Italian scientists have succeeded in regenerating joint cartilage using biomaterials that encapsulate stem cells and can be stimulated by ultrasound.
The research, led by the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa in conjunction with the Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute in Bologna and with the participation of the Institute of Molecular Genetics IGM-CNR “Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza”, the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and the Italian Institute of Technology in Pontedera and published in the journal ACS Nano, demonstrates the effectiveness of this technique in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
The next step will be clinical trials on patients.
Currently, the only solution for people suffering from osteoarthritis is to have a hip or knee replacement.
However, researchers led by Leonardo Ricotti have come up with a potentially much less invasive but effective solution by developing an innovative biomaterial capable of encapsulating stem cells derived from the patient's own adipose tissue, or body fat.
This biomaterial can be easily injected into the joint and contains ultrasound-sensitive nanomaterials which, when stimulated, produce electrical charges that cause stem cells to develop into cartilage cells.
The same stimulus also significantly reduces inflammation, which plays a major role in the pathology.