British Researchers Aim to Improve Bone Disease Treatment

Researchers are aiming to develop new therapies for osteoarthritis by rejuvenating old stem cells to repair cartilage damage.

As reported by The Northern Echo, a research team at York University in the United Kingdom have been awarded £190,158 ($323,793) from the medical research charity Arthritis Research U.K. to carry out a three-year study to investigate how rejuvenated cells from older people with osteoarthritis can be used to repair worn or damaged cartilage, reducing chronic pain.

There is currently no treatment to prevent the progression of osteoarthritis, and people with severe disease often need total joint replacement surgery.

“A way to ‘reset’ stem cells to an earlier time point, termed rejuvenation, has recently been discovered, allowing more effective tissue repair,” said Paul Genever, M.D., a lead researcher who heads up the Arthritis Research U.K. Tissue Engineering Centre at the University of York. “This project will firstly compare rejuvenated and non-rejuvenated stem cells to see if the process improves cartilage repair, and secondly, investigate whether it is possible to develop new drugs which are able to rejuvenate stem cells.”

In the United Kingdom, more than 8 million people have sought treatment from their doctors for osteoarthritis, which causes pain and stiffness in the joints due to cartilage at the ends of bones wearing away.

“This is pioneering research, which has the potential to help reduce pain and disability and improve quality of life of those living with osteoarthritis,” said professor Alan Silman, medical director at charity Arthritis Research U.K.