Amniotic fluid rejuvenated bones and joints

Bones of elderly mice were rejuvenated by human amniotic fluid

Sergey Vasiliev, Naked Science

Scientists isolated stem cells from the amniotic fluid of pregnant women and injected them into rodents with impaired bone formation. After a couple of months, the bones of the animals "rejuvenated", became stronger and more flexible.

Drawing from the Great Ormond Street Hospital press release 
Cells from pregnant women could prevent fractures
by nearly 80% for millions with fragile bones – VM.

Scientists collected amniotic fluid rich in stem cells from women and used it to restore joint functionality in experimental animals. According to the report published by the journal Scientific Reports (Ranzoni et al., Countering bone fragility with human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells), such therapy led to an increase in the strength and flexibility of bones and ligaments and reduced the appearance of fractures and cracks by 79 percent.

According to Pascal Guillot from University College London and his co-authors, it will be possible to use amniotic fluid stem cells not only for elderly people, but also for astronauts whose musculoskeletal system suffers seriously during a long stay in weightlessness.

Scientists experimented with amniotic fluid, which women who undergo standard screening at the 12th week of pregnancy, or shortly before giving birth, agreed to voluntarily provide. Amniotic mesenchymal stem cells were extracted from these samples and injected into the joints of mice. For experiments, a line of animals with a rare hereditary disorder was used, which leads to imperfect osteogenesis and increased bone fragility – approximately by the same mechanism that develops with senile osteoporosis in many ordinary healthy people.

Eight weeks after the injection of stem cells, scientists estimated the number of fractures and cracks that appeared in the tibia, femur and humerus bones in 168 experimental and 156 control animals. In the control group, injuries were noted in all rodents, often in several pieces. In comparison with them, the total number of fractures and cracks in the mice of the experimental group was lower by as much as 79 percent, and a separate assessment of the strength and elasticity of the bones showed that they retained excellent condition.

The authors of the work add that human stem cells themselves did not form new tissue in mice. However, the regulatory factors that they isolated into the animal's body stimulated the growth and division of its own cells, while not creating a high load on the immune system.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  21.12.2016