Womb stem cells could cure bone disease

Stem cells taken from pregnant women could be used to cure brittle bone disease in babies and osteoporosis in adults, researchers in London revealed today.

They said the discovery could have a “profound effect” on the three million Britons who suffer from osteoporosis, or weak bones. It could even help strengthen the bones of astronauts who spend long periods in space.

A team from University College London’s Institute of Child Health, the academic partner of Great Ormond Street Hospital, took stem cells from amniotic fluid — the liquid that surrounds babies in the womb — and injected them into mice with broken bones.

They found that it increased bone strength and quality and cut the fracture rate by almost 80 per cent, indicating that the process could prevent broken bones in adulthood.

Researchers believe that this was because the stem cells encouraged the development of osteoblasts, the cells that make bone.

The team hopes to begin a clinical trial to test the process in humans within the next one to two years, using amniotic fluid collected during births.

Every year, around 70 babies are born in Britain with brittle bones, with fractures throughout the body lasting a lifetime. Osteoporosis causes chronic pain, frequent fractures and costs the NHS billions each year to treat.

Dr Pascale Guillot, senior lecturer in stem cell therapy at the Institute of Child Health, who led the study, said: “Amniotic stem cells are quick, easy and safe to obtain. This is the first time this type of stem cell has been used to successfully strengthen bones and improve their quality.

“The discovery could have a profound effect on the lives of patients who have fragile bones and could stop a large number of their painful fractures.” The researchers believe that if the results can be replicated in humans, then injecting stem cells at birth or in the womb would allow babies to develop healthier skeletons.

Work has also started to “superpower” the cells, in the hope that they can eradicate fractures in adults with fragile bones and strengthen the bones of astronauts.

The research, the first to show that amniotic stem cells can be used as a “counter-measure” to bone fragility, is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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