Komórki macierzyste w leczeniu z amań towarzysz cych osteoporozie – medyczne science fiction czy metoda terapii w przysz o ci?

Osteoporosis is typically a disease of the elderly, and with population aging it has become one of themost frequent and relevant health problems in this age bracket, especially among women. The greatest lossof bone mass occurs in women during perimenopause and is associated with oestrogen deficiency. The agerelateddecrease in bone mass could also reflect decreased osteoblasts secondary to an age-related loss ofosteoprogenitors.The risk of fractures increases as women pass through the menopause. Osteoporotic fractures are associatedwith a profound temporary, and sometimes permanent, impairment of function and quality of life.Despite the rapid evolution of implant technologies and bone grafting techniques, there is still a greatdemand for novel bone replacement strategies. Cell replacement therapies represent an alternative solution. The potenuseof mature cells such as osteoblasts is associated with several disadvantages such as the limited availability,donor site morbidity, dedifferentiation, and restricted proliferation potential. Bone marrow or adipose tissuederivedmesenchymal stem cells, which are the developmental progenitors for osteoblasts and for several othercell types, have been discovered for bone regeneration purposes.This review presents the possible applications of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of osteoporoticfractures.