Application of Stem Cells in Degenerative Orthopedic Diseases

Orthopedic degenerative diseases are defined as primarily age-related chronic conditions of bones and joints caused by tissue degradation, which result in the gradual deterioration of joint cartilage, bones, and spinal discs, and functional impairments. Stem cells, characterized by self-renewal capabilities and potential for multilineage differentiation, play pivotal roles in tissue repair and regeneration. The application of stem cell therapy in addressing orthopedic degenerative conditions, such as using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for bone healing and cartilage regeneration, inducing pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for disease modeling and drug preclinical and clinical trials, and bone marrow stem cells for bone defect repairs, has emerged as a research focal point due to biological functions including self-renewal, proliferation, differentiation, and anti-inflammatory properties.

This Special Column aims to advance our understanding and application of stem cell therapies in treating orthopedic degenerative diseases. The focus is on overcoming challenges such as cell sourcing, quantity, safety, efficacy, immune responses, and clinical translation to enable wider clinical adoption. By employing stem cells for direct tissue repair or utilizing their exosomes to deliver therapeutic molecules, significant potential exists to reshape treatment strategies in clinical practices and regenerative medicine.

To gather further insights in this area, we welcome articles or reviews addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Advances in the engineering and preparation of stem cells or their exosomes.
• Research on avoiding or reducing immune rejection of stem cell therapy for orthopedic degenerative diseases.
• Therapeutic effects and mechanisms of stem cells or exosome therapies for orthopedic degenerative diseases.
• Integration of stem cells or exosomes with bioactive materials.
• Studies combining stem cells with small molecule RNA in orthopedic degenerative diseases.
• Combination therapy of stem cells or extracellular vesicles with drug therapy (including but not limited to chemotherapy agents and natural products) for orthopedic diseases.
• In vivo studies and clinical trials using stem cells in orthopedic degenerative diseases.
• Novel strategies to enhance the safety and efficacy of stem cells.