Bone Marrow

Michael Longaker’s interests lie at the intersection of wound/bone regeneration and stem cell biology. In the Peripheral Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Candidate Cells Responsible for Healing Critical-Sized Calvarial Bone Defects, the efficacy of peripheral blood (PB) for use in regenerative medicine is significant, with its retrieval viewed as relatively easy. Experiments such as bone regeneration were carried out with the use of PB stem cells. The paper finds that through a specific coculturing process mesenchymal cells can be derived from PB (CD34+) which happen to be choice candidates for quicker bone healing and re-calcification in bone defects (Li). The key discoveries here are the identification of easily retrievable source of stem cells, which help give rise, under a specific culturing protocol, to a specific group of non-hematopoietic cells. This is directly in line with Dr. Longaker’s research as he investigates the possible uses of regenerative medicine in skeletal regeneration. Here we are provided an example of how these CD45- cells can be utilized for treatment of bone defects as it facilitations bone formation and osteogenesis. What should be asked here is how viable is this form of treatment. There is a lot of discussion surrounding the necessary conditions to produce these BD-MSCs and how it is very condition dependent. It would have been preferable to know the amount of time and the amount of cells required to see efficient

In 2011, Professor Susmita Bose, of Washington State University, modified a ProMetal 3D printer to bind chemicals to a ceramic powder, creating intricate scaffolds that promote the growth of bone in any shape. Prof. Bose’s goal is to, one day, be able to implant the bone scaffold with bone growth factors in such a way that the implant is dissolved by natural bone material in even load-bearing bone structures.

The recovery period after large scale injuries could be shortened. The effects are analyzed in an article that states, “True healing could occur thanks to the cloning of their own cells to help the recovery process” (“Pros and Cons” 5). Basically, the process of cloning healthy cells could be used as an aid in replenishing damage of unhealthy cells. This process, if it were to be actualized, could help recovery progress in anything from pulled muscles to the paralysis of an entire limb. In theory, the same research can be applied in other areas. If this technology is paired with stem cell research, it could result in a method of repairing physical damage. An article that focused on advances in biotechnology stated that “Another use of cloned stem cells could be the growth of replacement tissues in the laboratory” (LaPensee 15). Necrosis, apoptosis, and lymphocyte diapedesis all cause tissue damage or death. These tissues could be replaced by cloned cells of healthy tissues. This shortens recovery periods and leads to healthier tissue growth.

Discoveries from stem cells have been substantial within the last 20 years, with breakthrough treatments for diseases and conditions previously thought to be incurable. For instance, the case of Portuguese patient Silvio, who, due to an accident, suffered Grade A spinal cord injury, and “was left with no movement of his legs and minimal

Adult stem cells have already proven to be successful in treating diseases and have helped hundreds of thousands of patients, and new clinical uses expand almost weekly. Adult stem cells can be obtained from cord blood, fat, neural tissue, muscle, bone marrow, placental and skin cells. Adult stem cells are increasingly being shown to have a similar and perhaps an identical capacity to become cells of other types. There is a possibility that adult stem cells may function more efficiently and more safely than embryonic cells. Treena Arinzeh, a young professor who last year won a Presidential Award, the nation's highest scientific honor, is bringing the promise of stem cell research one step closer to reality. Adult stem cells also have a unique trait that lends them their magic: Under the right conditions, or given the proper signals, they have the ability to turn into different cell types. Arinzeh is doing exactly that: developing signals, in the form of biomaterials, that will help adult stem cells turn into cells that, if injected into a diseased area of the human body, could regenerate damaged tissue. Her research has also led to two major stem-cell discoveries: One showing that stem cells, when mixed with biomaterials known as scaffolds, can help regenerate bone growth; and another proving that stem cells taken from one person can be successfully implanted into another. A list of conditions for which stem-cell treatment holds promise grows almost daily: It now

By taking on new functions, they become helpful in regenerative and reparative medicine, where injected cells develop into the same type of cell as that in the desired region. Although in theory stem cells seem like a promising treatment, questions arise about the ethics, effectiveness and consistency of the procedure. Ethics question whether it is right to derive the stem cells from Humans. This is because the most common stem cells are those found in adults, and those derived from an embryo. Others question whether it is guaranteed to work every time. If the cells are injected and left to take specialized form, how can it be known that it will become the type of cell desired. To put these questions to rest, many studies have been done using spinal injuries in rats. These studies tested the effect of the timing of the injection, as well as tracked the development of these cells from injection to specialization. All in all; the effects of stem cell injections are most efficient when the timing and type of the injections are chosen precisely.

“Through the isolation and manipulation of cells, scientists are finding ways to identify young, regenerating ones that can be used to replace damaged of dead cells in diseased organs. This therapy is similar to the process of organ transplant, only the treatment consists of the transplantation of cells rather than organs. The cells that have shown by far the most promise of supplying diseased organs with healthy cells are called stem cells.” (Chapter Preface)

Many of us have all heard the saying that a “lizard can lose its tail,” and bizarrely enough it will grow back. This was always considered impossible for humans, an idea belonging in the realm of science fiction, but now the regeneration of tissue is an extremely realistic possibility. Despite some opinions, this process does not happen naturally, or take place as cinematically as one might imagine. Over the past decade, there have been major advances in regenerative medicine, commonly known as stem cell research. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells within the body that have the capability to specialize into any tissue. They are most commonly found in cord blood, bone marrow, organ donations, placenta, and embryos . Stem cells are seen by some as a new miracle treatment, encouraging many countries to invest in their research.

Stem Cells On average 20 people die each day waiting for a transplant. Which is a problem that our people deal with on a daily basis. This fact has a solution in which we can help and provide people with new organs. The solution are stem cells that are artificially created in order to replace damaged organs.

The BioPen allows surgeons to repair damaged bone and cartilage by “drawing” new cells directly onto bone in the middle of surgery. The pen has a bio-ink comprised of stem cells inside a biopolymer such as alginate (a seaweed extract) which is in turn protected by a second layer of hydrogel. Once on the bone surface, the ink is hardened using a UV light embedded in the pen. Once they are drawn onto the bone, they will proliferate in the patient’s body, differentiating into nerve, muscle and bone cells and eventually being established as tissue. The technique could reform how surgeons repair cartilage. For certain types of injuries, it’s difficult for surgeons to discern the exact shape of the area requiring an implant, making it tricky to design an artificial cartilage implant before surgery. With the BioPen, surgeons could simply use the hydrogel solution to fill in the damaged area. The cell solution could also be further customized by adding drugs to boost healing and regrowth. Hopefully, these type of innovations can change patients from being defined by their pain to being able to live healthier lives.

In a study done by Emadedin et al. in 2012, they injected MSC from each respective patients bone marrow, into six female volunteers with evidence of knee OA that was severe enough to require joint replacement surgery. The authors described a detailed, meticulous procedure in how they obtained the MSC from the patient’s bone marrow, and made it into the cells they needed for the procedure. They injected the patient’s affected knee joints with the stem cells and followed up with them in one year. At the one year mark, Emadedin et al. (2012) found that overall, the study was successful in decreasing pain and increasing the patients walking distance for the first 6 months. However, they discovered that 3 of the

As people in the world live longer as a result of advances in medicine and technology, more and more people are suffering from osteoarthritis, especially in the knee. Osteoarthritis in the degeneration of cartilage, which causes chronic pain and disability. Today, around 10-15% of people over the age of 60 suffer from osteoarthritis, and by 2050, it is estimated that greater than 20 percent of the total world population will experience OA (Kong et al). Today’s there are a number of treatments, many of which have serious complications or do not fix the problem. Typically for severe cases of osteoarthritis, total knee replacement surgery is the accepted treatment, however as many as 20 percent of patients still experience pain or other complications post-surgery (Freitag et al). The use of regenerative methods such as the use of mesenchymal stem cells could provide an better alternative to this procedure. Mesenchymal stem cells are found in bone marrow as well as other sources such as umbilical cord blood, adipose tissue, and muscle, and are multipotent, meaning they can differentiate into multiple tissues including cartilage, bone, and fat. Mesenchymal stem cell therapy is the future in treating osteoarthritis in the knee because it produces real cartilage, effectively reduces pain and is safe.

Embryonic stem cell research has led to medical benefits to aid in curing diseases and many cancer cases that have grown in today’s society. Tissues throughout the body have a specific single layer of cells that can regenerate daughter cells. These daughter cells, or embryonic cells, have the capabilities to regenerate and build tissues or organs. These cells can aid in a lifelong regeneration process for tissues throughout the body. In vitro studies have shown that these cells can be placed in a specific area where there is large amounts of tissue damage due to injury or disease and completely rebuild this tissue into a completely new, fully functioning tissue. (Weissman, 2005, p. 1). However, people will argue the fact that embryonic stem cells have not been cleared to work in the human body. This is true that Weisman has only found it to work in mice and in genetically made organs, tissues, and muscle. Facts have shown that

(Buda et al. 2010)Implantation of BMDCs seeded on an HA Scaffold, supplemented with platelet rich fibrin. 20 patients: 16 MFC and 6 LFC. 18 were traumatic and 2 OCD with 29 month follow-up We found a significant improvement in both IKDC score and the KOOS scores with each follow-up. Histologic: collagen II noted throughout repair tissue and focal proteoglycans content consistent with hyaline-like tissue. Variable signaling intensity that correlated with KOOS and IKDC. In Summary, there is tremendous interest and promise of using mesenchymal stems cells to treat patients with OA symptoms and repair cartilage damage. However, we are still in the infancy stages of understanding how these cells should be applied. There are a number of issues that still need to be addressed:In the literature, there are different methods for how the cells are being harvested, produced and

Simply put, bone marrow transplants use naturally occurring adult stem cells to produce new healthy blood inside a patient’s bones. This procedure is conducted within a hospital, under professional medical care, and in some cases the patient may leave once the transplant is complete.