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Tissue Engineered Products Could be on the Market in as Little as Five Years
 
SAN DIEGO — Gene therapy and tissue engineering conjure up thoughts of futuristic science fiction. But this biotechnology is developing rapidly and could be at your nearby orthopaedic surgeon’s surgical suite before you know it, according to Regis O’Keefe, MD, Ph.D., Professor of Orthopaedics with the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York State and spokesperson for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. “Gene therapy using stem cells is a lot closer to clinical use in orthopaedics than most people think,” said Dr. O’Keefe. “These tissue engineered products could be on the market in five to ten years.”

The goal of tissue engineering is to create living tissue to replace or repair diseased tissue. Tissue engineered products for orthopaedics, may facilitate repair or serve as a “functional replacement.” There are countless applications in orthopaedics — replacement for bone, cartilage, muscle and ligament loss and to increase or promote bone formation in spinal fusions and with some fractures. Biological approaches are being used to improve muscle healing for sports injuries including menisci and ligament injuries.

Researchers have found that muscle stem cells are more plentiful than bone marrow stem cells, for example. “Muscle cells have emerged as promising vehicles for gene therapy and tissue engineering in the musculoskeletal system,” said Johnny Huard, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Bioengineering, and Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and is also the Director of the Stem Cell Research Center at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. One study showed that 95% of muscle stem cells were incorporated into the bone.

O’Keefe points out that the #1 reason that people go to the doctor is for issues with the musculoskeletal system. In a society where many “baby boomers” expect to stay active longer with a high quality of life, physical fitness has become a priority. “A person cannot be fit from a cardiovascular and pulmonary standpoint without having a musculoskeletal system that is healthy and can support increased activity,” added Dr. O’Keefe. “There is a tremendous opportunity to use tissue engineering for osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and bone repair to help keep that musculoskeletal system in good condition.”