New Study Uses Endogenous Recruitment of Stem Cells to Make New Joint

A new article in the The Lancet suggest that the entire articular surface of a hip joint may be able to regenerate without cell transplantation using the body’s own stem cells.
Professor Jeremy Mao of Columbia University Medical Center, New York and colleagues tested the hypothesis that the articular surface of the synovial joint can regenerate with a biological cue to recruit endogenous stem cells rather than using the more common approach of direct transplantation of the stem cells.
The researchers conducted a proof of concept study in which the surface morphology of a rabbit proximal humeral joint was captured with laser scanning and reconstructed by computer-aided design to fabricated an anatomically correct bioscaffold composed of poly-ɛ-caprolactone and hydroxyapatite.
This bioscaffold was then used to replace the entire articular surface of the forelimb joint of mature rabbits which had been surgically excised. The replacement bioscaffolds were spatially infused with transforming growth factor β3 (TGFβ3)-adsorbed or TGFβ3-free collagen hydrogel.
Ten rabbits received TGFβ3-infused bioscaffolds, ten received TGFβ3-free bioscaffolds, and three rabbits underwent humeral-head excision without bioscaffold replacement.
The rabbits were assessed for locomotion and weight bearing at 1—2, 3—4, and 5—8 weeks after surgery. At 4 months, the regenerated cartilage samples were removed from the rabbits and assessed for surface fissure, thickness, density, chondrocyte numbers, collagen type II and aggrecan, and mechanical properties.
The researchers found all 10 rabbits in the TGFβ3-delivery group resumed weight bearing and locomotion by 3—4 weeks after surgery, more consistently than those in the TGFβ3-free group. Defect-only rabbits limped at all times.
At 4 months after surgery, TGFβ3-infused bioscaffolds were fully covered with hyaline cartilage in the articular surface whereas TGFβ3-free bioscaffolds had only isolated cartilage formation. No cartilage formation occurred in defect-only rabbits.
The new cartilage formed in the TGFβ3 delivery group had compressive and shear properties consistent with native articular cartilage. TGFβ3 delivery recruited roughly 130% more cells in the regenerated articular cartilage than did spontaneous cell migration without TGFβ3.
"This is the first time an entire joint surface was regenerated with return of functions including weight bearing and locomotion," said Professor Jeremy Mao of Columbia University Medical Center, New York.
At this time, there are no trials in human patients.

Hospital RFID Tags Interfere with Medical Devices

Wireless devices interfering with life saving medical devices probably shouldn’t come as any surprise to anyone who’s experienced interference of one type or another from a wireless device of some kind. After all, we have all these signals filling the air around us. You would think someone would have tested this before.
But it took a team of Dutch researchers, the same group whose study last year indicated that cell phones could interfere with critical care equipment such as ventilators and external pacemakers, to come up with a similar result regarding RFID tags.
RFID tags are used to track various items, including – in hospitals – items like medicines and surgical tools. However, the study, to be published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that RFID tags can interfere with equipment such as respirators, external pacemakers and kidney dialysis machines.
The researchers tested medical equipment within meters of an RFID reader broadcasting a signal to nearby RFID tag. In 123 tests of 41 different pieces of equipment, the equipment malfunctioned 34 times (28%), with 22 of the problems serious enough to affect patients.
Erik Jan van Lieshout, a critical care physician at the University of Amsterdam led the study, as well as the prior cell phone study. He urged caution in reacting to the study. "Don’t put on a frenetic ban on RFID systems. That would be as stupid as instituting systems without testing them."
Virtually none of the equipment had no interference at all, but older equipment seemed to be less susceptible to interference.
Last year the FDA issued a set of draft guidelines that identified RFID technology as a potential safety concern.
In fact, their guidelines said:
"In general, a wired connection is more reliable than a wireless connection. FDA believes the more critical the medical device function and information passed via RF technology, the more important it is the wireless connection be robust. We recognize there are several concerns about the potential effects of RF wireless technology in and around medical devices related to the ability of the devices to function properly and the resultant safety of patients and operators, including:"
* RF wireless emissions from one product or device can affect the function of another.
* electromagnetic environments where medical devices are used may contain many sources of RF energy.
* the use of RF wireless technology in and around medical devices is increasing.
Despite this, there hasn’t been much attention paid to RF interference and possible issues with regards to patient safety. Despite the fact that the FDA has no injury reports due to RFID interference with a medical device, this study shows that more attention needs to be paid to this subject, as increased RFID tag use could mean that such a safety record won’t stand up over time.

Turning Clocks Back Not Good for Your Health

It’s time once again for turning clocks back, and some say they relish the extra time to sleep. But an expert at Policy Studies Institute, as well as Saga research results, say that turning clocks back is not good for your health.

Turning clocks back impacts physical and mental health

According to Mayer Hillman, senior fellow emeritus at the Policy Studies Institute, putting clocks forward in the spring is a simple way to improve health because it increases the number of daylight hours and thus encourages people to be outside and participate in outdoor activities. Turning clocks back, however, has the opposite effect.
Given the growing problem of overweight and obesity among both children and adults, as well as weight-associated health challenges such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers, efforts to encourage physical activity are critically important.
Mayer notes in a “Personal View” section of the recent British Medical Journal that putting the clock ahead in the spring but not turning it back in the fall “would considerably increase opportunities for outdoor leisure activities—about 300 additional hours of daylight for adults each year and 200 more for children.”
Research indicates that individuals tend to be happier and have more energy when there is more daylight and to be more sad and lethargic when there is less daylight. In fact, a type of depression known as SAD—Seasonal Affective Disorder—is associated with a decline in sunlight during the winter months.
In a recent article in the UK Telegraph, it is also reported that Saga’s monthly poll of more than 13,000 people older than 50, two-thirds are in favor of not turning back clocks in the fall to avoid the isolation they feel during the longer days without sunlight.
According to Ros Altmann, Saga’s director-general, “Taking away the extra hour of daylight robs many of their independence. By staying indoors to avoid driving they are being isolated from friends and family.” Saga’s research has shown that two-thirds of people older than 50 are less likely to go out on dark evenings, 40 percent said they were more depressed by dark evenings, nearly 25 percent were “grumpier,” and they exercised less.
For many people, the approach of winter is also the time for turning clocks back. Some argue that it may be time to forego this tradition because it is not beneficial for our health. Officials will have an extra hour or so to sleep on that question.