New findings suggesting that bone stem cells may be able to help repair damaged cartilage could offer new hope to sufferers of osteoarthritis, it is claimed.
Research presented at the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting in Edinburgh revealed that scientists at Cardiff University have identified stem cells in the articular cartilage of adults over the age of 75 that could serve as a possible treatment.
Lead researcher Professor Charlie Archer from the Cardiff School of Biosciences said: "We have identified a cell which when grown in the lab can produce enough of a person’s own cartilage that it could be effectively transplanted.
"There are limitations in trying to transplant a patient’s existing cartilage cells but by culturing it from a resident stem cell we believe we can overcome this limitation."
At present, osteoarthritis affects more than two million people in the UK and approximately 27 million patients in the US.
