[vc_row][vc_column][vc_toggle title=”What is Regenerative Medicine?” size=”lg” el_id=”1492464767663-e7b3ea2b-deb7″]Regenerative medicine, born out of translational research in tissue engineering and molecular biology, deals with the process of replacing, engineering or regenerating human cells, tissues or organs to restore or establish normal function. The concept of using cell-based therapies in regenerative medicine is now making its way into clinics. Stem cells, a population of immature tissue precursor cells, are capable of self-renewal and can provide replacement cells and act as a regenerative catalyst for many tissue types. Recent evidence from several scientific and medical studies in cell-based therapies and regenerative medicine are encouraging. Healthcare providers are now able to leverage the body’s own healing potential to repair tissue damage from degenerative conditions and acute injuries. Synova Life Sciences has developed an innovative method of processing autologous adipose tissue as a rich source of regenerative and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)[i]. The Synova® Process is gaining widespread popularity among leaders of the field of regenerative medicine.
[i] Patricia A Zuk et al., “Human Adipose Tissue Is a Source of Multipotent Stem Cells.,” Molecular Biology of the Cell 13, no. 12 (December 2002): 4279–95, doi:10.1091/mbc.E02-02-0105.[/vc_toggle][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_toggle title=”What is a stem cell?” el_id=”1492464855620-ff889448-e3ee”]A stem cell is a special type of cell in the body that can make many copies of itself and turn into many different types of tissues. This remarkable ability to become other types of cells makes them essential in the repair and renewal of tissues and body organs[/vc_toggle][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_toggle title=”What are the different sources of stem cells?” el_id=”1492464904349-0e1747a9-883a”]Stem cells come from many different sources: embryos, amniotic tissue, cord blood, bone marrow, adipose tissue, peripheral blood, and other parts of the body. Embryonic stem cells can differentiate into nearly any tissue type but have not yielded any clinically available therapies. Amniotic tissue and cord blood are additional allogeneic sources that are regularly harvested. However, due to immunogenicity, tumorigenesis, risks of disease-transmission, and ethical considerations, cells from these sources have so far been restricted to experimental in vitro studies and their therapeutic potential remains to be determined. Moreover, unanswered questions around viability and quality still exist. The use of autologous stem cells eliminates many of the potential risks and regulatory concerns and has become the preferred source of MSCs in regenerative medicine.[/vc_toggle][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_toggle title=”What is the difference between autologous and allogeneic stem cells?” el_id=”1492467894954-35b2dd65-28ff”]Autologous stem cells come from the same person that they go back into. Allogeneic stem cells come from someone else. With autologous stem cells, there is no risk of disease transmission or rejection. Allogeneic stem cells, however, carry risks for disease transmission from the person they came from. Because they come from another person, they can also be attacked by the receiving patient’s immune system. Moreover, if they do find a home in the patient’s body and differentiate into a desired tissue type, they will be recognized as a foreign, just like in an organ transplant, and will be attacked by the patient’s immune system. Researchers are trying to make allogeneic cells work because they can be grown in large quantities and distributed on a large scale. Autologous cells are patient-specific and matched exactly to each patient, so large-scale distribution is neither feasible nor necessary.[/vc_toggle][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_toggle title=”What is the difference between adult and embryonic stem cells?” el_id=”1492469315268-cab2c3d0-700b”]Most people are familiar with controversy regarding embryonic stem cells, because they are taken from unborn or unwanted embryos. One of the difficulties in using embryonic stem cells is that they can divide indefinitely and can produce tumors because of this.
Another kind of stem cell is the “adult stem cell.” This is a stem cell that already resides in one’s own body within fat, bone marrow, blood and other tissue. They can differentiate into bone, cartilage, connective tissue, blood vessels, muscle and nerve tissue. These are the cells that allow healing from minor wounds and injuries. They cannot proliferate and divide indefinitely and do not carry the risk of tumor-formation that embryonic stem cells do.[/vc_toggle][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_toggle title=”What is a mini-liposuction?” el_id=”1492470698161-2f1ecf8c-71d2″]What is a mini-liposuction?
A mini-liposuction is a minimally-invasive procedure used to gently remove a small amount fat from around your belly. It is a relatively easy and painless procedure with a fast recovery time. Getting stem cells from bone marrow is far more invasive and painful, and yields far fewer cells.
How long does the procedure take?
About 1 hour. Mini-liposuction takes 10-15 minutes. Processing the stem cells takes 20-30 minutes. Re-injecting the stem cells into the target area takes 10-15 minutes. An hour is all it takes to get back to your life.[/vc_toggle][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_toggle title=”How long does the procedure take?” el_id=”1492470777849-f9762049-b5f3″]About 1 hour. Mini-liposuction takes 10-15 minutes. Processing the stem cells takes 20-30 minutes. Re-injecting the stem cells into the target area takes 10-15 minutes. An hour is all it takes to get back to your life.[/vc_toggle][/vc_column][/vc_row]