From: <http://www.mdlinx.com/orthopedics/medical-news-article/2016/02/15/6536971/?news_id=657&newsdt=021516&subspec_id=266&utm_source=DailyNL&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_content=General-Article&utm_campaign=article-section&category=latest&page_id=1>
UC Davis Health System, 02/15/2016
As part of a new multicenter clinical trial, UC Davis Health System researchers will test whether a novel stem cell treatment can reduce the pain and mobility issues caused by degenerative disc disease. UC Davis is one of 25 sites nationwide — and the only academic health–care system in California — involved in the study. Those with degenerative disc disease can experience serious, chronic and disabling low–back pain. “Patients with this level of degeneration often try multiple treatments for relief, including pain medication, massage, physical therapy, chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture,” said study principal investigator Kee Kim, professor of neurological surgery and co–director of the UC Davis Spine Center. “For some of them, nothing seems to help, and we end up operating to remove the degenerated disc and fuse the spine to eliminate motion that may cause increased pain. We want to know if a single dose of this investigational therapy can offer relief without the need for surgery.” Kim and co–principal investigator David Copenhaver, assistant professor of pain medicine, will recruit patients with lower back degenerative disc disease for the study. Participants will receive a single injection to the site of their pain with one of three treatments: mesenchymal precursor cells (MPCs), MPCs combined with a carrier material (hyaluronic acid) or a placebo. The goal of the trial is to assess the safety and efficacy of the therapy. Research has shown that MPCs can target damaged tissue and induce healing by organizing cells to form new tissue. The MPCs used in this study are isolated from the bone marrow of healthy donors, and then expanded and amplified to generate readily available therapeutic doses for use in patients without the need for tissue matching.
Further information: <http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsroom/10762/?WT.rss_f=UC>
My question: WHY only ONE application of the cells? Hasn't experience so far taught, that repeated application is usually needed...?
Robert
UC Davis Health System, 02/15/2016
As part of a new multicenter clinical trial, UC Davis Health System researchers will test whether a novel stem cell treatment can reduce the pain and mobility issues caused by degenerative disc disease. UC Davis is one of 25 sites nationwide — and the only academic health–care system in California — involved in the study. Those with degenerative disc disease can experience serious, chronic and disabling low–back pain. “Patients with this level of degeneration often try multiple treatments for relief, including pain medication, massage, physical therapy, chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture,” said study principal investigator Kee Kim, professor of neurological surgery and co–director of the UC Davis Spine Center. “For some of them, nothing seems to help, and we end up operating to remove the degenerated disc and fuse the spine to eliminate motion that may cause increased pain. We want to know if a single dose of this investigational therapy can offer relief without the need for surgery.” Kim and co–principal investigator David Copenhaver, assistant professor of pain medicine, will recruit patients with lower back degenerative disc disease for the study. Participants will receive a single injection to the site of their pain with one of three treatments: mesenchymal precursor cells (MPCs), MPCs combined with a carrier material (hyaluronic acid) or a placebo. The goal of the trial is to assess the safety and efficacy of the therapy. Research has shown that MPCs can target damaged tissue and induce healing by organizing cells to form new tissue. The MPCs used in this study are isolated from the bone marrow of healthy donors, and then expanded and amplified to generate readily available therapeutic doses for use in patients without the need for tissue matching.
Further information: <http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsroom/10762/?WT.rss_f=UC>
My question: WHY only ONE application of the cells? Hasn't experience so far taught, that repeated application is usually needed...?
Robert