The Role of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in the Management of Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common chronic, inflammatory, and degenerative diseases affecting the synovial joints, the hip, and the knee. OA is commonly managed clinically by treating pain with anti-inflammatory medicines using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) or analgesics. In severe OA patients, invasive knee replacement surgery is the last option. Treatment of OA using mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) has been widely explored due to their anti-inflammatory properties and chondrogenic differentiation potential. In this chapter, we comprehensively discuss in detail the in vitro OA potency development, OA preclinical studies, and clinical trials conducted using MSCs.