Osteochondral knee defect treated using cell technology

A joint paper by Kazan Federal University and Tatarstan Republican Clinical Hospital appeared in Frontiers in Medicine.

As the publication describes, autologous cells of stromal vascular fraction were transplanted to a 36-year-old man with the use of fibrin matrix. The patient, whose injury had been caused by a fall, then has been under supervision for 2 years.

Co-author Albert Rizvanov explains, "Fat tissue is one of the prospective sources of cell material for regenerative medicine. It contains different types of cells, including stem cells. Liposuction, the procedure used to extract fat tissue, is also relatively easy to perform. With the help of specific enzymes, fat tissue can be divided to get stromal vascular fraction which contains a number of stem cells and progenitor cells. Kazan Federal University utilizes its Biobank and Cell Technology Center at the University Clinic to conduct trials in cell technology-based regenerative medicine."

According to the authors, knee cartilage injuries are hard to treat because its regenerative potential is rather limited, but cell technology promises serious advancements here.

"With the help of clinical data and MRI analysis, we succeeded in restoring cartilage tissue and fully eliminating pain syndrome, which allowed the patient to return to his profession linked with constant athletic exercise," says another researcher, KFU and RCH employee Ruslan Masgutov.

His colleague Ramil Salikhov adds that existing treatment methods for such pathology are basically palliative and can result in knee replacement. Cell technology, conversely, can prolong the lives of natural joints.

Further clinical trials in regeneration treatment are planned, including those for other injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system.