UKM FIRST INSTITUTION TO SUCCESSFULLY CONDUCT STEM CELL TREATMENT FOR KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 (Bernama) -- Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) created history when it became the first institution in the country to successfully carry out clinical trials of stem cell treatment for patients with knee osteoarthritis, thus marking a new chapter in the field of regenerative medicine.

KL Orthosports Sdn Bhd (KL Orthosports) chief executive officer Assoc Prof Datuk Dr Badrul Akmal Hisham said the treatment, which uses mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from umbilical cords, began in 2016 involving six patients and all have recovered and returned to normal life.

"Alhamdulillah, from 2016 until today, I have seen positive progress and I'm confident this treatment can be highlighted officially so that it benefits society and patients.

“As a national university, we are the only institution with proven and approved clinical trials on stem cell treatment, and we are committed to championing this cause,” he said. 

He told Bernama this after the exchange of agreement documents between KL Orthosport Sdn Bhd and Celler Therapeutics Sdn Bhd and the launch of the Malaysian Stem Cell Awareness Network here today.

Also present were the Dean of UKM Faculty of Medicine Prof Dr Marina Mat Baki, Celler Therapeutics Sdn Bhd director Sasha Omar Firdaus Amir Nordin and two former knee osteoarthritis patients who received the stem cell treatment - Khairul Ikram Kamarul Bahrin and Mohammad Faizul Abdul Gaffar.

KL Orthosports is a UKM start-up company that has obtained the licensing rights to UKM’s innovation, allowing it to be commercialised and widely utilised, while Celler Therapeutics Sdn Bhd is a biopharmaceutical company that has expertise in stem cell production and therapy.

Elaborating, Dr Badrul Akmal said the procedure begins with medical consultation, followed by X-ray tests and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans before the treatment is planned, including the preparation of cell stems in certified laboratories.

"After surgery has been performed, usually stem cells will be injected into the knee after two weeks and the recovery period depends on the severity of the injury,” he said.

He added that the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) have identified the initiative for expansion and enhancement through grants provided under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI).

"InsyaAllah, eight public universities, including medical universities and the Public University Hospital Consortium (KHUAM), will combine to conduct multi-centre trials and we will focus on about 500 patients.

"From there we will see, if it produces positive results, perhaps in two or three years these universities of KHUAM will become a place for patients to seek stem cell treatment,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sasha Omar emphasised that collaboration is essential to drug development in both the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical sectors as it helps translate scientific research into practical clinical applications.

He also referenced a recent study conducted in the region called the Asia-Pacific Osteoarthritis Registry, which found that 70 per cent of patients treated for osteoarthritis were dissatisfied with conventional treatments such as painkillers, steroids, surgery and physiotherapy. 

He noted that none of these conventional treatments modify the disease in any way; they only help alleviate its symptoms.

“This is what drives us. We are here today with a mission to create better and more lasting treatments through regenerative medicine, offering a long-term solution that helps the patient's body repair damaged cartilage in their joints,” he said. 

-- BERNAMA