Barun Sesang Hospital and BioSolution join forces on clinical collaboration for treatment and rehabilitation of knee cartilage defects

[Financial News] Clinical collaboration between the medical and biotech industries is gaining momentum to preserve the natural structure of the knee joint before knee replacement surgery for active middle-aged and older adults or patients with localized cartilage damage.
 BioSolution, a company specializing in cell therapies, announced on the 11th that it would strengthen its clinical collaboration with Barun Sesang Hospital, a joint-specialty hospital designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, to provide more precise treatment and improve follow-up care for patients with knee cartilage defects. 
Knee cartilage has no nerve cells of its own, so symptoms are often subtle in the early stages of damage. Cases are frequently detected only after gradual wear has progressed. Accordingly, for people in their 40s and 50s or those with localized damage, regenerative treatment that can preserve the cruciate ligaments and normal joint structure is considered a key treatment option. In particular, stable engraftment of transplanted cartilage cells requires a stabilization period of about six weeks at the outset, as well as precise rehabilitation care, including structured load distribution and exercises to strengthen surrounding muscles.
Barun Sesang Hospital Director Seo Dong-won explained, “The key to treating knee cartilage defects is to accurately assess the extent and progression of the lesion and help patients preserve the longevity of their own joints as much as possible. Autologous chondrocyte therapy, in which cartilage cells harvested from a patient’s own costal cartilage are cultured and transplanted into the damaged area, is one treatment option that can reduce the burden of immune rejection while preserving normal joint structure.”
CartiLife, developed by BioSolution, is a treatment that involves isolating and culturing cartilage cells derived from a patient’s own costal cartilage and transplanting them into the defect site. BioSolution is expanding its partnerships with specialized medical institutions based on clinical cases at general hospitals. Through this collaboration, it plans not only to exchange clinical information on CartiLife but also to establish systematic protocols for patient care before and after surgery.
Led by Hospital Director Seo Dong-won, who is a specialist in both orthopedics and rehabilitation medicine, Barun Sesang Hospital has focused on joint-preserving care that combines patient-tailored autologous cartilage regeneration therapy with biomechanical treatments to correct the joint axis, such as osteotomy for bowlegs and ligament stabilization.
Seo continued, “Drawing on extensive clinical experience, we will carefully assess whether treatment is appropriate by taking a multifaceted look at patients’ age, injury status, and level of daily activity. We will continue to develop a systematic post-procedure rehabilitation program to help patients return to daily life.”
Lee Jeong-seon, CEO of BioSolution, said, “We are partnering with Barun Sesang Hospital, which has outstanding clinical capabilities in joint preservation and rehabilitation. We will continue close academic exchanges and clinical-care coordination with specialized medical institutions on the front lines, and refine treatment options for patients with knee cartilage disorders.”

[email protected] Jung Sang-hee Reporter