by Walter O’Brien, MD
Stem cell therapy is an exciting regenerative medicine frontier with numerous potential applications. Your own stem cells are by far the best source for your own tissue rejuvenation.
As cells age or are injured, stem cells are directed to the area to replace those damaged cells. Eventually our body can no longer produce enough stem cells to keep up the pace of this process and natural cell death wins. We are now on the frontier of using stem cells for many conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and autoimmune disorders to name a few. Recent studies support further investigation of stem cell therapy in concussions.
Stem cell therapy may turn out to be the “fountain of youth.”
Through a mini-liposuction technique under local anesthesia, each ounce of fat can produce 10 to 30 million stem cells. New technology allows cryo-banking with the storage of cells at -190 degrees C in liquid nitrogen. This cell preservation has been successfully used for years with sperm, eggs, embryos, and umbilical cord blood.
Furthermore, we are working with the FDA and regulatory agencies under investigational protocols to culture the cells to duplicate themselves and potentially provide an unlimited supply for multiple uses by an individual in the future. This is one example of the many areas of cutting-edge technology Pacific Coast Sports Medicine is involved with in the field of regenerative orthopedics.
Please visit our website for more detailed information and links to other resources about the harvesting and storage of your own stem cells as well as other regenerative techniques.