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Answers About

Stem Cells

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Stem Cell

What are Stem Cells?

Stem cells are special cells with two unique properties: They are self-renewing, which means they can divide into more cells exactly like themselves with much longer lifespans than normal cells. Stem cells can also make different types of cells when needed, which is something normal cells cannot do.

Stem Cell Sources

Stem cells have been found in most parts of the body including blood vessels, skin, teeth, brain, and heart. The most abundant sources of stem cells are found in bone marrow (BMAC), adipose tissue (fatty tissue), peripheral blood, as well as perinatal tissues such as the umbilical cord and placenta.

Stem Cell Functions

The ability of stem cells to divide into specialized cell types plays crucial roles in the body’s capacity for tissue regeneration and to withstand or manage disease. Stem cells are found in almost all tissues in the body for the purposes of maintenance, repair after injury, and to help recreate functional tissues.

Stem Cell Usage

Stem cells are used to study the biology of disease, create new treatment options for tissue injuries and diseases, and to study the safety and effectiveness of new medications. Stem cells are on the frontier of modern medicine with significant ongoing research into therapeutic applications.

Stem Cell

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to our most frequently asked questions

Are stem cells FDA approved?

Most therapies involving stem cells are not yet FDA approved and therefore are considered experimental therapies. This means most therapies are not yet covered by insurance. However, there are several therapies that are FDA-registered undergoing current trials.

Stem cells that come from bone marrow or adipose tissues are referred to as autologous therapies, meaning the stem cells are harvested from the patient's own body and are used therapeutically for the same patient..

Therapy using stem cells that come from donated perinatal tissues like the umbilical cord or placenta are referred to as allogenic, which means they come from a different donor source than the patient intended to receive the therapy.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is a type of pain-management therapy derived from the patient’s own blood that may help with musculoskeletal complaints and inflammation, and can serve as an alternative to cortisone shots.

Depending on the source of the stem cells, the stem cell matrix may contain a rich mix of naturally occurring biomolecules such as collagen fibers, elastin, hyaluronic acid, proteoglycans, growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, and exosomes.