CORR® International – Asia-Pacific: Stem Cell-based Treatments in Orthopaedic Clinical Practice—Is it Ready For Primetime in the Asia-Pacific Region?

摘要

The regenerative potential of stem cell therapy has captivated orthopaedic researchers, physicians, and patients alike in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world. Orthopaedic surgeons currently treat cartilage regeneration or tendon, ligament, and fracture healing with stem cell therapy such as adult mesenchymal stem cells [ , , ]. In previous columns, I have highlighted the unique challenges the rapidly aging population in the Asia-Pacific region faces including limited access to health care and lack of financial support for the treatment of basic orthopaedic conditions [ , ]. Considering these hardships, it is no wonder that orthopaedic patients in the Asia-Pacific are naturally drawn to the idea of stem cell therapy rather than undergoing extensive, expensive, and potentially risky surgical interventions. But is this attraction to stem cell therapy misguided? Although it may someday have an important role in the care of patients in Asia, based on the limited evidence and the numerous regulatory concerns in the region, I do not believe stem cell therapy should be used in clinical practice here.