STEM CELLS

WHAT ARE STEM CELLS, AND WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT?

Stem cells are the building blocks of the body that promote healing and regeneration of cells and tissue. Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In addition, in many tissues they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.

Stem cells are distinguished from other cell types by two important characteristics. First, they are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves through cell division, sometimes after long periods of inactivity. Second, under certain physiologic or experimental conditions, they can be induced to become tissue or organ-specific cells with special functions.

Adult stem cells are found in many tissues, such as bone marrow, muscle, and adipose. Advanced Regenerative Medicine uses stem cells derived from adipose. Adipose is more accessible and replenishable than other tissue types. Stem cells are also found in higher concentrations in adipose than other tissue types. The discrete populations of adult stem cells care capable of generating cells lost through normal wear and tear, injury, or disease. Given their unique regenerative abilities, stem cells offer new potentials for treating diseases such as osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease. The healing and/or restoration of cartilage and other tissues is referred to as regenerative medicine

In some adult tissues, such as bone marrow, muscle, and brain, discrete populations of adult stem cells generate replacements for cells that are lost through normal wear and tear, injury, or disease.

Given their unique regenerative abilities, stem cells offer new potentials for treating diseases such as diabetes, and heart disease.

WHAT ARE THE UNIQUE PROPERTIES OF ALL STEM CELLS?

Stem cells differ from other kinds of cells in the body. All stem cells—regardless of their source—have three general properties: they are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods; they are unspecialized; and they can give rise to specialized cell types.

Stem cells are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods. Unlike muscle cells, blood cells, or nerve cells, stem cells may replicate many times, or proliferate.

Stem cells are unspecialized. One of the fundamental properties of a stem cell is that it does not have any tissue-specific structures. Unspecialized stem cells can give rise to specialized cells, including heart muscle cells, blood cells, or nerve cells.

When unspecialized stem cells give rise to specialized cells, the process is called differentiation. While differentiating, the cell usually goes through several stages, becoming more specialized at each step.

WHAT ARE ADULT STEM CELLS?

Adult stem cells have been identified in many organs and tissues, including brain, bone marrow, peripheral blood, blood vessels, skeletal muscle, skin, teeth, heart, gut, liver, ovarian epithelium, and testis. Stem cells may remain dormant for long periods of time until they are activated by tissue injury or disease. In addition, when the need for tissue maintenance arises, stem cells are activated and proliferate into new cells.

Adult stem cells have been identified in many organs and tissues, including brain, bone marrow, peripheral blood, blood vessels, skeletal muscle, skin, teeth, heart, gut, liver, ovarian epithelium, and testis. They are thought to reside in a specific area of each tissue (called a “stem cell niche”). In many tissues, current evidence suggests that some types of stem cells are pericytes, cells that compose the outermost layer of small blood vessels. Stem cells may remain quiescent (non-dividing) for long periods of time until they are activated by a normal need for more cells to maintain tissues, or by disease or tissue injury.

WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL USES OF HUMAN STEM CELLS?

Perhaps the most important potential application of human stem cells is the generation of cells and tissues that could be used for cell-based therapies. Stem cells, directed to differentiate into specific cell types, offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat diseases including osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease.

Perhaps the most important potential application of human stem cells is the generation of cells and tissues that could be used for cell-based therapies. Today, donated organs and tissues are often used to replace ailing or destroyed tissue, but the need for transplantable tissues and organs far outweighs the available supply. Stem cells, directed to differentiate into specific cell types, offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat diseases including macular degeneration, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

To appreciate cell-based therapies for pervasive and debilitating diseases, scientists must be able to manipulate stem cells so that they possess the necessary characteristics for successful differentiation, transplantation, and engraftment. The following is a list of steps in successful cell-based treatments. To be useful for transplant purposes, stem cells must be reproducibly made to:

HOW IS THE PROCEDURE EXECUTED?

First, blood is drawn for the PRP injection. Adipose is then extracted through a mini-liposuction procedure. A laboratory technician will process the unrefined adipose in-house in order to separate and collect the StroMed. The treating doctor will then inject the StroMed along with PRP into the affected joint. This is an outpatient procedure. The patient can resume normal activity the day following the procedure.