Updates on our Research Effort to Produce a PRP that’s better at Cartilage Repair

chondrogenic prp

What does the word “chondrogenic” mean? Chondrogenesis means cartilage production so chondrogenic means cartilage producing. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) contains a number of growth factors, some of which have been shown to stimulate the repair of cartilage. Early PRP studies do show that PRP seems to be effective in mild knee arthritis. However, can we create a specifically chondrogenic PRP?  Our practice’s research team has been working to that end and we have some interesting preliminary results. Above you see fluorescent microscopy of stem cells growing in culture with the cartilage components being produced by the cells tagged with a fluorescent antibody. The top slide without chondrogenic PRP looks a bit like dim stars, which is little bits of cartilage components lighting up. The bottom slide is of stem cells that have been exposed to our first chondrogenic PRP candidate. Notice that now the cartilage components explode and look like an entire galaxy! We have some more tweaking to do, but soon we should be able to offer our patients a PRP tweaked for more cartilage repair. This will be the world’s first “chondrogenic PRP”. The upshot? We spend a lot of time, energy, and money innovating so that we can make sure that we remain the leaders in the use of biologics for orthopedic injuries!

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Chris Centeno, MD is a specialist in regenerative medicine and the new field of Interventional Orthopedics. Centeno pioneered orthopedic stem cell procedures in 2005 and is responsible for a large amount of the published research on stem cell use for orthopedic applications. View Profile

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NOTE: This blog post provides general information to help the reader better understand regenerative medicine, musculoskeletal health, and related subjects. All content provided in this blog, website, or any linked materials, including text, graphics, images, patient profiles, outcomes, and information, are not intended and should not be considered or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please always consult with a professional and certified healthcare provider to discuss if a treatment is right for you.

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