Nearly 1.3 million Americans suffer from Rheumatoid arthritis annually and Shriners Children’s St. Louis researchers have created a new treatment method that could soon provide relief.
Dr. Farshid Guilak, Shriners Children’s St. Louis Director of Research, and his team of researchers have discovered new technology using smart stem cells to minimize arthritis flare-ups and symptoms for children and adults. The team developed smart cells by rewiring the genetic circuits in stem cells so that they can sense when an individual is about to have a flare-up of juvenile arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. The cells then automatically make and release biologic drugs, similar to those that are injected for arthritis treatment. In contrast to most drugs that are chemically synthesized, biologics are complex mixtures that have been shown to slow or stop inflammation that can damage joints and organs due to arthritis. These “smart” implants can then control disease flare-ups before they happen and avoid giving high doses of medication when it isn’t needed. As soon as the flare subsides, the cells stop making drugs.
“In general, kids with juvenile arthritis and adults with rheumatoid arthritis take medications all the time to keep their conditions in check,” said Dr. Guilak. “However, those drugs, as helpful as they may be, suppress an individual’s immune system, leaving that person at risk of severe infection. Plus, the drugs come in the form of injections/ infusions which can be tough for children to endure time after time and the current (and constant) drugs are very expensive.”
To keep these smart cells in place, Dr. Guilak’s team encapsulated the cells within flexible gel rods, made from a seaweed derivative, that is designed to be kept in the body for months at a time and can extend the amount of time the smart cells work in the body. Without the gel rods, the cells only last in the body for 48 hours.
“Our next steps are to determine which drug or multiple drugs, can be delivered successfully through the gel rods to control symptoms for different forms of arthritis,” said Dr. Guilak. “The FDA approval process for this will be unique because it will involve putting living cells into the body, but we’re confident that this technology could eventually make a tremendous difference for those living with the pain and frustrations of rheumatoid arthritis.”
About Shriners Children’s
Shriners Children’s improves the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, conducting innovative research, and offering outstanding education programs for medical professionals. Children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care, regardless of the families’ ability to pay, and receive all care and services in a compassionate, family-centered environment. For more information, please visit shrinerschildrens.org.
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