Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy - Volume 8, Issue 3, 2013

In orthopaedic tissue engineering, scaffolds may be viewed as a substitute for the extra-cellular matrix. Factors that contribute to an ideal scaffold include strength, degradation rate, porosity, surface property and immune response. Scaffolds may be composed of natural or synthetic polymers, each with its advantages and disadvantages. Composite scaffolds are utilised to alleviate the inherent issues with natural polymers whils Read More

Understanding of the biology of bone regeneration has been increasing rapidly, with greater appreciation for the importance of biochemical aspects as well as the mechanical requirements for bone to heal. There are a number of situations where there is difficulty in bone healing such as fracture non-union; or growth such as osteogenesis imperfecta; or a requirement for surplus bone to reconstruct defects such as followi Read More

Gene therapy has been successfully used in several areas of medicine as a technique to either alter defective genes or as method to enable delivery of therapeutic proteins. Despite advances in surgical and pharmaceutical interventions for diseases of bone regeneration and healing, results in certain patient groups remain sub-optimal. With this consideration, gene therapy is currently being investigated as a means of Read More

The management of extensive bone defects in the setting of fracture repair, non-union and revision arthroplasty are challenging problems. The supply of harvestable autologous bone graft is limited, with an associated morbidity, and therefore a need exists for a better solution in large defects. The use of stem cells is an evolving field of research, with different potential applications, ranging from simple injection of cells Read More

Due to the nature of articular cartilage of being poorly vascularized the capabilities of self repair are limited. Mesenchymal stem cells transplantation is a modern technique which has been developed after the high success rates obtained by microfracturing and drilling techniques which promote the release of growth factors and the infiltration of bone marrow derived cells in the lesion. In order to increase the conc Read More

Meniscal injuries are one of the common sports injuries and their natural healing is limited. Removal of injured meniscus alters knee biomechanics and predisposes patients to osteoarthritis. Tissue engineered meniscus provides a novel approach for the treatment of severe meniscus injury. The aim of this review is to review preclinical studies that used cell based approaches for tissue engineered meniscus. Studies were assesse Read More

Meniscal injuries are among the common sports injuries and their natural healing is limited. Removal of injured meniscus impairs normal knee function and predisposes patients to osteoarthritis. Tissue engineering and replacement strategies provide a novel approach for the treatment of severe meniscus injury. The aim of this article is to review preclinical studies that used approaches for meniscal replacement including g Read More

Background: The management and treatment of bone defects caused by trauma, non-union, tumors and disease poses a major clinical problem. Limitations with autograft and allograft have led to research into tissue engineering of bone graft using scaffolds and mesenchymal stem cells. Objectives: This systematic review aims to examine and summarize the pre clinical in-vivo studies and the limited clinical studies on the Read More

The osteogenic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from umbilical cord blood (UCB) on porous poly lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) scaffolds have been reported to differentially support osteogenic differentiation based on polymer composition (80:20, 75:25 and 70:30 percent of PLA: PGA, respectively). Along with polymer composition; fused NaCl crystal matrix prior to solvent casting improves the porosity and pore interco Read More

Background: Bone healing is a complex process. Whilst the majority of fractures heal with conventional treatment, open fractures, large bone defects and non unions still provide great challenges to Orthopaedic Surgeons. Whilst autologous bone graft is seen as the gold standard, the use of growth factors is a growing area of research to find an effective alternative with lower side effects such as donor site morbidity and the Read More