Exosomes being released from stem cells.
Broadening stem cell options now available.
What we thought we knew about stem cells is changing, and, as it does, novel stem cell therapies join our therapeutic menu. We now understand that most of the improvement patients feel after a stem cell injection is due to the substances these cells release. So much so, that there is a movement to rename the orthopedic Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) as “Medicinal Signaling Cells.”
There are 2 types of cell secretions: small molecules and large extracellular vesicles (membrane bags full of proteins and RNA). While the small growth factors and cytokines play a role, research has increasingly focused on the larger extracellular vesicles, particularly exosomes, as the primary way the stem cells exert their regenerative, anti-inflammatory, and protective action on surrounding cells–thereby organizing a healing response.
This is great news! As commercial products containing exosomes and other excreted factors become available (and as our office approves them for patient use only after reviewing the published research), we now have additional options for patients wanting a stem cell effect without the typical cost, varying discomfort, and low but extant risk of an invasive stem cell harvesting procedure.
It is still true that only your own harvested tissue, such as obtained from a bone marrow or fat aspiration procedure, is proven to yield live injectable mesenchymal stem cells with your own DNA—and thus the only option for cells that can differentiate and grow in your body. It’s exciting, however, that we have commercial stem cell products that we can use instead of or in addition to your own cells in personalized combinations to help you heal, regenerate, and feel your best.
At BOUNDLESS, we offer the fullest range of FDA-compliant injectable stem cell products, including amniotic, cord blood, acellular, and exosome preparations, as well as your own stem transplants from bone marrow and fat tissue augmentation, in our continued effort to offer each patient the most personalized and effective regenerative experience.