Gulf Breeze, Fla.-based Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine is reporting positive results in its study to create new cartilage in the knee through stem cell injections, the Pensacola News Journal reports.
Here are five observations:
1. Eight of the 60-planned patients in the two year study have undergone stem cell injections. The results show evidence that stem cells are an alternate method of repairing knee degeneration instead of total joint replacement surgeries.
2. The study, which is seeking FDA approval, is separated into three phases to create new cartilage. First patients undergo arthroscopic surgery where surgeons insert a camera into the knee. Then physicians increase the number of stem cells in a patient’s bone marrow through Neupogen. The third phase requires
physicians to collect the cells from the patient’s bloodstream.
3. After undergoing the three phases to gather the stem cells, physicians inject the cells into the patient’s knee. Patients then undergo physician therapy where the stem cells turn into cartilage cells and induce regeneration. Physicians conduct 14 injections over 18 months to create new cartilage. Each injection
contains approximately 8 million stem cells.
4. This new treatment process is different from standard stem cell therapies. Traditionally, physicians retrieve stem cells directly from the bone marrow, obtaining 12,000 stem cells from 60 milliliters of bone marrow. The Andrews Institute’s method allows physicians to obtain 1 million cells through 150 milliliters of
blood.
5. The Andrews Institute’s method offers patients quicker recovery times. The stem cell team plans to partner with Stanford University (Calif.) in the future to conduct future research. Additionally, physicians plan to meet with the FDA to determine the process and likelihood of approval.