Osteoarthritis Treatment with Stem cells in India
Osteoarthritis
is categorized as a common, inflammatory joint disorder; one of the many, 100
different forms of arthritis. It is commonly defined as the progressive,
degenerative condition; which is directly linked to the genetic or familial
factors. The disease generally affects people, who are aged or overweight;
however, there are varieties of risk factors that can be associated with the
disease development. As a matter of
fact, in spite of high prevalence and increased socio economic burden; there is
still a lack of effective, alternative treatment; which can minimize the damage
and manage the symptoms.
The human joints are made up of
two bones in order to increase their mobility. The synovial fluid and
cartilaginous bed are the two important parts of the human joints; which are
necessary for shock absorption and frictional reduction. Because of the
mechanical stress on weight bearing joints; considerable degeneration can be
possible in cartilages, due to which, bones get readily exposed to friction and
outer damage. As such, currently there are only rehabilitative treatments
available, such as physiotherapy, exercise and consumption of anti-inflammatory
drugs, steroids, etc. However, long term exposure of these drugs can be equally
harmful by creating secondary issues; such as infection. Whereas, the other
rehabilitative options, cannot manage the symptoms or reverse the damage
associated with the disease. Thus, alternative treatment option such as stem
cells treatment is highly acclaimed due to its effectiveness, feasibility and
ease of availability. Moreover, many reported cases have confirmed reduced
progression of the disease; after the stem cells treatment.
Stem cells are the unique cells
of human body, mainly involved in the development. These cells are present in
dormancy in each, adult organ and come in picture, whenever a demand is being
raised, likely in diseased conditions. There are different abundant sources
available in our body itself, such as bone marrow and/or adipose tissues; which
can spare their stem cells quota for clinical applications without any risk. These stem cells can be isolated outside the
human body in a clean environment and can be processed further to obtain
purified, enriched hematopoietic as well as mesenchymal stem cells.
Hematopoietic stem cells can give rise to all blood cells, whereas mesenchymal
stem cells can be easily differentiated into neurons, bones, cartilages, etc.
Thus, once these stem
cells are purified, they can be infused back at the site of injury such
as joints; in case of osteoarthritis to regenerate cartilaginous cells, promote
blood vessel formation and restore the lost function back. Due to their
anti-inflammatory properties, these stem cells can also be helpful in reduction
of inflammation to manage the pain associated with osteoarthritis.
Various clinical studies are
ongoing, wherein lot many orthopaedic issues have been successfully solved with
the application of autologous stem cells. These studies have reported reduction
in pain, discomfort in the area of injury, after the stem cells treatment and
hence are supporting it as a safe, effective and risk free alternative to
painful knee replacement surgeries without any evidence of severe, adverse
reaction in the scientific literature.
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