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Patients with severe knee osteoarthritis (OA) may have a better option than microdrilling.
MEDIPOST’s stem cell therapy, Cartistem, helped regenerate stronger, more resilient cartilage than microdrilling, according to new clinical data presented at the AAOS 2025 Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Professor Jung Se-han of Yonsei University's Arthroscopy and Joint Research Institute speaks on MEDIPOST's Cartistem’s efficacy in knee cartilage regeneration compared to microdrilling at AAOS 2025, held March 10–14 in San Diego. (Courtesy of MEDIPOST)
Professor Jung Se-han of Yonsei University's Arthroscopy and Joint Research Institute speaks on MEDIPOST's Cartistem’s efficacy in knee cartilage regeneration compared to microdrilling at AAOS 2025, held March 10–14 in San Diego. (Courtesy of MEDIPOST)
The one-year study, published last April in Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, tracked 25 patients with severe cartilage damage and knee misalignment.
Researchers compared Cartistem’s umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) to arthroscopic microdrilling, a marrow-stimulation technique used to trigger cartilage growth. Both treatments were paired with high tibial osteotomy (HTO), a surgery aimed at realigning the knee to delay joint replacement in younger, active OA patients.
According to the study, Cartistem patients started with larger, more severe cartilage defects yet still recovered more functional cartilage than those in the microdrilling group. The stem cell therapy repaired a greater surface area and produced stronger, more durable tissue that resembled healthy joint cartilage.
Microdrilling, by contrast, left many patients with weaker, fibrous repair tissue, which lacks the durability needed for normal knee function. Researchers wrote that one in five microdrilling patients showed no cartilage regeneration at all.
Histological analysis showed that Cartistem-treated cartilage contained higher levels of type II collagen, the key protein that gives cartilage its strength and resilience. Microdrilling patients had lower collagen levels, suggesting a less stable, weaker repair, according to the study. Arthroscopic testing confirmed that Cartistem-treated cartilage was stiffer, more elastic, and better at resisting breakdown than microdrilled tissue.
“With the right dosing, umbilical cord blood-derived stem cells can regenerate normal cartilage—even in severe cases,” said Professor Kim Sung-hwan of Yonsei University’s Arthroscopy and Joint Research Institute, who designed and led the study. “This could offer a more effective alternative to existing treatments.”
Patients in the Cartistem group also reported greater pain relief and improved knee function compared to the microdrilling group.
With these findings, MEDIPOST is preparing for a phase 3 trial in the U.S. after securing FDA approval to bypass phase 2, the company said. In Japan, phase 3 dosing is complete, with follow-up monitoring underway.
The FDA’s decision came after reviewing Cartistem’s global trial data, which included results from domestic studies and long-term patient follow-ups. “That evidence was strong enough to skip an intermediate study and move straight into a late-stage trial,” a MEDIPOST spokesperson said.
Originally approved in 2012, Cartistem has treated over 32,000 patients and is positioning itself as a next-generation regenerative therapy for knee osteoarthritis.
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Kim Ji-hye jkim404@docdocdoc.co.kr
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