Stem cell treatment for musculoskeletal disease

Alice Carstairs*, Paul Genever

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Musculoskeletal disease is prevalent in society and with an ageing population, the incidence and impact on public health are set to rise. Severe long-term pain and mobility restriction impair the welfare and quality of life of patients with musculoskeletal disease. Current treatments are often restricted to the management of symptoms or temporary replacement with inert materials, rather than targeting prevention and cure. There is an urgent need for alternative biological approaches to musculoskeletal disease therapy. The rapid emergence of stem cell technologies, primarily using 'mesenchymal stem cells' (MSCs), has resulted in a number of pre-clinical and clinical studies in an effort to provide more effective treatment options. Challenges exist in bench-to-bedside translation, but they are not insurmountable.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-6
Number of pages6
JournalCurrent Opinion in Pharmacology
Volume16
Issue number1
Early online date19 Feb 2014
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2014

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