Breakthrough in Replacement Cartilage Growth

Damaged cartilage does not repair itself quickly due to the fact that little circulation flows to the cartilage of the body. Also, countless patients who suffer from arthritis don't have enough cartilage and have little hope of regaining that cartilage without proper treatment. Currently, most successful attempts at growing replacement cartilage for arthritic areas such as the knee have involved the placement of an artificial biodegradable "scaffold" implant seeded with donor cells and growth factors. The donor cells and growth factors encourage the growth of new natural cartilage. However, this process often has a risk of toxicity and has a high risk of causing complications due to the fact that the artificial cartilage is made from artificial material.

A breakthrough has been made that allows biomedical engineers to grow new cartilage in the lab that is nearly identical in structure and composition to natural cartilage. Donor cells from the specific organism are used to grow the cartilage in the lab to greatly reduce the risk of rejection once the new cartilage is implanted. The cartilage is also customized to fit the treated area of the specific organism perfectly.

If this breakthrough were refined and put into practice, it would help countless people as well as our older family members and friends live happier, more comfortable, and more productive lives. We students would also be able to live without the fear of chronically suffering from arthritis when we get older. We would also be able to procure reliable cartilage replacement therapy if we tore or damaged our cartilage in the near or distant future.

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