A research group led by Professor Ichiro Sekiya of Tokyo University of Science has developed a regenerative medicine technology to preserve the meniscus as much as possible. Using synovial stem cells derived from patients, they have achieved a minimally invasive treatment aimed at preserving and repairing the meniscus.
The meniscus, which acts as a cushion in the knee joint, is removed in about half of surgeries, but this increases the risk of long-term progression of osteoarthritis of the knee. On the other hand, meniscus-preserving suturing surgery has the challenge of a high rate of re-rupture.
The synovial membrane is a thin membrane that lines the inside of joints, producing synovial fluid and keeping joint movement smooth. Mesenchymal stem cells are cells that have the ability to differentiate into tissues such as bone, cartilage, and fat, and are involved in tissue repair. The developed technology involves collecting and culturing mesenchymal stem cells from the patient's own synovial membrane.
The cultured cells promote the repair of the injured area through mechanisms such as cell adhesion to the injured site, differentiation into chondrocytes and matrix production, and induction of synovial tissue to accelerate repair. In some cases, regeneration of meniscal tissue has been observed after treatment. Furthermore, this technique can be performed using a minimally invasive method via arthroscopy, contributing to a reduction in the burden on patients.
In the physician-initiated clinical trials and Phase III clinical trials conducted, improvements were observed in knee function assessment indicators and repair findings on MRI, and no cases of re-rupture requiring re-operation were reported, thus confirming efficacy and safety.
This technology, developed by Fujifilm Toyama Chemical Co., Ltd., has received the first manufacturing and sales approval in Japan for its regenerative medicine product "Seibiscus®," which targets meniscus injuries. This is a pioneering example of university research results being put into practical use after physician-initiated clinical trials. It is expected that its practical application will contribute to the prevention of future joint diseases and the improvement of patients' quality of life (QOL) by preserving meniscus function.
