Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Mesenchymal stem cells (or “MSCs”) are multipotent stem cells found in bone marrow that are important for making and repairing skeletal tissues, such as cartilage and bone. Mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into a variety of cell types, including osteoblasts (bone cells), chondrocytes (cartilage cells), myocytes (muscle cells), and adipocytes (fat cells which give rise to marrow adipose tissue).
Subscribe to the BlogRest in Peace Arnie
This week the field of regenerative medicine lost a true luminary and the founder of the field, Arnold Caplan, Ph.D. professor at Case Western, passed away peacefully on January 10th at the age of 80. Today I would like to honor this man who changed so many lives for the better. The GOAT The term…read more
New Study of Many Cell Therapies Versus Steroid Yields Interesting Results
We’re entering a time where we will continue to see large, high-quality studies published in orthobiologics. This has been happening in the PRP world for the last half-decade or more, but it is also about to happen in the world of bone marrow, adipose stromal vascular fraction, and umbilical cord stem cells. Another entry in…read more
17 Year Follow-up of Expanded MSCs Used to Treat Knee OA
I don’t post that many case reports online anymore because I feel that the field of interventional orthobiologics is well beyond that stage. However, when I had a patient in our early 2007 knee study come back into the clinic for another issue this past week, given that a 17-year follow-up is a first of…read more
Making Sure Orthobiologic Procedure Standards Don’t Slip
As consumers, it’s not hard to look at everyday items and determine their quality relative to their price. It’s also easy to see if you’re getting the same product at a Starbucks in the Seattle airport or the one in the Miami airport. However, with orthobiologics, these quality metrics are hard for a patient to…read more
Kratom and Interventional Orthobiologics Procedures
As you know, I often write about what I experience seeing patients. While Kratom has been on the periphery of my consciousness like it probably has been for many physicians, this past week, it was thrust to the forefront. This “drug” sold in gas stations and online turns out to be a potent opioid receptor…read more
Blogging from the Caymans Again
I’m back in Grand Cayman, which I do twice a year to treat some of my patients with more advanced culture-expanded mesenchymal stem cells. What’s that about? Let’s dig in. What are Culture Expanded Mesenchymal Stem Cells? I use bone marrow concentrate in the United States, which contains the patient’s mesenchymal stem cells. However, in…read more
A Conflicted Sydney Scientist and a New Knee Arthritis Stem Cell Study
I’ve documented what I and others have called “fake” PRP studies. One of the key players involved in one of those studies was David Hunter, a rheumatologist at the University of Sydney. Now David has a new study, one where he’s using stem cells to treat arthritis. Is this another fake study or a real…read more
Necrobiology, Fake Umbilical Cord “Stem Cell” Products, and Clinical Efficacy
An entire industry has been built on the idea that you can find mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in Wharton’s Jelly and that these plentiful stem cells can be safely used in patients without foreign tissue rejection. However, in-vitro research has shown that these cells are dead and dying. How does this impact their clinical efficacy?…read more
