Cartilage defects (CDs) and the most common joint disease, osteoarthritis (OA), are characterized by degeneration of the articular cartilage that ultimately leads to joint destruction. Current treatment strategies are inadequate: none results in restoration of fully functional hyaline cartilage, for uncertain long-term prognosis. Tissue engineering of cartilage with auto-cartilage cells or appropriate mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived cartilage cells is currently being investigated to search for new therapies. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), an autologous source of factors obtained by centrifugation, possesses various functions. For culture of MSCs and cartilage cells, it might be substituted for fetal bovine serum (FBS) with high efficiency and safety. It enhances the regeneration of cartilage cells when added to cartilage tissue engineering constructs for repairing CDs and as regenerative injection therapy for OA. But challenges also remain. Some of the growth factors (GFs) present in PRP have negative effects on the OA joint. It is therefore unlikely that a mix of GFs some of which have negative effects in the OA joint, as present in PRP, will be of benefit in OA. Future directions of PRP application may concentrate on seeking an appropriate and innocuous agent like anti-VEGF antibody that can modulate and control the effect of PRP.

Aims To compare the efficacy and tolerability of the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, vildagliptin, with the alpha glucosidase inhibitor, acarbose, in drug-naive patients with Type 2 diabetes.Methods This multi-centre, randomized, double-blind, parallel-arm study compared the efficacy and tolerability of vildagliptin (100 mg daily, given as 50 mg twice daily, n = 441) and acarbose (up to 300 mg daily, given as three equally divided doses, n = 220) during 24-week treatment in drug-naive patients with Type 2 diabetes.Results Monotherapy with vildagliptin or acarbose decreased glycated haemoglobin (HbA 1c ) (baseline ≈ 8.6%) to a similar extent during 24-week treatment. The adjusted mean change from baseline to end-point (AM Δ ) in HbA 1c was − 1.4 ± 0.1% and − 1.3 ± 0.1% in patients receiving vildagliptin and acarbose, respectively, meeting the statistical criterion for non-inferiority (upper limit of 95% confidence interval for between-treatment difference ≤ 0.4%). The decrease in fasting plasma glucose was similar with acarbose ( − 1.5 ± 0.2 mmol/l) and vildagliptin ( − 1.2 ± 0.1 mmol/l). Body weight did not change in vildagliptin-treated patients ( − 0.4 ± 0.1 kg) but decreased in acarbose-treated patients ( − 1.7 ± 0.2 kg, P < 0.001 vs. vildagliptin). The proportion of patients experiencing any adverse event (AE) was 35% vs. 51% in patients receiving vildagliptin or acarbose, respectively; gastrointestinal AEs were significantly more frequent with acarbose (25.5%) than vildagliptin (12.3%, P < 0.001). No hypoglycaemia was reported for either group. ConclusionsVildagliptin is effective and well tolerated in patients with Type 2 diabetes, demonstrating similar glycaemic reductions to acarbose, but with better tolerability. Diabet. Med. 25, 435-441 (2008)

These data suggest that OPN could be used to evaluate the existence of LC, as OPN has previously been reported to be increased in the HCC; this unique feature makes OPN a promising candidate for prediction biomarker in the long-time surveillance of patients with HBV infection to evaluate the risk of cirrhosis and cancer.

Patients with RA are at high risk of incident overall and fragility fractures. Consideration of vertebral imaging for patients with additional OP risk factors, including RA-specific risk factors, may help with early OP diagnosis and timely intervention.