From Stem Cells to Cartilage

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UHN researchers find a way to produce functional cartilage from stem cells.
Posted On: July 08, 2015
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A key feature of osteoarthritis (the most common form of arthritis) is the breakdown of articular cartilage in hand, knee and leg joints.

UHN researchers find a way to produce functional cartilage tissue using a method that begins with stem cells

A study by PM Senior Scientist and McEwen Centre Director Dr. Gordon Keller has demonstrated a new method to produce cells, known as chondrocytes, that are capable of making cartilage.

While other studies have described the successful differentiation of stem cells into certain types of chondrocytes, Dr. Keller's study is the first to reveal the molecular pathways required to generate chondrocytes that can make the type of cartilage found in joints (known as articular cartilage) in a laboratory dish.

The results, published in Nature Biotechnology, showed that a particular molecular pathway, known as the TGFß signalling pathway, is involved in the process to create chondrocytes. The resulting chondrocytes were able to generate and maintain the cartilage in an experimental model for up to 12 weeks.

"This is an exciting and encouraging first step towards producing functional tissue for joint repair," says Dr. Keller. "Working with our partners at Mount Sinai Hospital, the Arthritis Program at Toronto Western Hospital and the University of Guelph, we are proceeding to transplant the stem cell-derived tissue into laboratory models to test its ability to repair damaged cartilage."

You can watch Dr. Keller discuss the possible implications of this work on a recent CTV News interview by clicking here.

This work was supported by Rob and Cheryl McEwen, the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Krembil Foundation, Michael and Yetta Bregman in collaboration with the Campaign to Cure Arthritis, the Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation, and The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. G Keller holds a Tier I Canada Research Chair in Embryonic Stem Cell Biology. Image courtesy of Stock Up.

Generation of articular chondrocytes from human pluripotent stem cells. Craft AM, Rockel JS, Nartiss Y, Kandel RA, Alman BA, Keller GM. Nature Biotechnology. 2015 May 11. [Pubmed abstract]