A combination of adult stem cells and parathyroid hormone significantly increased new bone formation in laboratory animals and may speed the healing process for human bone fractures caused by osteoporosis, a new study shows.
The study is published online by Molecular Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal in the Nature Publishing Group. Researchers used a combination of mesenchymal stem cells, which are derived from bone marrow taken from adults, and parathyroid hormone, also called PTH, which regulates human calcium levels essential for strong and healthy bones.
For 21 days, laboratory rats and pigs with vertebral fractures received daily injections of PTH. During the same period, the animals also were injected with five doses of stem cells. The study shows that the combination therapy significantly enhanced the stem cells’ migration to the area of the bone fracture and increased the formation of new, healthy bone.