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. 2023 Jun 13;24(1):488.
doi: 10.1186/s12891-023-06555-y.

Repeated intra-articular injections of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells for knee osteoarthritis: a phase I, single-arm study

Yunong Ao #  1 , Jiangjie Duan #  2 , Na Xiong  2 , Nannan Qian  2 , Rui Zhang  2 , Liu Yang  1 , Shicang Yu  3 , Fuyou Wang  4
Affiliations

Repeated intra-articular injections of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells for knee osteoarthritis: a phase I, single-arm study

Yunong Ao et al. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. .

Abstract

Introduction: Stem cell therapy has emerged as an effective treatment for multiple diseases, and some studies also demonstrate that it may be a promising treatment for osteoarthritis (OA). However, few studies have clarified the safety of repeated intra-articular injection of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs). To promote its application in treating OA, we conducted an open-label trial to investigate the safety of repeated intra-articular injections of UC-MSCs.

Methods: Fourteen patients with OA (Kellgrene-Lawrence grade 2 or 3) who received repeated intra-articular injections of UC-MSCs were evaluated in three months of follow-up. The primary outcomes were the adverse events, and the second outcomes included visual analog scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue (MOCART) scores and SF-12 quality of life score.

Results: A total of 5 of 14 patients (35.7%) experienced transient adverse reactions, which resolved spontaneously. All patients showed some improvement in knee function limitation and pain after receiving stem cell therapy. VAS score 6.0 to 3.5, WOMAC score 26.0 to 8.5, MOCART score 42.0 to 58.0, SF-12 score 39.0 to 46.0.

Conclusion: Repeated intra-articular injection of UC-MSCs demonstrates safety in treating OA and does not induce serious adverse events. This treatment may transiently improve symptoms in patients with knee OA and may be a potential therapeutic option for OA.

Keywords: Cartilage; Knee; Osteoarthritis; Stem cell.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Characterization of UC-MSCs.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Representative MRI outcomes before injection (a) and 12 weeks after injection (b), indicating subchondral bone edema improvement
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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