Is Cartilage Regeneration Possible?
Cartilage regeneration are two words that, unfortunately, don't go well together. We wish they did, as if that were the case, osteoarthritis would not be the problem it is. Cartilage is the tissue that covers the ends of our bones at the joints, allowing the bones to move past one another without making actual contact, and without out much in the way of friction to inhibit the motion.
Osteoarthritis, when severe enough, is evident when the cartilage begins to wear away, or becomes completely worn away. This degeneration of the cartilage in a joint eventually results in pain and inflammation. If there were only some way whereby cartilage regeneration could become possible, the need for joint replacements and other more extreme measures might no longer be necessary.
A part of the problem lies in the fact that cartilage differs from bone and muscle in that it is not supplied by the bloodstream. It is made up entirely of water, between 70 and 85 percent water depending upon one's age, and matrix, composed of collagen, proteoglycans, and other protein. Cartilage is a very tough and flexible tissue, but has no blood supply, nor does it contain any nerves, or any lymph nodes. Consequently, if cartilage is wearing away, we won't feel it until nearby tissues or bones are affected.
There are three types of cartilage, the type we have in our joints, with articular cartilage the one we're primarily interested in as far as cartilage regeneration is concerned. Unfortunately, articular cartilage regeneration is something that for most practical purposes, simply doesn't happen. The lack of a blood supply is believed to be one reason for this, perhaps the primary reason. The blood supply is responsible for most of the healing processes that go on within our body, and there is no real healing process that takes place within cartilage. A second reason why cartilage regeneration rarely if ever takes place is thought to have something to do with the fluid which lubricates the cartilage, a fluid which appears to inhibit any regenerative activity. Furthermore, there is only a single type of cell found in cartilage, these cells are called chondrocytes. Under normal circumstances, chondrocytes maintain themselves, suggesting some type of cartilage regeneration must be continuously going on, but it cartilage is being lost by being worn away, there doesn't appear to be sufficient tissue regeneration to reverse the process.
At the present time, most of the effort underway to deal with a loss in cartilage is directed towards prevention and early treatment or osteoarthritis, plus some steps that are underway directed towards healing of cartilage damaged by trauma. The fact that our own body seems to be a somewhat hostile environment as far as cartilage regeneration is concerned doesn't mean that regeneration is impossible, only that it's difficult.
Current Studies And Experiments - Grafting and implantation techniques have been developed by which healthy bone and cartilage from one area of the body is implanted in another area where cartilage wear or damage has occurred. This might more accurately be called replacement rather than regeneration, but in any event the body does not appear to reject such transplants. There are also some promising techniques involving cartilage regeneration at the cellular level, including harvesting and cultivating healthy cartilage cells and then implanting them where needed. Stem cell research also has promise in the area of cartilage regeneration. A technique called mesenchymal stem cell regeneration, or MSC regeneration, is currently being attempted on an experimental basis. Here, MSG cells from bone marrow are cultured and implanted in an area where cartilage regeneration is desired.
Although much work remains to be done in implementing these new techniques, the prospect that one day cartilage regeneration can become a reality becomes a little brighter with each passing day.