Osteoarthritis of the knee is associated with pain and, ultimately, in many cases a prosthesis. However, researchers now show that cultured cartilage cells from the nasal septum could help.
Image source: University of Basel, Christian Flierl
Explaining the amazing properties of the nasal cartilage, Professor Martin says: “Unlike the cartilage tissue in the joints, these cartilage cells originate from precursor cells of the neuroectoderm and therefore have a distinct regenerative and adaptive capacity (plasticity). Tissue grown from nasal cartilage cells seems also to retain these special properties.”
Following the successful trials on animals, the researchers also tested the approach on two young patients suffering from severe osteoarthritis, likely due to misalignment of the leg bones. Their alternative treatment would have been a knee joint prosthesis. Following the implantation of the cartilage engineered from the patients’ own nasal cartilage cells, the two subjects reported a reduction in pain and increased quality of life. In one of the two patients, the researchers were also able to determine via MRI images that the bones in the knee joint were further apart than previously – an indication of the joint’s recovery. With the second patient, they were unable to perform any MRI scans due to travel restrictions during the pandemic, and could only interview him to derive a subjective assessment.
Source: Healthcare in Europe
