Stem Cell Therapy

Stem Cells are present in all of us, acting like a repair system for the body. They are sometimes referred to as “master cells” in that they have the potential to become many different specialized cell types. They act as an unlimited supply of repair cells, continually dividing throughout our lifetime.

With increased age or chronic injury, sometimes the optimal amount of stem cells is not delivered to an injured area. The goal of Stem Cell Therapy is to amplify the natural repair system to keep pace with these demands and maintain healthy function of soft tissue of the musculoskeletal system.

Cellular therapies and their use in regenerative medicine hold almost infinite possibilities for curative treatments. Scientific advances in the understanding of how the body actually heals through tissue regeneration, combined with rapid developments in stem cell biology, have truly created a renaissance in medical treatment.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)

Science has shown that therapy using MSCs is an especially good option for treating musculoskeletal conditions involving lost or damaged tissue. MSCs are able to differentiate into all the different cell types within a joint and to moderate the local inflammatory response. They have the ability for self-renewal over long periods of time.

What procedure is best for me?

Bone marrow stem cells

Science has discovered that both bone marrow cells are rich in MSCs. These can be harvested from the patient’s body and injected in a condensed form into an injured site. 

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) found in adult bone marrow are extracted from the back of the patient's pelvis or hip bone using a special needle developed for bone marrow extraction. FDA-approved devices concentrate the bone marrow into what is called “Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate” (BMAC). The cells are not manipulated or altered with additives. These adult stem cells are considered multipotent stem cells, so are able to differentiate into the type of cell into which they are injected.

Umbilical stem cells

Cellular health of the recipient’s tissue helps to determine effectiveness of injected cells as well as length of time these cells will survive and continue to replicate. The age of BMSCs is a relevant factor as stem cells age similarly to other cells in our body. These factors are responsible for the increasing popularity of umbilical cord stem cell (USC) treatments. Elimination of the harvesting process is an additional benefit of USC treatment.

Many patients choose to avoid the harvesting process necessary for bone marrow therapy and opt for MSCs that are derived from umbilical cord blood. Umbilical blood consists of two types of stem cells:

• Blood-forming stem cells (hematopoietic progenitor cells) that have been used for several decades in treatment of blood disorders.

• Mesenchymal cells, a second type discovered more recently, that are currently the subject of clinical trials.

Umbilical stem cells are naïve, meaning they can divide indefinitely. More importantly, growth factors that are contained in the blood, along with stem cells, aid in the formation new blood vessels, activation of endogenous stem cells, modulation of the immune system, and growth of cells and tissue.

 

Applications

• Osteoarthritis. Traditional treatment has primarily been to mask the pain with drugs (eg, NSAIDS or cortisone) or other treatments. Stem Cell Therapy distributes to damaged tissue cells needed to regenerate or re-grow tissue, reducing further damage and accelerating healing.  In many cases, Stem Cell Therapy can prevent the need for replacement surgery.
• Ligament and tendon injuries. Damage to these tissues is generally difficult to treat as they have poor blood flow, which is apparent from their white color. Muscles, on the other hand, are red because they have a very good blood supply. The lack of adequate blood flow makes ligaments and tendons prone to incomplete healing from injury.

• Muscle tears. Muscle tissue heals more quickly and thoroughly when regrowth of tissue is enhanced with MSCs injected into the injury.  Acceleration of healing helps to prevent further tissue damage caused through natural use of the muscle.

Common conditions treated with Stem Cell therapy include:

FDA APPROVAL

All of our biological procedures are performed on the same day with minimal manipulation of blood, bone marrow, or adipose tissue & are therefore compliant with FDA CFR 21 Part 1271, falling under the same surgery exemption in FDA rule in 1271.15 (b).