As Hong Kong’s population ages, the need for therapies to treat degenerative joint conditions is increasing. Statistics show that in Hong Kong, 17 percent of men and 24 percent of women aged 50 or above suffer joint pain problems. Non-surgical treatments such as hyaluronic acid or steroid injections may not be suitable for all patients, and surgical procedures often involve longer waiting times. Research has found that Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) can facilitate tissue repair in degenerated joints, offering new treatment options.
Hong Kong Regen Medtech Limited (HKRM) and Cordlife Hong Kong have signed a collaboration agreement to implement a regenerative medicine project focusing on degenerative joint disease using mesenchymal stem cells. The announcement was made at a media briefing at Science Park on July 21.
Dr. Kirsty Lee, Chief Medical Officer of HKRM, said, “Through MSCs, degenerated joints undergo tissue repair, offering a glimmer of hope for the treatment of degenerative arthritis. Clinically used MSCs at the moment can be obtained from different tissues such as bone marrow, the umbilical cord, and adipose tissue, MSCs possess not only the functions of differentiation and proliferation but also tissue repair, marking a great potential in the field of cellular therapy.”
Currently, there are two types of stem cells that can be utilized. The first is autologous stem cells, where fat is surgically removed and mesenchymal stem cells are cultured outside the body to reach a sufficient number and then injected back into the affected area in need of treatment, but the process is expensive; the other is MSCs extracted from the umbilical cord, which are then injected back into the affected area to repair the original tissues after cell culturing and stringent quality control. In addition, some scientists have found that stem cells are cultured to continuously excrete extracellular vesicles, which can promote cell proliferation, regulate immune and inflammatory responses, and aid in the repair and regeneration of damaged tissues.
Dr. Lee further emphasized that among people over 40 years old in Hong Kong, one in every five individuals experiences joint degeneration, and improper management may lead to other related health issues. While joint replacement is an effective method for improving pain, patients in Hong Kong face waiting times ranging from three to nine years, resulting in an indefinite and lengthy wait.
