New treatment for osteoarthritis to be trialled in the UK

Arthritis Care warmly welcomed the announcement that a trial for treating osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is set to begin this year, which has the potential to provide groundbreaking treatment for millions of people in the UK.

The trial, funded by Arthritis Research UK, will take stem cells from an individual, mix them with cartilage cells in the lab and then inject them back into damaged knee joints. This is the first time that this type of therapy is being used.

Federico Moscogiuri, head of policy and campaigns said 'This is extremely encouraging news for the millions of people living with osteoarthritis in the UK.

‘While we cannot predict the outcomes of the trial that is set to begin this year, the treatment being trialled represents a new and exciting development. This could lead to important strides forward in the treatment of osteoarthritis, and we will be following developments around this with great interest. 

'It is important, in any case, to bear in mind that this approach is still very experimental, and, provided the trial is successful, it is likely to be some time before the proposed treatment becomes available to patients.'

For more information about OA treatments and managing your condition, please contact our free, confidential Helplines on 0808 800 4050.

See our information on osteoarthritis.

Find out more about the trial from Arthritis Research UK.