What Is Regenerative Medicine?

Regenerative medicine is the science of growing new human cells, tissues, and organs damaged by injury or disease. It is an emerging field that also has the potential to help people with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and organ failure. Read on to learn about regenerative medicine and how you could benefit.

Types of regenerative medicine

Tissue engineering

Tissue engineering is a key component of regenerative medicine that involves using biological and engineering principles to create functional tissues and organs, including skin, cartilage, bone, and blood vessels. This process utilizes cells, scaffolds, and signaling molecules to create a three-dimensional structure in one’s body to replace damaged or diseased tissue. 

The tissue engineering process begins with isolating cells from a patient or donor. These cells are then cultured in a lab to create a large population of cells we use to create tissue. The cells are then combined with a scaffold, which provides a framework for the cells to grow and organize into functional tissue. 

The scaffold can consist of various materials, including natural materials such as collagen and synthetic materials such as polymers. The scaffold provides mechanical support for the growing tissue. It will degrade over time as the tissue matures.

Once the cells and scaffold combine, we place them in a bioreactor, which provides a controlled environment for the tissue to grow and mature. The bioreactor can provide the necessary nutrients, oxygen, and mechanical stimulation to promote tissue growth and development.

Cell therapies

Four main types of therapy that target or regenerate cells: stem cell therapy, platelet-rich plasma therapy, prolotherapy, and cartilage regeneration therapy. 

Stem cell therapy

Stem cell therapy uses stem cells to repair or replace damaged tissue. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the potential to become various types of specialized cells, including muscle, bone, and fat cells. They can be found in tissue sources, including bone marrow, fat tissue, umbilical cord blood, and amniotic fluid. 

Platelet-rich plasma therapy

Platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) is a treatment that uses a patient’s own blood to heal injured tissue. A procedure called apheresis collects the platelets from a patient’s blood, then centrifuges the remaining blood to isolate them. Next, the concentrated platelets are injected into the injured area, triggering the body’s natural healing process.

Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy works by stimulating the growth of new collagen, a protein that binds together connective tissues and helps them to heal. By adding more connective tissue to an injured area, prolotherapy helps relieve pain and restore a normal range of motion.

Cartilage regeneration

Cartilage regeneration therapy offers several techniques, but the goal is to surgically remove damaged cartilage from one area of the body and replace it with healthy cartilage cells from elsewhere in the donor’s body. 

Discover your options

Regenerative medicine is a growing field in healthcare. It can change how we treat disease and holds great promise for people affected by injury or illness. Contact our team today if you have questions or would like to schedule a consultation.

Request an appointment here: https://sjrm-tn.com or call Spine & Joint Regenerative Medicine at (423) 424-1529 for an appointment in our Ooltewah office.

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