When you experience a minor injury like a scraped knee, broken bone, or cut, your body can heal itself. However, certain conditions like diabetes or heart disease cannot be cured by the body’s natural mechanisms. Regenerative Cell Therapy for knees is a new field exploring strategies and therapies inspired by the body’s biological healing mechanisms, and it is making a significant impact in treating these conditions.
What Is Regenerative Medicine?
Regenerative medicine emerged in the 1990s when tissue engineering became famous for stem cell research and procedures like skin grafting. Regenerative medicine aims to replace or reboot tissues or organs damaged by disease, injury, age, or other issues instead of treating symptoms with medication and procedures.
Regeneration in humans happens at three levels:
- Molecular. This contains small molecules that are the constructing blocks of your body, like DNA, fats, and carbohydrates.
- Cellular. This includes cell structures like neurons or axons responsible for cell growth and reproduction in your body.
- Tissue. This contains blood, skin, bone, or muscle.
Four types of regenerative therapy that show even more tremendous promise for the future are being used now.
Stem Cell Treatments
Stem cell treatment is a regenerative therapy that uses a particular cell type to repair injuries. Stem cell therapy is used to treat back pain and assist in regenerating tissues in the spinal discs. Stem cells are unique cells that do not have an exact purpose in the body but can evolve into a type of cell that does perform a function.
In regenerative medicine, stem cells are extracted from the patient’s fat, blood, or bone marrow. They are then put into a medical machine named a centrifuge so the doctor can determine and isolate the cells to find the suitable ones for the regenerative therapy treatment. The cells are then injected into the body part that must be repaired. For instance, stem cells would be injected straight into the damaged disc to enhance spinal discs. The cells will then evolve into healthy spinal disc cells and repair the disc.
Cartilage Regeneration
Cartilage regeneration is a type of regenerative therapy that is helpful for people suffering from musculoskeletal conditions. The therapy aims to heal damaged cartilage, which is challenging due to the lack of blood vessels and a constant blood supply. Various techniques are used for cartilage regeneration, and research suggests that it is most effective for active individuals under 55.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a treatment that is based on the idea that platelets and plasma in the blood can help heal and repair injuries. It is commonly used in sports medicine to treat tendon injuries. To create platelet-rich plasma, blood is drawn from the patient and then processed to create a concentrated solution that contains more platelets and plasma than regular blood. A centrifuge is typically used to create this solution. PRP is then either injected into the injured tendon or applied during surgery.
Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy is a regenerative therapy that can treat injured joints and connective tissues. It is commonly used for arthritis, whiplash, and degenerative disc disease. It can be used on the back, neck, shoulders, hips, hands, and knees. In prolotherapy, a doctor injects a watery solution containing saline and dextrose into the injured area. These injections usually have a numbing agent like lidocaine as well.
The injection irritates the site of injury, which in turn activates the body’s healing mechanism. This process results in the growth of new connective fibers that work towards repairing the damaged tissue, ultimately relieving pain associated with the injury. Multiple treatments may be required to stimulate further development of new tissue.
How Does It Work?
While numerous forms of regenerative medicine study are still underway, some have already been used. One of them is stem cell therapy. This is when scientists develop specialized stem cells in a lab. Depending on the requirement, they can be instructed to act like specific types of cells, such as those in your heart, blood, or nerves.
For example, If you have heart disease, these lab-grown heart muscle cells can be transplanted to repair or replace damaged heart cells.
What Is Regenerative Medicine Used For?
Several therapies and conditions, including:
- Type 1 diabetes
- Cardiovascular tissue repair
- Brain injury tissue repair
- Immune system improvement
- Cell therapy
- Tissue engineering
- Skin wounds
- Certain cancers
- Organ transplants
What are the potential negative outcomes of stem cell therapy?
Stem cell therapy can cause adverse effects, whether approved or not. Patients considering an unapproved stem cell therapy should know that such procedures have serious risks, which a qualified care team may not manage. For example, injecting one’s tissue into a different part of the body has led to severe illness and even blindness in some cases. Therefore, being cautious and well-informed when considering stem cell treatment is essential.
Therapies offered by stem cell clinics come with financial risks as well. Because these procedures are generally not covered by insurance, people seeking treatment must pay hefty out-of-pocket fees without guaranteeing improved health.
All in all
Regenerative Cell Therapy stands as a promising frontier in medical science, offering a beacon of hope for individuals grappling with many health conditions. Its ability to harness the body’s healing mechanisms, utilizing the power of cells to repair and rejuvenate tissues, has sparked immense excitement and potential for revolutionizing healthcare.
While ongoing research and clinical trials continue to unravel its full scope and refine its applications, the strides made so far signify a transformative leap toward personalized, regenerative treatments that could reshape the landscape of medicine, offering renewed possibilities for patients seeking effective, minimally invasive interventions.