Cartilage News and Research

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Cartilage is a stiff yet flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs.

Osteoarthritis susceptibility: eight potential genes discovered

The largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) of osteoarthritis to date, published Online First in The Lancet, has uncovered eight new genetic variants or loci that appear to increase susceptibility to the most common form of arthritis, which affects about 40% of the world population older than 70 years. These findings bring the total number of osteoarthritis susceptibility genes isolated in European populations to 11.

3 Jul 2012

Data from Infinity’s IPI-145 pre-clinical study on inflammatory diseases

Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported preclinical data for IPI-145, the company's oral inhibitor of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)-delta and PI3K-gamma. The data demonstrate potent PI3K-delta and -gamma inhibition in biochemical, cellular and whole blood assays and activity in multiple preclinical models of inflammatory disease, including rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.

28 Jun 2012

Implantable sensor technology and cartilage scaffolding systems for bone and joint repair

A group of biomedical engineering researchers have cited recent advances in implantable sensor technology and cartilage scaffolding systems as major developments in the use of engineered cartilage for bone and joint repair.

27 Jun 2012

Wake Forest Baptist researchers achieve early milestone in lab-engineered kidney project

Regenerative medicine researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have reached an early milestone in a long-term project that aims to build replacement kidneys in the lab to help solve the shortage of donor organs.

23 Jun 2012

Biomimedica closes Series-B financing

Biomimedica, Incorporated, a medical device start-up company focused on the development and commercialization of its proprietary GRADION Total Cartilage Replacement technology, announced today that it has closed its Series-B financing, raising $11.9 million from a combination of new and existing investors, including conversion of approximately $2.8 million in bridge loans.

22 Jun 2012

Georgia Tech startup to create new delivery method for cell-based therapies

Cell-based therapies have yet to reach their full potential in repairing damaged tissue because of the hostile environment the cells face once injected into the body. A patient's inflammatory response normally causes the majority of these therapeutic cells to die or migrate away from the area in need of repair.

14 Jun 2012

New method enhances adhesion of injected CECs for successful corneal transplantation

Regenerative medicine, or the use of specially grown tissues and cells to treat injuries and diseases, has been successful in treating disorders of a number of organs, including heart, pancreas, and cartilage. However, efforts to treat disorders of the corneal endothelium, a single cell layer on the inner surface of the cornea, with regenerative techniques have been less effective. Now, a group of scientists has developed a method that enhances the adhesion of injected corneal endothelial cells (CECs), allowing for successful corneal transplantation to repair pathological dysfunctions.

14 Jun 2012

Utah-based company licenses new biomedical device from BYU for chronic back pain

In between the vertebrae of the human spine are 23 Oreo-sized, cartilage-filled discs that hold the vertebrae together and allow for spine movement. While the discs are critical for movement, they can become the source of back pain when they degenerate or herniate - a major health problem that affects 85% of Americans and drains the U.S. economy to the tune of $100 billion every year.

13 Jun 2012

Higher quality bone from stem cells

UCLA stem cell scientists purified a subset of stem cells found in fat tissue and made from them bone that was formed faster and was of higher quality than bone grown using traditional methods, a finding that may one day eliminate the need for painful bone grafts that use material taken from the patient during invasive procedures.

11 Jun 2012

Piramal to present data on several molecular imaging compounds at SNM annual meeting

Piramal Imaging SA, a subsidiary of Piramal Healthcare Limited, will present data on several compounds from its molecular imaging portfolio at the Society of Nuclear Medicine's 59th annual meeting in Miami Beach, Fla., from June 9 - 13.

10 Jun 2012

Biomarkers predict progressive spinal damage in ankylosing spondylitis

German researchers have discovered five biomarkers that may predict the progression of structural damage in the spine of patients with ankylosing spondylitis who are already at high risk for disease progression.

8 Jun 2012

What are vitamins?

Most people have heard of vitamin C and its effects upon the body; but how much do you know about other vitamins? How many even are there? And what do they all do?

8 Jun 2012

Targeting stem cells might be more effective in treating vascular disease

One of the top suspects behind killer vascular diseases is the victim of mistaken identity, according to researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, who used genetic tracing to help hunt down the real culprit.

7 Jun 2012

Study identifies 5 biomarkers that may predict progression of spinal damage in AS patients

A new study presented today at EULAR 2012, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, has identified five biomarkers that may predict the progression of structural damage in the spine of patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) who are already at high risk of disease progression.

7 Jun 2012

Tart cherries may help reduce chronic inflammation in people with osteoarthritis

Tart cherries may help reduce chronic inflammation, especially for the millions of Americans suffering from debilitating joint pain and arthritis, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University presented today at the American College of Sports Medicine Conference (ACSM) in San Francisco, Calif.

31 May 2012

ASCs promising source of cells for use in plastic surgery and regenerative medicine

Adipose stem cells (ASCs)—stem cells derived from fat—are a promising source of cells for use in plastic surgery and regenerative medicine, according to a special review in the June issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

30 May 2012

Medivir initiates MIV-711 phase I trial in bone disorders

Medivir AB, a research-based pharmaceutical company focused on infectious diseases, announced today that a phase I clinical trial has been initiated with its investigational drug, MIV-711, a cathepsin K inhibitor for the treatment of bone disorders characterized by excessive bone resorption such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and bone metastases.

28 May 2012

Special surface allows adult-derived stem cells to thrive and transform into multiple cell types

University of Michigan researchers have proven that a special surface, free of biological contaminants, allows adult-derived stem cells to thrive and transform into multiple cell types. Their success brings stem cell therapies another step closer.

25 May 2012

BMP8B plays a key role in regulating thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue

Bone morphogenetic protein 8B (BMP8B) plays a key role in regulating thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue, according to the findings of a research work published in Cell, the journal with the most impact on the field of biomedicine and molecular biology.

23 May 2012

Data from Janssen’s SIMPONI Phase 3 study on ulcerative colitis

New study findings presented today show that subcutaneous induction regimens of the anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha therapy SIMPONI (golimumab) induced clinical response in a majority of patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) who had previously failed or were intolerant to conventional agents.

22 May 2012