What is Stem Cell Therapy?

Breakthroughs In Stem Cell Therapy Brings Them To The Public

Stem cell therapies of many kinds have been performed safely, effectively and with great success for many years now. But, until recently, procedures were complicated and far out of the reach of the general public. However, with the breakthrough of a relatively recent discovery, treatments with stem cells have become widely available. Not only that, the list of ailments, disorders, and chronic conditions that are now treatable with stem cell therapy have grown exponentially. And new treatments come online on an almost regular basis. The newest, most wide-reaching method in stem cell treatment is called adipose stem cell therapy. Extremely safe and minimally invasive, adipose stem cell therapies are quickly changing the landscape of modern medicine. NSI Stem Cell Centers in Florida are among the most experienced and advanced medical clinics in the U.S. using adipose stem cells. NSI exclusively uses FDA guidelines-compliant adipose stem cell therapies in their treatments. To date, NSI successively treats over 20 individual illnesses, injury types, and chronic conditions. From sports injuries like those of the knee, to chronic degenerative conditions like osteoarthritis, to the neurologically related like spinal cord injury, adipose stem cells are the bedrock on which these treatments are built. So what exactly are adipose stem cells and why are they, in particular, the reason behind this explosion in available stem cell therapies? Let's take a closer look.

Adipose Stem Cell Treatment Basics

"Adipose" is a technical name for the type of fatty tissue that lies just beneath the skin. Sometimes also called adipose-derived stem cells, these cells are both particularly abundant and particularly potent. Why does this matter? Because stem cells, also known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are the basis of all healing and regeneration that happen in the body. All things of the body -whether muscle, bone, blood, cartilage, neuron, nerve, skin, hair, and more- depend on stem cells to begin the processes of repairing damage, re-growing tissue, reducing inflammation, and regenerating organs. Stem cells circulate within the body throughout life. When damage is detected, whether due to illness or injury, the stem cells are "assigned" their duties. For example, a stem cell is signaled to become a skin cell at the site of a cut. Stem cell therapies use this capability and turn it into powerful and effective treatments of many kinds.

How Stem Cell Therapies are Created

To begin the process of producing stem cell therapies, a sample of the patient's fatty tissue is taken. The procedure is minimally invasive, requiring only a small amount that is generally extracted from one of the patient's thighs, buttocks, or abdomen. Sometimes a sample can be taken from the patient's "love handles," if enough fatty tissue resides in the waist area. Because adipose stem cells are so very abundant, the sample harvested is quite small. This means that the only anesthesia needed for adipose stem cell therapies like those practiced at NSI is a local one at the site of extraction. It also means that stem cell therapies using adipose MSCs can be done on an outpatient basis in a matter of a few hours. The patient can return home immediately after treatment with little or no downtime afterward. The stem cells are processed in-house under exacting laboratory conditions. This allows for more efficient and faster creation of the highly concentrated serum that is used in adipose stem cell therapies, while also significantly increasing stem cell count with no need for excessive cell manipulation. The adipose-cell-rich serum is then injected back into the patient. Where depends on the type of therapy being undertaken. Because the stem cells being used are the patient's own, risk of rejection is exceptionally low. Once re-introduced into the patient, the adipose-derived MSCs travel to the site of injury or disease. The high concentrates of stem cells seek out the areas in need of repair and regeneration, gather there, and begin the healing process. If new tissue is needed, it begins to grow. If nerve damage is detected, the stem cells begin the process of repair. If new blood vessels are necessary, they are created. If bone is damaged, re-knitting takes place. If neuron growth is required, it begins, and so on. Stem cell therapies are also used for their anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation frequently increases damage and aggravates the symptoms of many chronic diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. Stem cells not only repair the nerve damage associated with degenerative conditions like MS, but also reduce the inflammation that results from them.

Before Adipose Stem Cell Therapies

Prior to the development of adipose stem cell therapies, the ways that stem cells could be used in treatments and procedures was more limited. Harvesting stem cells from sources like spinal fluid were far more invasive and generally required hospital stays. Too, the quantity of stem cells that could be harvested in a single sample was not as large as those found in the body's natural fat stores. For much of the early history of stem cell therapies, controversy reigned. But, today, regenerative medical procedures like adipose stem cell treatments have solved those early concerns. The discovery of adipose stem cells has ushered in a safe, effective, and fully ethical era of regenerative therapies.

Knowing If Stem Cell Therapies are Right for You

Stem cell therapies at advanced medical clinics like NSI are always done under the supervision of experienced, highly qualified physicians and medical professionals. Potential treatment always begins with a thorough consultation to determine what type of stem cell therapies should be considered for your particular condition.

Where To Find Adipose Stem Cell Therapies

NSI Stem Cell Centers are in several Florida locations. Each exclusively practices FDA guidelines-compliant adipose stem cell therapies, as well as platelet rich plasma procedures that are also FDA guidelines-compliant. NSI also has in-house programs like functional rehabilitation and nutritional counseling to augment treatments and therapies.