http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Rush University Medical Center is conducting the nation's first clinical study of an innovative stem cell drug, Cartistem, to repair knee cartilage damaged by aging, trauma or degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-stem-cell-therapy-knee-cartilage.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:45:10 EST news278264701 (Medical Xpress)—Researchers in the US have created a type of hydrogel that has proven to be effective in treating patients with damaged cartilage. The gel, the team writes, in their paper published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, thickens when exposed to light, providing a lattice platform for the development of new cell growth. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-hydrogel-cartilage.html Medical research Fri, 11 Jan 2013 07:50:01 EST news277110521 Johns Hopkins tissue engineers have used tiny, artificial fiber scaffolds thousands of times smaller than a human hair to help coax stem cells into developing into cartilage, the shock-absorbing lining of elbows and knees that often wears thin from injury or age. Reporting online June 4 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, investigators produce an important component of cartilage in both laboratory and animal models. While the findings are still years away from use in people, the researchers say the results hold promise for devising new techniques to help the millions who endure joint pain. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-nanoscale-scaffolds-stem-cells-cartilage.html Medical research Tue, 17 Jul 2012 13:11:18 EST news261749471 When it comes to treating cartilage tears in athletes, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy is a safe and effective method of treatment, according to research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Annual Meeting in Baltimore. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-platelet-rich-plasma-therapy-safe-option.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Sat, 14 Jul 2012 05:44:15 EST news261463443 In what could be a breakthrough in the practical application of epigenetic science, U.K. scientists used human tissue samples to discover that those with osteoarthritis have a signature epigenetic change (DNA methylation) responsible for switching on and off a gene that produces a destructive enzyme called MMP13. This enzyme is known to play a role in the destruction of joint cartilage, making MMP13 and the epigenetic changes that lead to its increased levels, prime targets for osteoarthritis drug development. In addition to offering a new epigenetic path toward a cure for osteoarthritis, this research also helps show how epigenetic changes play a role in diseases outside of cancer. This finding was recently published online in the FASEB Journal. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-scientists-epigenetic-osteoarthritis.html Genetics Fri, 06 Jul 2012 10:51:05 EST news260790657 (Medical Xpress) -- The same genes that promote healing after cartilage damage also appear to protect against osteoarthritis, a condition caused by years of wear-and-tear on the cartilage between joints, new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-genes-cartilage-arthritis.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Fri, 27 Apr 2012 06:00:55 EST news254725241 Henry Ford Hospital researchers have identified for the first time two molecules that hold promise as a biomarker for measuring cartilage damage associated with osteoarthritis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-identity-potential-biomarker-osteoarthritis.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:36:53 EST news247642591 The onset of osteoarthritis may be related to a loss of knee motion after reconstructive ACL surgery, as noted in new research presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, July 7-10, 2011. Patients who showed motion limitations after surgery were more likely to develop arthritic changes in the knee. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-loss-motion-knee-surgery-osteoarthritis.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Sat, 09 Jul 2011 15:20:26 EST news229443510