Adipose-Derived Biocellular Therapies
Using your own healthy tissue cells to heal other parts of the body.
What are Adipose-Derived Biocellular Therapies and What Do They Do?
Our powerful biocellular injection therapies use an adipose (fatty) tissue graft from your own body called MFAT (Micro-fragmented Adipose Tissue). Treatments help to repair conditions in ligaments, tendons, muscles, skin, and even help to regenerate natural hair growth.
MFAT contains a high concentration of pluripotent cells known as Medicinal Signaling Cells (MSCs), a.k.a. Mesenchymal Stem Cells, which are regenerative. At NW Regen, we choose to harvest these regenerative stem cells from adipose tissue instead of from bone marrow for several reasons:
- Stem cell concentrations from MFAT are roughly 500-2,000X higher than those from bone marrow!
- MFAT contains an extracellular matrix (ECM) or a connective tissue scaffolding which bone marrow does not.
- You can think of this as the tissues between your cells or the mortar between your bricks, which is what holds your cells together, providing structure for your body to heal.
How does it work?
As for how it works, it’s as easy as 1-2-3!
- Stem cells contained in these fat cells and collagen are harvested from your system.
- Then, they are re-injected at a targeted point of injury or pain using real-time image guidance.
- The short story: The stem cells assist and promote your body’s own healing process by cushioning and supporting injured or degenerated structures.
The longer story: “MSCs respond by producing bioactive signaling molecules that stimulate immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, angiogenic, and trophic/regenerative effects on tissues,” says Dr. Ryan Wood. “This ultimately results in localized and tissue-specific change that encourages regeneration and healing.”
What Conditions do Biocellular Therapies Treat?
- Degenerative osteoarthritic changes to joints (knees, hips, shoulders, ankles, wrists, and spine)
- Nonsurgical alternatives for potential total joint replacement and muscle/ligament/meniscal repairs
- Chronic joint pain and instability
- Advanced management for acute and chronic sprains, strains and other sports related injuries
- Ligament, muscle and tendon damage including meniscal tears, rotator cuff tears, calcific tendinosis, frozen shoulder, chronic tendinitis, such as tennis/golfers’ elbow, plantar fasciitis and chronic ankle instability
- Men’s health, including erectile dysfunction
- Women’s health, including vaginal regeneration
- Hair loss (for both men and women)
Adipose-Derived Biocellular Therapies FAQs
Why adipose tissue?
Adipose tissue is fat tissue that contains multiple types of healthy cells. It’s an optimal biocellular material because it offers cellular, biological and structural support for injection therapies, creates tissue scaffolding to support repair, is simple to harvest, and contains about 1,000 times as many stem cells as bone marrow.
Are there other types of adipose-derived tissue therapies?
In general, there are three basic types of adipose-derived tissue therapies for interventional orthopedic and orthobiologic medicine:
- The first is called Micro-fragmented Adipose Tissue (MFAT) and that’s what we use at NW Regen. It is a simple in-office extraction of adipose tissue, followed by minimally-based processing, where the tissues used are rich in MSCs, ECM, and used for same-day orthopedic injection.
- The second is called Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF). This is created in a lab where a wide variety of cells within fat tissue are separated from the actual gloppy fat tissue using a digestive enzyme. Those cells are then concentrated to make SVF for IV or other injection therapies.
- The third type is a culture-expanded stem cell where an adipose tissue harvest is performed in-office and the extracted tissues are then sent to a registered tissue bank. There, the stem cells are isolated from the tissue sample and expanded into tens of millions or more cells. These cells are living cells (a process similar to those used for invitro-fertilization, etc.). They are then sent back to the patient at a later date for IV and/or Orthopedic uses.
How do we get Micro-fragmented Adipose Tissue (MFAT) Stem Cells for our biocellular therapy?
Our harvesting procedure is minimally invasive, with a closed-based, low-force liposuction process. Every part of the procedure is done using real-time image guidance that is finished in our state-of-the-art, on-site lab.
For our Stem Cell harvest for culture expansion:
This process usually takes about 2 hours from start to finish. We begin with a local anesthetic for patient comfort and harvest the adipose tissue sample that is then minimally processed before overnight shipping to our partnered Registered Cell Bank. There, cell expansion takes roughly 6 weeks to complete before the cells can be overnighted back to us for patient-specific use. You can find out more about stem cell expansion and stem cell banking, here.
For Stem Cell procedures that have same-day injection:
This process usually takes about 4 hours from start to finish. The difference is that we begin by creating Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) for use with the MFAT and finish with injections back into the target site/s along with the PRP. Often times, NW Regen patients choose to combine both procedures:
a) to first gain the most from an MFAT same-day injection that includes the extracellular matrix, and
b) to also have stem cells cultured, so later on, that same patients’ health can be boosted by millions of their own living and expanded stem-cells.
What should I expect following treatment?
Most people typically experience post-treatment discomfort that resolves after several days.
What outcomes should I expect from adipose-derived biocellular therapies?
Our goal is to help reverse and prevent further degenerative processes, restore or repair aging and damaged tissues, and reduce the need for surgery. Most patients experience reduced pain and inflammation and can return to more normal life activities.