Posted on Dec 04, 2019, 6 p.m.
Kyoto University has asked the government of Japan for approval to conduct a human clinical trial involving transplanting cartilage made from induced pluripotent stem cells as an approach to treat damaged knee joints.
Led by Professor Noriyuki Tsumaki the research team will be culturing iPS cells to create cartilage tissue which will be used to transplant into knees; according to the University the team submitted the study plan to the health ministry on November 7, 2019 for review by its special panel.
Their treatment approach has already been tested in animal studies where it was found to be effective and shown to carry a low risk of rejection, cancerization, and fibrosis reaction, according to the Kyoto research team.
Their plan which includes its safety was approved in October by a University board, which is hoped to help treat patients with degenerated or damaged cartilage due to injuries or illness. Cartilage tissue covers joint bones and absorbs shock, joints are not able to move smoothly if the cartilage is damaged or if it turns fibrous with age.
The Kyoto team hopes that this treatment will be an improvement on current methods in which cartilage tissue is transplanted as it is hard to acquire tissues, and the transplanted tissues often tend to turn fibrous to help effectively treat damaged knee joints.
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