Composition for treatment of articular cartilage damage

Patent Number: 7,459,307

Cord blood derived stem cells represent a potent source of young, pluripotent, cells.  Although previously their use was restricted to hematological malignancies, newer studies have demonstrated cord blood cells may be useful for many regenerative purposes, such as Ethicon's patent #7,413,734 which teaches use of cord blood stem cells for treatment of retinitis pigmentosa.  Viacell's patent #7,452,529 covers the use of cord blood stem cells for treatment of muscular dystrophy.  Neil Riordan's group laid out a detailed mechanistic explanation for why allogeneic cord blood may be therapeutically useful in absence of immune suppression.

The current patent addresses the use of cord blood for stimulation of hyaline cartilage regeneration.  Specifically, the main independent claim seems to cover "A composition for the treatment of articular cartilage damage, loss, or defect, said composition comprising mesenchymal stem cells isolated from umbilical cord blood, a culture medium, and a biocompatible polymer, wherein said composition treats articular cartilage damage, loss, or defect when administered to a site of articular cartilage damage, loss, or defect in a subject."

Given that other types of stem cells have been demonstrated to be useful for regeneration of cartilage, it will be interesting to compare efficacy side by side.

View this patent on the USPTO website.