Pilates Plus with Madeline

09/18/2026

09/18/2026

In a first-in-human study published in Cell in September 2026, researchers treated 10 women aged 51–72 with advanced osteoporosis and previous fragility fractures.

Bone marrow was collected from each patient’s hip, and their own mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) were isolated and expanded in the lab. Researchers then used exofucosylation to add the sialyl Lewis X (sLeX) structure to CD44 on the cells, creating the HCELL bone-homing phenotype.

HCELL can bind E-selectin on blood vessels within bone marrow, helping the infused cells reach bone tissue more efficiently. Each woman received the engineered cells through a single intravenous infusion. During the first two years after treatment, the group’s fragility-fracture frequency reportedly fell by 94%, from roughly 8 fractures per year before treatment to about 0.5 per year afterward.

Bone biopsies taken four months after the infusion showed that mean bone tissue area had nearly doubled, while markers associated with bone formation remained elevated for more than six months.

At 24 months, patients reported about 34% less bone pain and a 30% improvement in physical-disability scores. During longer follow-up, which extended for several years, fracture incidence was reported to decrease from 0.54 to 0.11 fractures per patient-year.

09/09/2026

Covering the basics.

09/07/2026