The new technique has the potential to be more effective and less invasive than conventional cartilage repair techniques, including surgery.
The patient's own cartilage-producing cells are placed into the new gel. When the liquid mixture is injected into areas where cartilage is torn, (such as a knee joint) and exposed to ultraviolet light, the material hardens into a gel leaving the transplanted cells in place so they can grow new cartilage where it is needed.
The gel material itself is composed of a natural polysaccharide. The gel won't replace damaged cartilage, but will provide an optimum growth environment for implanted cartilage-producing cells. Because the starting material is liquid, it potentially can be used with arthroscopic surgery instruments for a less invasive procedure. It will likely work best for repairing small, localized cartilage defects and injuries.
Torn cartilage is a slow to heal injury, since cartilage does not regenerate on its own.
Current treatments include rest, pain medication and, sometimes, invasive repair surgery. Patients undergoing surgery can face a slow, painful recovery.
The research team soon plans to test the new material on actual animal models with torn cartilage. If those tests are successful, human studies could eventually follow.
To watch for human Clinical Trials to begin recruiting go to:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct
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