Date of Award

2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Gilchrist, Sandra

Area of Concentration

Biology

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is an end-stage joint condition caused by biomechanical stress to cartilage tissue. Progression of the condition can be attributed to a loss of homeostasis, both in concentrations of anabolic and catabolic mediators in the joint, and in the structure of the joint. Treatment options for osteoarthritis address primary symptoms of pain and loss of function by slowing the progression of the condition through behavioral changes, or replacement of the joint with a prosthetic. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a multipotent stem cell found in a number of adult tissues and have demonstrated the ability to differentiate into chondrocytes. Use of MSCs therapeutically for the purposes of tissue regeneration has been proposed and tested in a number of clinical trials. A qualitative meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the state of recent clinical trials for adipose derived mesenchymal stem cell therapies in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. In all four trials selected for review, improvement was seen in either the condition of the joint or the quality of life of the patient. Differences in methodology of the studies prevented abstraction of the individual outcomes of the trials to a quantitative analysis.

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