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Stem Cell Therapy
What Are Stem Cells?
These are undifferentiated cells that have the capacity to change into any healthy cell in our body. Stem cells can develop into skin, bone, heart, muscle, and nerve tissue to name a few. They have the ability to replicate substantially as compared to normal somatic cells such as skin. In response to disease or injury, stem cells react to specific signals and facilitate the healing process by differentiating into specialized cells necessary for healing. Stem cells also release substances (growth factors, cytokines, etc.) that assist in restoration of damaged cells and tissue. Stem cells are located throughout our body in almost every organ and tissue such as bone marrow, fat, teeth, and muscles. However, just as other cells in our body, stem cells age as we do. This is why different sources of stem cells have different capabilities.
There are three overarching types of stem cells: totipotent, pluripotent, and multipotent stem cells. Totipotent and pluripotent stem cells sourced from embryos have the potential to develop into any cell type, but are not used for therapy due to ethical and medical concerns. Multipotent stem cells, which include hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs), can differentiate into several different tissue cell types.
Specifically, MSC’s have the potential to differentiae into and repair/restore damaged cartilage, tendon, ligament, muscle, and bone The result of MSC action is often postponement or prevention of joint replacement surgery. We are born with a great many of these cells, but the number dramatically decreases with time. For this reason, Midwest Pain Recovery Centers utilize MSC’s derived from umbilical cord blood obtained from healthy, fully screened donor sources.
How are Stem Cells Obtained?
Stem cells are located throughout the body, but are more readily found in bone marrow, adipose (fat) tissue, amniotic fluid, and placenta/umbilical cord blood. Bone marrow and fat sources are autologous, meaning they are derived from the person being treated. Cord blood and amniotic cells can be autologous (if the parent wishes to save and store the cells for future use), or are from donor sources. The cells obtained from amniotic fluid have limited/no viability when transported and thus have limited clinical usefulness. Bone marrow cells are harvested via aspiration (puncturing the bone cortex with a large needle and withdrawing the marrow content), typically drawn from the posterior pelvic bones or sternum (breastbone).
Adipose cells are harvested via liposuction of the flanks, hips, and thighs. Cord cells are obtained by draining and processing the blood contained in the discarded umbilical cord and placenta after live, healthy births. Bone marrow aspiration and liposuction are both invasive, time consuming, and potentially very painful procedures. Studies have shown that bone marrow and adipose sources also yield far fewer cells per milliliter as compared to cord blood (bone marrow 30-317,000 cells/ml, adipose tissue 4,700-1,55o,000 cells/ml, cord blood 10,000-4,700,000 cells/ml)1. Midwest Pain Recovery Centers utilize cord blood sources with available cell counts from 5,000,000 to 30,000,000 cells/ml, as verified by independent lab analysis.
What are the Advantages of Cord Blood Stem Cell Therapy?
- Least invasive and painful method-stem cells are not harvested from your bone marrow or fat
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Significantly higher cell count per milliliter when compared to bone marrow or fat sources
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Higher capacity to grow and divide than cells derived from bone marrow or fat
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Purity, quantity, and viability of stem cells verified by independent lab analysis
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Treatment is completed in one short office visit
When Does the Body Use Stem Cells?
The body utilizes its stem cell reserve daily to repair and replace damaged or diseased tissue. When the body’s reserve is limited due to illness or disease and as it becomes depleted with age, the regenerative power of our body decreases. With decreased stem cell activity, we are more likely to succumb to disease and injury.
Source
1 Vangsness, C. MD, Sternberg, H. MD, Harris, L. BS. Umbilical Cord Tissue Offers the Greatest Number of Harvestable Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Research and Clinical Application: A Literature Review of Different Harvest Sites. Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic & Related Surgery. Volume 31, Issue 9. September 2015. 1836-1843.