9/25/2023 0 Comments Stem cell therapy for knees![]() And so we're doing, both in Sydney and Hobart, a trial called the SCUlpTOR study, which administers these stem cell injections in a randomised controlled trial compared to saltwater injections, and follows the people over two years to really work out does this work, does this provide a benefit that merits potential concerns that could come? These may well work but until we've got better evidence we can't advocate for their widespread use. Norman Swan: So you're doing a clinical trial.ĭavid Hunter: We are, and I think the bottom line here is that we want to generate better evidence. But outside of that, infection, potentially adverse effects of the stem cells themselves in terms of growing tumours and other things like that that may potentially occur from stem cell injections. Are there documented harms?ĭavid Hunter: The real risk and concern here is of people being administered something that doesn't work. Norman Swan: So they've washed their hands of it. They will monitor safety if they're notified of safety concerns, but outside of that, this is essentially an unregulated market. But they clearly state on their website that they don't limit what's happening in clinical practice. Norman Swan: Why is the TGA allowing it to happen?ĭavid Hunter: The TGA has restricted some of its use in terms of direct-to-consumer advertising. That's why guidelines don't recommend their use at this point in time until we've got better evidence. What's the basis? You don't think there's any benefit?ĭavid Hunter: We don't know, that's the bottom line, there isn't sufficient evidence at this point in time from good quality clinical trials to suggest that they provide benefit over and above a saltwater injection. Norman Swan: Now, you call them snake oil salesmen, you wouldn't say that unless you thought so. ![]() So you can understand that if the minimum is $5,000, but I know people are being quoted $12,000, three to four injections is substantial amount of money. Sometimes people administer up to three to four injections. Norman Swan: And how long is the course? I mean, is it just one injection or…?ĭavid Hunter: It varies again. Norman Swan: And I think you've documented there about 60 practitioners of this in Australia.ĭavid Hunter: Yes, so the last evidence that came through from the Therapeutic Goods Administration would suggest there's about 60 to 70 regenerative medicine clinics that are practising this type of procedure out there, again, predominantly in the community.ĭavid Hunter: It varies a lot, but generally an injection of stem cells into the knee will set someone back minimum about $5,000.ĭavid Hunter: Correct, yeah, it's staggering. Norman Swan: Right, so you go into the clinic, and they might take tissue from you, do some sort of process on it, and then inject it back in.ĭavid Hunter: Typically, yes, so usually it happens at the same procedure, same place, the same day. So platelet rich plasma obviously uses platelets which potentially have some regenerative potential, but this is stem cells themselves, which can be harvested either from the iliac crest or fat and derived from the person themselves or come from a bank. Norman Swan: Is this the same as platelet rich plasma, which we've spoken about before in the Health Report?ĭavid Hunter: It's a different product. David, welcome back to the Health Report.ĭavid Hunter: Thanks for having me along, Norman. David Hunter is Professor of Rheumatology at the University of Sydney, and he claims that essentially the providers are snake oil salesmen, and is conducting a large trial in the area. ![]() The theory is that they help the joint surfaces regrow and settle down inflammation. Now, one quite expensive solution (which I have not tried, I'll tell you) being touted to treat knee arthritis are stem cell injections, often in so-called regeneration clinics. And of course, I'm not one of them, absolutely not. Just to give you an idea, though, of the scope of the impact of knee arthritis, there are about 70,000 knee replacements a year in Australia, and that is literally the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the numbers of people limping around with sore knees. Norman Swan: Yeah, my knees, let's just not talk about my knees. Tegan Taylor: And a topic close to your heart, Norman…well, not that close your knees. Norman Swan: How funnel web spider venom, or at least one of the substances in it, might save your heart. Today, why are women more likely to get Alzheimer's disease than men?īetter screening for a rare type of diabetes could save side effects and health costs. Tegan Taylor: And me Tegan Taylor, on Jagera and Turrbal land. Norman Swan: Hello and welcome to this week's Health Report with me, Norman Swan, on Gadigal land.
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