Regenerative Medicine and Ergonomics: Building Bridges

Abstract

Relationship between ergonomics and regenerative medicine is non-obvious but important correlations exist between these two areas. By definition, ergonomics is the study of relationship between people, their activities, their equipment and their environment. Thus, functioning (and malfunctioning) of our body is an essential aspect of ergonomics and this underlines the importance of regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine will increasingly become an integral part of ergonomics as we move toward developing a workforce with a diverse capability: physical, sensorial and cognitive. Faulty work practices and environments often lead to musculoskeletal disorders and diseases (MSD) which has escalated significantly over the last decade to present a critical socioeconomic problem [1]. Pathologically, MSDs represents a complex molecular and cellular microenvironment with an inflammatory condition leading to deterioration of tissue structure and function. Use of repetitive mechanical force, static loading and extreme positions induce changes in the tissues which are transduced to the cellular and molecular level. Understanding these features is critical for practicing effective treatment strategies and for recommending better work environment. Thus, regenerative medicine will play a major role both from a fundamental understanding of MSDs and for development of therapeutic strategies. Since no single factor can be attributed to the MSDs, current treatment modalities for MSDs often involve a combination of drug therapy, physical exercises and surgical procedures. The usefulness of these strategies are constrained due to the lack of unified mechanism to combat the root causes of MSDs. Stem cell based regenerative medicine offers tremendous hope for treatment of MSDs due to the multifunctional characteristics of stem cells. Stem cells are characterized by ability to self-renew and to differentiate along multiple lineage pathways. To be clinically useful for regenerative and rehabilitative applications, cell therapy approaches with stem cells must meet certain criteria [1].