Stem cells, your body’s powerful biological healers, can be extracted from various sources like belly fat and even amniotic fluid, giving patients an array of therapeutic options. Let’s take a closer look at these two types of stem cells and how they can contribute to your overall health and well-being.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Your Fat
Fat stored in your belly and thighs contain what is likely your largest supply of adult mesenchymal stem cells. These multipotent cells can differentiate into a variety of cell types, offering incredible healing potential. To extract these stem cells, your doctor can perform a minimally invasive procedure, using local anesthesia like a mini liposuction technique. This process isolates the mesenchymal stem cells and growth factors, called the Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF), which can then be re-injected into areas where it’s needed. Since these are your own cells, there is no risk of rejection.
Stem cells can be infused by an IV route or injected directly into your joints, tendons, or ligaments, often using ultrasound guidance. In the right environment, these cells and growth factors can differentiate into bone, cartilage, muscle, fat (breast), collagen, nerves, blood vessels, skin, hair, or other tissue types.
Amniotic Stem Cells
Stem cells have also been identified in amniotic fluid. Amniotic stem cells are harvested and purified from amniotic fluid and then injected into various tissues for healing purposes (called an “allograft”). In 2007, researchers discovered that a subset of cells found in amniotic fluid and placental tissue is capable of differentiating into multiple mesenchymal lineages (progenitor cell types), resulting in multiple tissue types in adults.
Amniotic fluid is a promising source of mesenchymal stem cells for therapeutic transplantation. In 2012, researchers found that these cells may also have the capability to stimulate the repair of injured tissue through local cell-to-cell communication. One potential application for these cells is the treatment of knee arthritis, a common and disabling condition.
Amniotic fluid stem cells can be used for the treatment of articular cartilage defects with the goal of joint regeneration. In one clinical experience, a patient suffering from moderate osteoarthritis with joint space narrowing experienced a 25% reduction in pain after six weeks and a 90% reduction in pain after four months of receiving amniotic stem cells.
Enhancing the Regenerative Effect with Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)
Combining amniotic stem cells with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) autograft can enhance the regenerative effect of the treatment even more. PRP, derived from your own blood, contains growth factors and proteins that can aid in the healing process. When combined with amniotic stem cells, PRP can deliver even greater results, such as the reversal of aging frailty.
Safety and Quality Assurance
It’s important to ensure that products containing amniotic stem cells are thoroughly tested for safety and quality. For example, products from SURGENEX, like SurForce, undergo double testing for bacterial and fungal contaminants, ensuring that the amniotic allograft liquid is safe and effective for patient use.
The Power of Stem Cells for Restorative Health
Both mesenchymal and amniotic stem cells hold incredible potential for healing and restoring health. Pioneering research continues to study their applications in regenerative medicine, arthritis treatment, and even anti-aging therapies. Whether harvested from your own fat or the amniotic fluid of another, stem cells are truly powerful resources for your body’s natural healing processes.
