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Exploring Regenerative Medicine Beyond Stem Cell Therapy

 
For many, stem cell therapy is to regenerative medicine what Google is to internet searches. Yet, there are other procedures within the regenerative medicine field that may be recommended depending on the health concern being addressed. In this article, we’ll explain several regenerative medicine options, including:

• Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)
• Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC)
• Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF)
• Exosomes
• Growth Factor Therapy
• Stem Cell Therapy

What is Regenerative Medicine?

The human body has the natural mechanisms in place to heal itself. Cuts on the skin close over time, muscles recover when they are strained, and even broken bones can be gradually repaired.

As we age, these natural repair systems can become less efficient. The number of senescent cells in the body increases. Cells become more susceptible to damage and less responsive. Thus, many of us begin to experience aches and pains, declining energy levels, or a reduced ability to focus.

Regenerative medicine is an exciting field of medicine that aims to assist the body’s natural healing process and repair damaged tissues or organs. Although the field is still evolving, it includes areas such as tissue engineering, artificial organs, and cellular therapies. [1]

In this article, we’ll primarily focus on procedures within the cellular therapy category.

A Brief Primer on Stem Cells

Stem cells are a significant part of the body’s repair processes and are primarily known for their ability to differentiate into specialized cell types, such as chondrocytes and osteocytes.

However, within roughly the last decade, research has confirmed that stem cells, particularly Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs), possess several other advantageous characteristics. [2]

For instance, stem cells communicate with other cells in the body by secreting signaling molecules like cytokines and growth factors. Through this intercellular communication, MSCs can modulate the immune response, help reduce inflammation, and promote tissue repair and regeneration.

Although stem cells can be found throughout the adult body, the number of stem cells in most tissues will decline with age. Furthermore, stem cells will lose potency over time; although several factors may influence the degree of this decline.

Eventually, the number of stem cells in one’s body may not be enough to address chronic conditions, serious injuries, or complications that often come with aging. This is why a physician may recommend stem cell therapy or other regenerative medicine procedures.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

Platelets are tiny cell fragments in your blood that help stop bleeding. When you cut yourself, platelets rush to the site, stick together, and form clots to seal the wound, starting the healing process. They also release growth factors that help repair the damaged tissue.

PRP therapy involves extracting a small amount of a patient’s blood, processing it to concentrate the platelets, and injecting the plasma into the injured area. In fact, as Gupta et al. explain in Expert Review of Hematology, PRP “contains platelet concentrations at least two to three times above the normal level and includes platelet-related growth factors.” [3]

Furthermore, platelet-related growth factors can help stimulate tissue repair and accelerate healing. PRP is commonly used to treat osteoarthritis and sports-related injuries. It is also gaining popularity in aesthetic medicine for skin rejuvenation and hair restoration.

PRP therapy began in the 1970s in the field of hematology to treat patients with thrombocytopenia (low platelet count). Over the next two decades, PRP therapy emerged in surgical procedures such as maxillofacial surgery and plastic surgery. More recently, PRP has been used in orthopedic procedures, cardiac surgery, sports injuries, gynecology, urology, and other specialized fields of medicine. [3]

Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC)

Bone marrow, the spongy tissue found within bone, contains stem cells, growth factors, and other regenerative cells that are responsible for the production of several blood and immune cells.

Through BMAC therapy, bone marrow is extracted from the patient’s hip bone, and then the stem cells and growth factors found in the bone marrow are concentrated and injected into sites of injury.

Among the regenerative cells located within bone marrow are Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs), an important type of stem cell commonly used in stem cell therapy. While MSCs can be found elsewhere throughout the body, the presence of these cells—in addition to several growth factors and cytokines also found in bone marrow—has made BMAC an option in orthopedic applications that aim to leverage the body’s own cells to promote healing and tissue regeneration.

Notably, bone marrow aspiration, the procedure used to extract bone marrow, can be painful, as it involves inserting a needle into the hip bone or sternum to collect the bone marrow sample.

Nonetheless, BMAC therapy can still be beneficial. For example, a 2023 study compared intraarticular injections of BMAC to intraarticular injections of adipose-derived stem cells, and both methods led to improvements. [4]

The study examined two groups of knee osteoarthritis patients. One group of patients received an intraarticular injection of BMAC, while the other group received an intraarticular injection of adipose-derived stem cells. After six months, both groups demonstrated significant improvement. [4]

Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF)

Adipose (fat) tissue contains several cells and biological factors that can help support tissue repair—immune cells, growth factors, cytokines, and Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs), among others. This combination of cells is known as stromal vascular fraction.

SVF therapy involves extracting a small amount of a patient’s adipose tissue, processing it to isolate the SVF, and injecting it into an injured area. SVF therapy has been investigated for use in musculoskeletal conditions, wound healing, cosmetic applications, and more; however, research is still ongoing.

A 2022 study, which compared the effects of SVF and adipose-derived MSCs on cartilage injury in rat models, found that both options showed therapeutic potential. However, the researchers noted that “the SVF treatment was more cost- and time-efficient relative to the ADSC treatment.” This is because stem cell therapy requires additional steps to isolate Mesenchymal Stem Cells from the stromal vascular fraction. [5]

Exosome Therapy

In regenerative medicine, exosomes can be used to deliver signals that promote tissue repair and regeneration.

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles (EV) produced by most cells, including Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs). They carry bioactive molecules such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, enabling intercellular communication and influencing various physiological and pathological processes—including tissue repair, immune modulation, and inflammation reduction.

Researchers have identified thousands of proteins, microRNAs, messenger RNAs, and lipids within exosomes, which contribute to their function, as the authors of a 2021 review published in Stem Cell Investigation explain. They describe exosomes as a promising treatment for inflammatory conditions, neurological disorders, and even enhancing skin rejuvenation. [6]

Growth Factor Therapy

Growth factors are naturally occurring proteins that stimulate cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation. In regenerative medicine, they can be isolated and concentrated to promote healing in injured tissues.

In a 2020 review published in Acta Pharmacologica Sinica, the authors described growth factors as “An emerging and versatile therapeutic strategy for promoting nerve regeneration and functional recovery.” [7]

For example, in wound healing applications, growth factors may increase the number of wound-healing cells. [8]

This includes:

• Keratinocytes, which form a new layer of skin, close the wound and restore the protective barrier
• Fibroblasts, which produce collagen and extracellular matrix to create new tissue
• Endothelial cells, which form new blood vessels (angiogenesis)
• Macrophages, which clear debris and secrete cytokines to regulate inflammation
• Platelets, which initiate clot formation and release growth factors to promote tissue repair

Increasing the number of these cells may result in faster wound healing. There are several growth factors that may stimulate healing, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), transforming growth factors (TGFs), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). These growth factors are often used therapeutically in conjunction with other regenerative medicine options, such as PRP, BMAC, and stem cell therapy.

Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cell therapy is the use of stem cells—typically Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) —and their properties to alleviate symptoms of various health conditions by promoting the repair of diseased, dysfunctional, or injured tissue.

While other regenerative medicine options like BMAC and SVF contain some MSCs in addition to other cells and molecules, stem cell therapy utilizes only the pure MSCs. Like BMAC and SVF, MSCs can be derived from bone marrow and adipose tissue (among other tissue sources); however, additional steps are taken to isolate the stem cells from the other molecular contents found within BMAC and SVF. Thus, stem cell therapy delivers a higher concentration of MSCs.

Stem cell therapies that utilize autologous adipose-derived MSCs have shown promising results so far. Over 400 clinical research studies are further investigating the safety and efficacy of such treatments.

→ To learn more about stem cells and stem cell therapy, explore these articles:

• An Introduction To Stem Cells
• What Is Stem Cell Therapy?
• Where Are MSCs Found In The Body?

Same-Day vs. High-Dose Stem Cell Therapy

Because of the proliferation of stem cell clinics around the world, it’s essential to distinguish the type of treatment option most clinics offer (“same-day stem cell therapy”) from high-dose stem cell therapy.

Here is the difference between these two options:

• Same-day stem cell therapy is an autologous procedure that involves extracting tissue from an area of the body (typically from bone marrow or adipose tissue), isolating the stem cells from this tissue, and injecting them into a site of damage/injury. This entire process occurs within the same day.
• High-dose stem cell therapy can be either autologous (using stem cells derived from one’s own body) or allogenic (using stem cells from a donor), and it involves the culture expansion of stem cells after they are isolated from the tissue sample to exponentially increase their numbers. Culturing the stem cells takes several weeks, so the therapy cannot occur on the same day as the tissue extraction.

Same-day stem cell therapy may be effective for certain minor soft-tissue injuries. However, results may be limited, especially when addressing serious injuries or more complex systemic diseases that typically require a higher quantity of MSCs for potential health benefits.

The Celltex Difference

Celltex Therapeutics is an industry leader in the banking and culturing of MSCs. What sets Celltex apart from other regenerative medicine options is our ability to provide high doses of pure MSCs cultured through rigorous lab processes.

Here are some critical aspects of our unique approach:

High Doses of MSCs

Through Celltex’s Adult Stem Cell Banking process, an individual’s MSCs can be expanded into quantities exponentially greater than that of other regenerative medicine offerings, greatly increasing the potential for positive results when therapeutic application is necessary.

High doses can be particularly beneficial in treating autoimmune diseases, neurological disorders, and chronic inflammatory conditions where a significant amount of MSCs may be needed to modulate the immune system and promote tissue repair. [9]

For context, the aforementioned same-day therapies generally allow for only tens of thousands of MSCs to be administered. When you bank your stem cells with Celltex, your MSCs are culture-expanded into the hundreds of millions.

By taking the extra step of Adult Stem Cell Banking with Celltex, the therapeutic dose of MSCs available for use is around 20,000 times larger than with same-day therapies.

Quality Ensured by Thorough Lab Processes

Celltex takes pride in its state-of-the-art laboratory, where banked MSCs are stored and monitored to ensure the cells stay healthy and free of contaminants. The purity and quality standards set by our lab are why Celltex has been an industry leader in autologous adipose-derived MSC culturing and banking since 2011.

If you’re in the Houston area, you can schedule a tour of our lab in person or tour it virtually.

Lifetime Bank of MSCs

One of the most innovative aspects of Celltex’s process is the ability to store one’s MSCs for their entire lifetime. This means that the tissue extraction procedure required to start the Adult Stem Cell Banking process only needs to occur once. From that single extraction, Celltex clients have a readily available store of their own MSCs for any future stem cell therapies.

By contrast, with other regenerative medicine options (such as same-day therapies, SVF, or BMAC), the tissue extraction procedure must be repeated each time the treatment is administered. This can be especially problematic for tissue extraction procedures that are relatively painful, such as the bone marrow aspiration procedure.

Why Are Other Regenerative Medicine Therapies Needed?

Every individual is unique, so there isn’t one regenerative medicine option that is best for everyone. Furthermore, scientists and physicians are still learning about regenerative medicine and the ideal applications for each of the procedures mentioned above.

Ultimately, a physician must determine which option—or combination of options—is best for their patient’s condition or health goals.

Sign up for a virtual consultation, where a regenerative medicine physician can answer your questions, assess your case, and determine whether you’re a candidate for stem cell banking or therapy.

Learn More About Celltex

Celltex Therapeutics is a biotechnology company with the unique ability to do what no one else can: isolate, expand, and cryopreserve your own MSCs to create a stem cell bank from a single sample of your adipose tissue. Celltex-cultured MSCs have been used in over 10,000 stem cell therapies with no severe adverse events.

Learn more about Celltex Adult Stem Cell Banking by requesting a virtual brochure, watching our educational webinars, or contacting us directly.

References:

1. Sreenivas, S. (2021, October 1). What Is Regenerative Medicine?. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-regenerative-medicine
2. Han, Y., Yang, J., Fang, J., Zhou, Y., Candi, E., Wang, J., Hua, D., Shao, C., & Shi, Y. (2022). The secretion profile of mesenchymal stem cells and potential applications in treating human diseases. Signal transduction and targeted therapy, 7(1), 92. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-022-00932-0
3. Gupta, S., Paliczak, A., & Delgado, D. (2021). Evidence-based indications of platelet-rich plasma therapy. Expert review of hematology, 14(1), 97–108. https://doi.org/10.1080/17474086.2021.1860002
4. Pintore, A., Notarfrancesco, D., Zara, A., Oliviero, A., Migliorini, F., Oliva, F., & Maffulli, N. (2023). Intra-articular injection of bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) or adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) for knee osteoarthritis: a prospective comparative clinical trial. Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research, 18(1), 350. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13018-023-03841-2
5. Yang, W. T., Ke, C. Y., Yeh, K. T., Huang, S. G., Lin, Z. Y., Wu, W. T., & Lee, R. P. (2022). Stromal-vascular fraction and adipose-derived stem cell therapies improve cartilage regeneration in osteoarthritis-induced rats. Scientific reports, 12(1), 2828. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-06892-3
6. Muthu, S., Bapat, A., Jain, R., Jeyaraman, N., & Jeyaraman, M. (2021). Exosomal therapy-a new frontier in regenerative medicine. Stem cell investigation, 8, 7. https://doi.org/10.21037/sci-2020-037
7. Li, R., Li, D. H., Zhang, H. Y., Wang, J., Li, X. K., & Xiao, J. (2020). Growth factors-based therapeutic strategies and their underlying signaling mechanisms for peripheral nerve regeneration. Acta pharmacologica Sinica, 41(10), 1289–1300. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41401-019-0338-1
8. Demidova-Rice, T. N., Hamblin, M. R., & Herman, I. M. (2012). Acute and impaired wound healing: pathophysiology and current methods for drug delivery, part 2: role of growth factors in normal and pathological wound healing: therapeutic potential and methods of delivery. Advances in skin & wound care, 25(8), 349–370. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ASW.0000418541.31366.a3
9. Hoang, D. M., Pham, P. T., Bach, T. Q., Ngo, A. T. L., Nguyen, Q. T., Phan, T. T. K., Nguyen, G. H., Le, P. T. T., Hoang, V. T., Forsyth, N. R., Heke, M., & Nguyen, L. T. (2022). Stem cell-based therapy for human diseases. Signal transduction and targeted therapy, 7(1), 272. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-022-01134-4

Post Tags: Regenerative Medicine