Stem cell therapy has potential to treat rheumatoid arthritis as research advances
As stem cell research advances, the therapy may become available in the future as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, researchers suggest.
New developments in stem cell research have found that scientists no longer have to rely on cells harvested from embryos and “master cells” can now be replicated within a person’s own body.
These types of adult cells are called induced pluripotent stem cells and there is less risk involved in using them. Researchers are looking at ways to target these “induced” stem cells to help heal certain target areas or fight specific diseases, including joint destruction and rheumatoid arthritis.
However, studies so far have shown mixed results. In the US, the National Institutes for Health (NIH) says that, although additional research is needed, iPSCs (induced pluripotent stem cells) are already useful tools for drug development and modelling of diseases, and scientists hope to use them in transplantation medicine.
Yet, a study by the European League Against Rheumatism showed mixed results in stem cell transplants on patients with rheumatoid arthritis and related autoimmune diseases, including juvenile idiopathic arthritis, lupus and Sjogren’s syndrome.
Research in the area continues. John Hopkins University is currently doing research on utilising stem cells to repair cartilage and bone, which could help ease joint pain and destruction in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
A statement from NIH says, “One of the more perplexing questions in biomedical research is – why does the body’s protective shield against infections, the immune system, attack its own vital cells, organs and tissues? The answer to this question is central to understanding an array of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, systemic lupus, erythematosus and Sjogren’s syndrome.
“Research on stem cells is now providing new approaches to strategically remove the misguided immune cells and restore normal immune cells to the body.”
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