First successful treatment of osteoarthritis in Korea with 3D cartilage cell therapy made using stem cells
May 12, 2025
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Professor Joo Ji-hyun of the Catholic Medical Center Advanced Cell Therapy Project (Director of the Institute of Judo Pluripotent Stem Cells at the Catholic University of Korea Medical School, Rheumatology Department at the Catholic University of Korea), Professor Lim Ye-ri of the Institute of Judo Pluripotent Stem Cells at the Catholic University of Korea Medical School, and Dr. Nam Yoo-joon of Ipsel Co., Ltd. and the Catholic University of Korea's Seoul St. Mary's Hospital successfully demonstrated their safety by administering a three-dimensional chondrocyte injection made using stem cells to osteoarthritis patients. This treatment is an unprecedented attempt in the world, and is attracting attention from academia and medical circles in that it has opened up new possibilities for regenerating damaged cartilage.
Professor Joo Ji-hyun's research team directly injected three-dimensional (3D) cartilage cells derived from 'Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC)' into the joint cavity of two osteoarthritis patients on April 17 and April 30.
All patients completed the procedure well without any adverse reactions during the treatment process, and no side effects such as inflammation or pain were found within a short period of time. This is the world's first clinical case of injection of stem cell-based 3D chondrocytes, and it is a very meaningful achievement.
In other words, iPSC is a stem cell that allows cells with a predetermined role, such as adult skin or blood cells, to return to their initial state and grow into any cell. In other words, it has a special ability to turn into cells in various tissues or organs of our body.
In this study, chondrocytes were created using these iPSCs, and these chondrocytes were processed into a three-dimensional structure of 'spheroid' to be developed in the form of injections. This spheroid is literally a small spherical mass of cells, designed to settle and function stably when placed in the body.
The key point of the study is that the space where the injection is injected is 'articular cavity'. The joint cavity is a space surrounding the joint and is known as a 'immune privilege' area where access to immune cells is restricted compared to ordinary tissues.
Usually, when someone else's cell is put into the body, the immune system recognizes it as a 'external intruder' and attacks it. This is called 'immune rejection reaction'. However, because the joint cavity has limited blood flow and does not penetrate immune cells well, transplanted cells can be positioned relatively safely.
Using these characteristics, the research team confirmed that there was no immune rejection reaction even after transplanting iPSC chondrocytes derived from other people with mismatched histocompatibility antigens (HLA). This is also a new approach that is difficult to see in existing treatments.
Osteoarthritis is a typical degenerative disease that causes cartilage loss due to aging or repeated use of joints, resulting in joint pain and movement restrictions. Currently, most of the methods of alleviating symptoms through drug therapy, physical therapy, and injection therapy are very limited, and treatments to 'regenerate' cartilage are very limited.
This study is significant in that it has gone beyond simple symptom relief to replace or regenerate damaged cartilage itself with stem cells. In particular, in our society, where aging is rapidly progressing, it is expected to be a technology that can dramatically improve the quality of life of osteoarthritis patients.
Professor Joo Ji-hyun said, "This clinical trial is not just a one-time trial, but the result of accumulating stem cell research and clinical experience over the past few years. We plan to closely prove the therapeutic effect and safety through long-term follow-up in the future." He then emphasized that "The fact that treatment is possible without immune rejection, in particular, is a very important turning point in the commercialization of stem cell therapy."
Min Chang-ki, head of the Catholic University of Korea's Catholic Central Medical Center Basic Medicine Project Promotion Team, also emphasized the meaning of this study. Professor Min said, "This project is an exemplary case created by close cooperation between hospitals, universities, industries, and research institutes. In the future, we will expand to a global multi-center clinical practice to lead the commercialization of regenerative medical technology at a world-class level."
The study was carried out through infrastructure support from the Catholic University of Korea's Catholic Central Medical Center Basic Medicine Project Promotion Team, and the Advanced Cell Therapy Project Group, led by Professor Joo Ji-hyun, has been conducting research and clinical practice in an integrated manner. The project group has been laying the research foundation for the development of advanced biotherapeutics such as stem cells and gene therapy drugs, and this clinical trial is considered an important fruit of its efforts.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
