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.

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

Study indicates potential of alendronate and estrogen progression of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, a chronic inflammatory disease marked by cartilage degradation and bone abnormalities, is a leading cause of disability among elderly people in the United States.

4 Nov 2004

Patent issued for nanotechnology bone biomaterial

Competitive Technologies announced today that patent number 6,808,561 has been issued by the US Patent Office for Dr. Brian R. Genge's nanotechnology bone biomaterial developed at the University of South Carolina (USC).

1 Nov 2004

Discovery affirms potential of stem cells for the development of possible therapies for spinal cord injury and nervous system disorders

Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids) have shown that stem cells found in adult skin retain their embryonic capability of making many types of cells.

1 Nov 2004

Atheromatosis, which lies behind heart attacks, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems, has a major impact on public health

These two diseases are completely different from each other, but they do have one common denominator: inflammation. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden can now show that it might also be possible to treat them with the same drug.

10 Oct 2004

Best approach for repairing breaks in bone separating brain from the nasal cavity is through the nasal cavity

The best approach for repairing breaks in the thin bone that separates the brain from the nasal cavity is through the nasal cavity, according to an analysis of 92 patients who had this increasingly common approach to treating a fortunately rare problem.

6 Oct 2004

Natural alternatives to osteoarthritis drug

The recall of Vioxx should come as a major sign of the need to look for safer alternatives for osteoarthritis treatment, according to the Director of the Australian Centre for complementary Medicine Education and Research (ACCMER), Professor Stephen Myers.

5 Oct 2004

New technique to treat condition called funnel chest, or pectus excavatum

Children and teenagers who suffer from a condition called funnel chest, or pectus excavatum, in which the chest wall becomes caved-in, now have a safe, effective and simpler surgical alternative to correct the condition, according to an article in a recent issue of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

4 Oct 2004

Magnetic resonance imaging helps measure osteoarthritis

Researchers from Australia's Monash University have revolutionised knee scans with the development of new technology that harnesses the power of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

10 Sep 2004

Patent issued for novel method to chill body tissues and organs without forming ice crystals

Body tissues such as blood vessels, cartilage and skin - even whole organs such as kidneys, livers and hearts - could become more widely available for transplants as a result of a patent issued recently to Organ Recovery Systems of Chicago for a method to chill body tissues and organs well below freezing without forming ice crystals.

30 Aug 2004

80% of cancer patients use some form of complementary or alternative therapies

Plug the terms "alternative" and "cancer" into Google and the Internet search engine returns a list of 3.27 million - yes, million - sites with information both credible and questionable about nontraditional treatments for cancer. What's a cancer patient to make of such a vast array of options?

18 Aug 2004

Osteoarthritis twice as likely if parents suffer the condition

New research published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, shows that children whose parents have osteoarthritis of the knee are twice as likely to develop the condition themselves. This research suggests that genetic make-up plays a role in osteoarthritis development.

12 Aug 2004

New knee-scanning procedures will provide more accurate diagnosis methods for doctors

New knee-scanning procedures developed by Australia's Monash University will provide more accurate diagnosis methods for doctors and save patients time and money.

10 Aug 2004