs into the defect, cell vitality and viability need to be preserved; however, this requires proper handling and storage of cells and is logistically challenging (De Bari and Roelofs 2018;Dubey et al 2018). After transplantation, the newly formed cartilage can encounter undesired hypertrophy and ossification, both of which can complicate clinical treatment (Music et al 2018).…”

Combined detection of COMP and CS846 biomarkers in experimental rat osteoarthritis: a potential approach for assessment and diagnosis of osteoarthritis

“…Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative joint condition that is estimated to affect over 250 million individuals worldwide [ 1 ]. Currently, there is no effective cure to treat OA [ 2 ]. Presently, the diagnosis of OA is based on clinical symptoms and traditional radiology.…”

Role of Jumpstart Nutrition®, a Dietary Supplement, to Ameliorate Calcium-to-Phosphorus Ratio and Parathyroid Hormone of Patients with Osteoarthritis

“…Therefore, frequently different medications are used for temporary relief such as NSAIDs for prevention of pain and inflammation but they have tremendous side-effects such as cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems, and corticosteroids [10,11], which may help to increase muscle strength and slow progression but can weaken bones and increase weight gain over long-term use. Other kinds of therapies such as stem cell [48] are occasionally used, which may improve the delay of progression of symptoms, thus, the quality of life may be saved temporarily.…”