Regenerative Medicine

Regenerative medicine is an interdisciplinary field focusing on restoring the structure and function of damaged or diseased cells, organs and tissues, relying on the body’s natural healing process instead of surgery or medication. It aims to treat the root cause of a disease by repairing or regenerating damaged cells whereas traditional medicine treats symptoms.

Products of regenerative medicine include the generation and use of therapeutic stem cells and tissue engineering, such as Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) and Platelet-rich-plasma (PRP).

Cultivated Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy

The Procedure

Cultivated MSC therapy is a three-part procedure:

1. Bone Marrow Extraction - The patient's bone marrow is obtained by aspiration from the pelvic bone (through the buttock). Approximately 100 cc of bone marrow is aspirated. The process is done on an out-patient basis, in an operating theater with sedation and local anesthesia, with the entire procedure lasting approximately one hour. Relative rest is recommended for one to two days afterwards.
2. Cultivation - The bone marrow is sent for processing at the cell culture laboratory in the Instituto de Biologia y Genetica Molecular at the University of Valladolid, Spain. It is processed for three weeks in order to isolate the progenitor cells with regenerative capacity. This results in forty million stem cells rich in regenerative potential.
3. Injection - The resulting product is injected into the damaged area for regeneration and relief of symptoms. This is also done on an out-patient basis in an operation theater with the patient being discharged right after the procedure. Relative rest is recommended for a few days followed by specific rehabilitation adapted to each individual case.

Stem Cell Regulation

• Medical research into stem cells is still at early stages and there is a lack of harmonised global regulation. As a result many clinics around the world offer unregulated stem cell therapies that are unproven and not part of any clinical trials. It is therefore important to understand the legislation and nature of the proposed method before opting for one.
• Per the European Health Authorities, (EMAA), regulation and the Spanish Agency for Medical and Health Products, (AEMPS), the practice of cellular therapy must be done in the scope of clinical trials along the clear laws regulating its practice.
• Cultivated Mesenchymal Stem Cell therapy practiced by our medical team is performed within strict compliance of the EMAA and AEMPS regulatory framework and all patients are included in a clinical trial supervised by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee and EMAA.

Platelet Rich Plasma - PRP

Platelet-rich plasma, (PRP), promotes tissue repair by using the patient's own platelets in damaged areas in order to accelerate healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints.

Plasma is the liquid portion of blood and it acts as a medium for red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets to circulate throughout the body. Platelets' main function are in clotting blood however they also contain proteins, known as growth factors, which are important in healing injuries.

PRP is plasma with a higher concentration of platelets, five to ten times greater than what is typical in blood, giving it a greater amount of growth factors.

The Procedure

• PRP injections are prepared by drawing blood from the patient and running it through a centrifuge to separate the components and concentrate the platelets. These "activated" platelets are then injected directly into the patient's injured body tissue.
• The resulting product is injected into the injured area using local anesthetic . Sometimes ultrasound imagine is used in order to guide the injection.

Matrix Cell Treatment

This intra-articular treatment combines Platelet-Rich-Plasma, (PRP), with Hyaluronic Acid, (HA).
Hyaluronic Acid is a naturally occurring substance in your body and a key component in a joint's synovial fluid. It helps coat the cartilage and acts as a lubricant and shock absorber in the joint.

PRP together with HA is a therapy with enhanced anti-inflammatory benefits and this treatment may provide enhanced anti-inflammatory benefits easing pain and joint stiffness by acting as a lubrication in the joints where normal synovial fluid has thinned.

The Procedure

• The procedure is done on an out-patient basis where the substance is injected directly into the joint. Relative rest is recommended for one to two days after.