New study identifies stem cells that can help repair knee joints

A new study has identified stem cells that could be used to help repair damage to the knee joints associated with conditions such asarthritis. The research - which was funded by Arthritis Research UK, the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and Tenovus Scotland - has opened the door for future treatments that can help to prevent the worst damage caused by arthritis before it occurs. How these cells affect the health of the knee joint A University of Aberdeen team were able to identify the stem cells in the synovium - the connective tissue that surrounds the joints - that have the capacity to reform and repair cartilage. They were also able to pick out a key protein called Yap that appears to regulate these stem cells and their ability to contribute to cartilage repair, finding that when a joint is injured and the synovial membrane is enlarged, the presence of Yap in the stem cells increases. When Yap was removed from the stem cells, the synovial membrane in an injured joint did not expand, while cells without Yap showed a reduced ability to contribute to cartilage repair. It was also observed that the stem cells are derived from those that originally create the knee joints during the development of embryos, which is why they retain a memory of how to recreate this function in adults. The potential therapeutic benefits It is hoped that this discovery will make it possible to target these stem cells withdrugs or other treatments, potentially allowing therapies to be cr...
Source: Arthritis Research UK - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: news