Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have a great capacity for self-renewal and are able to differentiate into a multitude of different cell types. Precisely this has recently made them a focus of medical innovation.
The ability of MSCs to treat osteoarthritis of the knee (OA) has been previously demonstrated. However, their efficacy has not yet been established.
MSCs can be obtained from:
- Bone marrow
- Adipose tissue
- Peripheral blood
- Umbilical cord blood: which have a high chondrogenic potential and are easily collected.
Knee osteoarthritis: mesenchymal cells from umbilical cord blood.
In recent years, the efficacy of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSC) implantation has been proven to reduce the progression of osteoarthritis of the knee.
In this regard, in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, significant improvements in knee cartilage have been observed after 12 months.
The findings suggest that implantation of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and hyaluronic acid, in combination with somatotropin (growth hormone) injections, provides significant improvement in knee cartilage.