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[THEORY] Could Menstrual Blood Derived Stem Cells Regenerate Adult Growth Plates?
Disclaimer: This is only a Theory based on regenerative medicine literature. There is currently no evidence that this works for humans.
The Background:
One of the biggest limitations in height increase is the closure of the epiphyseal plates after puberty.
Current medicine has no proven method to regenerate a functional adult growth plate.
However one stem cell source that is largely overlooked is Menstrual Blood Derived Stromal Cells (MenSCs).
Unlike ordinary fibroblasts MenSCs:
- Self renew rapidly
- Exhibit mesenchymal stem cell characteristics
- Secrete numerous regenerative growth factors
- Promote angiogenesis
- Modulate inflammation
- Show strong regenerative effects in multiple animal models
The Study:
A 2023 mouse study compared MenSCs with fibroblasts/keratinocytes in diabetic wounds.
Results:
- Better tissue regeneration
- Faster Wound closure
- Increased blood vessel formation
- Reduced scar tissue
- More normal tissue architecture
This suggests MenSCs possess unusually strong regenerative capabilities compared with convertional skin cells.
Why this is interesting:
Growth plates are specialized cartilage.
Skin, cartilage and bone all rely on:
- extracellular matrix remodeling
- stem cell differentiation
- cytokine signaling
- angiogenesis
- tissue organization
If MenSCs outperform ordinary cells in one regenerative environment...
Could they also contribute to cartilage regeneration?
Hypothetical Mechanism:
Step 1
Harvest MenSCs from menstrual blood.
Expand them in culture.
Step 2
Differentiate them toward chondrocytes using factors like:
TGF-ฮฒ3
BMP-2/BMP-7
SOX9 induction
IGF-1
Goal:
Create cartilage-producing cells instead of generic stromal cells.
Step 3
Remove the fused epiphyseal bone bridge.
This is the largest obstacle.
Once growth plates fuse, bone occupies the former cartilage region.
Without creating a new space, there is nowhere for new cartilage to form.
Step 4
Implant the cells inside a biodegradable scaffold.
The scaffold would mimic:
resting zone
proliferative zone
hypertrophic zone
Essentially attempting to recreate an artificial growth plate.
Step 5
Allow MenSC-derived chondrocytes to:
produce collagen II
produce aggrecan
establish columnar organization
integrate with surrounding bone
Step 6
If successful...
Endochondral ossification could theoretically resume.
New cartilage would continuously form.
Bone would continuously replace hypertrophic cartilage.
Longitudinal growth could theoretically occur again.
Supporting Evidence:
MenSCs have demonstrated:
cartilage differentiation in laboratory studies
secretion of VEGF
secretion of HGF
secretion of TGF-ฮฒ
immunomodulatory effects
high proliferation
low ethical concerns
Compared with many adult stem cell sources, they are relatively easy to obtain.
Problems:
This is where reality hits.
No published study has shown MenSCs can:
regenerate a complete growth plate
reopen fused epiphyses
increase adult height
recreate the zonal architecture of a native growth plate
The biology of a growth plate is vastly more complex than wound healing.
Biggest Bottleneck:
The stem cells probably aren't the hardest problem.
The hardest problem is recreating:
growth plate geometry
mechanical loading
endocrine signaling
precise organization of chondrocytes
Without all of those, longitudinal growth is unlikely to occur.
Conclusion:
MenSCs are one of the more intriguing adult stem cell sources in regenerative medicine because they exhibit strong regenerative properties in several experimental settings.
However, there is currently no evidence that they can regenerate a functional adult growth plate or increase height after growth plate fusion. Any application to height increase remains a hypothesis that would require extensive preclinical and clinical research before it could be considered plausible.
Disclaimer: This is only a Theory based on regenerative medicine literature. There is currently no evidence that this works for humans.
The Background:
One of the biggest limitations in height increase is the closure of the epiphyseal plates after puberty.
Current medicine has no proven method to regenerate a functional adult growth plate.
However one stem cell source that is largely overlooked is Menstrual Blood Derived Stromal Cells (MenSCs).
Unlike ordinary fibroblasts MenSCs:
- Self renew rapidly
- Exhibit mesenchymal stem cell characteristics
- Secrete numerous regenerative growth factors
- Promote angiogenesis
- Modulate inflammation
- Show strong regenerative effects in multiple animal models
The Study:
A 2023 mouse study compared MenSCs with fibroblasts/keratinocytes in diabetic wounds.
Results:
- Better tissue regeneration
- Faster Wound closure
- Increased blood vessel formation
- Reduced scar tissue
- More normal tissue architecture
This suggests MenSCs possess unusually strong regenerative capabilities compared with convertional skin cells.
Why this is interesting:
Growth plates are specialized cartilage.
Skin, cartilage and bone all rely on:
- extracellular matrix remodeling
- stem cell differentiation
- cytokine signaling
- angiogenesis
- tissue organization
If MenSCs outperform ordinary cells in one regenerative environment...
Could they also contribute to cartilage regeneration?
Hypothetical Mechanism:
Step 1
Harvest MenSCs from menstrual blood.
Expand them in culture.
Step 2
Differentiate them toward chondrocytes using factors like:
TGF-ฮฒ3
BMP-2/BMP-7
SOX9 induction
IGF-1
Goal:
Create cartilage-producing cells instead of generic stromal cells.
Step 3
Remove the fused epiphyseal bone bridge.
This is the largest obstacle.
Once growth plates fuse, bone occupies the former cartilage region.
Without creating a new space, there is nowhere for new cartilage to form.
Step 4
Implant the cells inside a biodegradable scaffold.
The scaffold would mimic:
resting zone
proliferative zone
hypertrophic zone
Essentially attempting to recreate an artificial growth plate.
Step 5
Allow MenSC-derived chondrocytes to:
produce collagen II
produce aggrecan
establish columnar organization
integrate with surrounding bone
Step 6
If successful...
Endochondral ossification could theoretically resume.
New cartilage would continuously form.
Bone would continuously replace hypertrophic cartilage.
Longitudinal growth could theoretically occur again.
Supporting Evidence:
MenSCs have demonstrated:
cartilage differentiation in laboratory studies
secretion of VEGF
secretion of HGF
secretion of TGF-ฮฒ
immunomodulatory effects
high proliferation
low ethical concerns
Compared with many adult stem cell sources, they are relatively easy to obtain.
Problems:
This is where reality hits.
No published study has shown MenSCs can:
regenerate a complete growth plate
reopen fused epiphyses
increase adult height
recreate the zonal architecture of a native growth plate
The biology of a growth plate is vastly more complex than wound healing.
Biggest Bottleneck:
The stem cells probably aren't the hardest problem.
The hardest problem is recreating:
growth plate geometry
mechanical loading
endocrine signaling
precise organization of chondrocytes
Without all of those, longitudinal growth is unlikely to occur.
Conclusion:
MenSCs are one of the more intriguing adult stem cell sources in regenerative medicine because they exhibit strong regenerative properties in several experimental settings.
However, there is currently no evidence that they can regenerate a functional adult growth plate or increase height after growth plate fusion. Any application to height increase remains a hypothesis that would require extensive preclinical and clinical research before it could be considered plausible.
