Mesenchymal stem cell therapy in joint disease.

Mesenchymal stem cells have the capacity to differentiate into a variety of connective tissue cells including bone, cartilage, tendon, muscle and adipose tissue. These multipotent cells have been isolated from bone marrow and from other adult tissues including skeletal muscle, fat and synovium. Because of their multipotentiality and capacity for self renewal adult stem cells may represent units of active regeneration of tissues damaged as a result of trauma or disease. In certain degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA) stem cells are depleted, and have reduced proliferative capacity and reduced ability to differentiate. The delivery of stem cells to these individuals may therefore enhance repair or inhibit the progressive destruction of the joint. We have developed methods for the delivery of mesenchymal stem cell preparations taken from bone marrow to the injured knee joint. This treatment has the potential to stimulate regeneration of cartilage and retard the progressive destruction of the joint that typically occurs following injury.