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.

Lack of collagen increases likelihood of osteoarthritis

Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that joints whose cartilage lacks a specific type of collagen will develop osteoarthritis – the so-called "wear-and-tear" form of the disease – at a greatly accelerated rate.

20 Feb 2005

New bone marrow model could help people with sickle cell disease

A new model showing how sickle cell blood cells operate within bone marrow is presented at a conference in Austria today. Researchers at Imperial College London, who developed the model, hope that it will eventually be used by clinicians to advance more effective treatments for sickle cell disease.

20 Feb 2005

Achieva 3T MR Scanner launched officially launched

The first 'next generation' MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) body scanner in the world will be officially launched at Hope Hospital later this week (Friday 18th February).

15 Feb 2005

Mesoblast signs adult stem cells agreement

Australia’s adult stem cell company, Mesoblast Limited, today announced that it had signed an agreement for production of specialised adult stem cells, known as Mesenchymal Precursor Cells (MPCs), to be used in human pilot clinical trials in patients with orthopaedic and cardiovascular diseases.

14 Feb 2005

Study sheds light on growing pains and growth spurts

The existence of growth spurts and growing pains in children may be perpetually evident to parents, but their cause has lacked scientific explanation. A new study by Emory University anthropologist Michelle Lampl, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison now sheds some light on this childhood phenomena.

13 Feb 2005

Researchers have discovered an ample source of stem cells in an uncharted part of the umbilical cord

The study, published in the February issue of Stem Cells, outlines how researchers discovered that the jelly-like connective tissue surrounding the blood vessels of the human umbilical cord, the so-called "Wharton's Jelly," is rich in mesenchymal progenitor cells – cells that generate bone, cartilage and other tissues – and can be harvested to generate an abundant supply in a short amount of time.

9 Feb 2005

Gene therapy helps generate bone around dental implants

A University of Michigan research team has found that introducing a growth factor protein into a mouth wound using gene therapy helped generate bone around dental implants, according to a new paper in the February issue of the journal Molecular Therapy.

3 Feb 2005

Aastrom Biosciences responds to article regarding contaminated stem cell lines

Aastrom Biosciences responded today to the publication in the Sunday online edition of Nature Medicine of findings by California researchers that indicate that certain lines of human embryonic stem cells have been contaminated through the use of mice feeder cells.

25 Jan 2005

Breakthrough technology which will allow tailor-made tissues and bones to be grown

Made-to-measure skin and bones, which could be used to treat burn victims or patients who have suffered severe disfigurements, may soon be a reality using inkjets which can print human cells.

From The University of Manchester 20 Jan 2005

Strong association between high levels of hyaluronic acid and severe osteoarthritis

A chronic degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis (OA) is a common cause of pain and disability among older Americans. OA of the knee affects up to 6 percent of the older population, while OA of the hip affects about another 3 percent. While treatments vary, there is hope that early intervention – before joint destruction can be clearly seen and measured on an X-ray image-will improve outcomes.

7 Jan 2005

Signaling molecule involved in osteoarthritis identified

Using naturally-occurring mutant mice with a defective collagen gene, scientists at Harvard have identified a signaling molecule involved in one of the most common causes of disability among the elderly in the United States, osteoarthritis.

4 Jan 2005

New gel promotes healing by gluing bone pieces together

A new material that fuses biological and synthetic substances at the molecular level speeds bone and cartilage repair. Its creators at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology say laboratory studies have shown the new gel promotes healing by gluing bone pieces together and stimulating tissue development.

26 Dec 2004

Stem cells transplanted to female foetus

A female foetus with multiple intrauterine fractures, diagnosed as severe osteogenesis imperfecta, was transplanted with HLA-mismatched mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the 32nd week of gestation.

21 Dec 2004

Injectable gel that could speed repair of torn cartilage

In a project that will likely be watched by football players, runners and other athletes, researchers at MIT and Harvard Medical School say they are developing an injectable gel that could speed repair of torn cartilage, a common sports injury, and may help injured athletes return to competition sooner.

13 Dec 2004

Cell replacement therapy offers a novel and powerful medical technology

Cell replacement therapy offers a novel and powerful medical technology. A type of embryonic stem cell, called a neural crest stem cell, that persists into adulthood in hair follicles was recently discovered by Maya Sieber-Blum, Ph.D., of the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milos Grim, MD Ph.D., of Charles University Prague, and their collaborators.

13 Dec 2004

Research raises question on shark cartilage use as an anti-cancer treatment

The rising popularity of shark cartilage extract as an anti-cancer treatment is a triumph of marketing and pseudoscience over reason, with a tragic fallout for both sharks and humans, according to a Johns Hopkins biologist writing in the Dec. 1 issue of Cancer Research.

4 Dec 2004

Benefits of weight loss may depend on alignment of affected leg, study suggests

A painful and sometimes crippling disease characterized by progressive cartilage loss, osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee affects an estimated 6 percent of adults over age 30.

2 Dec 2004

Topical cream alternative to Vioxx

A clinical study recently published in The Journal of Rheumatology concludes that a topical cream consisting of a blend of natural oils called cetylated fatty acids significantly increased range of motion and physical performance in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee with no reported side effects.

24 Nov 2004

Cells from skeletal muscle could be an important source of stem cells for repairing damaged muscle or nerve tissue

A group of cells called skeletal-muscle satellite cells are able to regenerate muscle fibres. Giulio Alessandri (Carlo Besta Neurological Institute, Milan, Italy) and colleagues investigated whether these cells can differentiate into different types of mesenchymal cell (the types of cell that eventually form connective tissue, bone, cartilage, and the circulatory and lymphatic systems).

18 Nov 2004

Cellular vehicle delivers drugs directly into cancer cells

Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have perfected a delivery system for anticancer treatment that zeroes in on a tumor and becomes part of its supporting tissue.

4 Nov 2004