Regenerating musculoskeletal tissues: possibilities for rheumatoid diseases

摘要

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory systemic autoimmune disease that destroys cartilage and peri-articular bone. Recent therapeutic advances for this disease have yielded promising results, the most notable of which have been pharmacologic agents that block tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Despite these advances, the search for new therapies continues, amongst which stem cells are being developed for potential applications in cartilage- and bone-tissue engineering. Given the large clinical demand for such stem-cell applications, muscle-derived stem cells are being heavily investigated due to their ease of isolation and ability to differentiate into multiple lineages, including osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages. Furthermore, when genetically modified ex vivo to express growth factors, these cells can repair bone and cartilage in animal models. Accordingly, regenerative therapies and tissue engineering that are based on muscle-derived stem cells are emerging with promising experimental results thus far for treating various types of bone and cartilage injuries, including those caused by rheumatoid arthritis.