Is the future in injecting mesenchymal cells into joints?

Murphy et al [1] demonstrated that intra-articular injection of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could reduce the development of osteoarthritis in a caprine model of stifle injury (medial meniscectomy and anterior cruciate ligament transection). Stem cell treatment for osteoarthritis in clinical cases was then a tantalising prospect. MSCs are an attractive biological therapy for several reasons. It is now well established that MSCs can be safely harvested and used to treat tendon injury with minimal morbidity [2]. MSCs can also be prepared preoperatively or readily injected postoperatively, in the standing patient. Mechanisms by which exogenous MSCs could contribute to joint repair include differentiation [3] and secretion of soluble factors acting in an auto- or paracrine fashion [4,5] on native cells of the recipient organ (the joint) ...