Regenerative Medicine
Despite its apparent infancy, cell-based regenerative medicine is not new. Stem cell based therapies in the form of bone marrow transplants have been used for over 40 years for the treatment of leukaemia. Similarly, epithelial stem cell based treatments have been widely used for many years for burns and corneal disorders.
The scope of potential cell based therapies has expanded in recent years due to major steps forward in cell research and an increased understanding of the clinical applications of adult stem cells. One key discovery is that our bodies have a rich supply of regenerative cells, including mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that can be found in adipose tissue (fat). The supply of regenerative cells in adipose tissue provides a non-controversial source of adult MSCs and other regenerative cell types that can be used as a basis for developing new treatments for a range of inflammatory diseases, including orthopaedic disorders such as osteoarthritis, that arise through degenerative disease, injury and old age.
MSCs have the capacity to differentiate into specialised cell types like bone, cartilage and muscle to assist with regeneration and repair. They also have the capacity to secrete various compounds that can stimulate other cells to regenerate and repair.
Regeneus has developed intellectual property, skills and experience in the area of the separation, preparation and uses of adipose-derived regenerative cells for therapeutic purposes in humans and animals to develop two product platforms:
- Cell-based platform, which is autologous* and allogeneic**
- Secretions-based platform, which is allogeneic**
Cell-Based Regenerative Medicine
Stem cells are the foundation cells for every organ, tissue and cell in the body. Stem cells are undifferentiated or "blank" cells that have not yet fully specialised. Stem cells are part of the tissue repair mechanism found in all mammalian tissue types. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or differentiate into a specific cell type with a specialised function, such as a bone, cartilage or muscle cell, a red blood cell or a neuron. These characteristics distinguish stem cells from other cell types. They also have the capacity to secrete various compounds that can stimulate other cells to regenerate and repair.
There are many different types of stem cells. These include embryonic stem cells that exist only at the earliest stage of embryonic development and can form all cell types of the body. There are various types of "adult" or "tissue-specific" stem cells that exist in a number of different adult tissues like bone marrow and adipose (fat) tissue. It is known that different types of stem cells have different potential in regard to the cell types they can become.
*Autologous means derived or transferred from the same individual's body
** Allogeneic means taken from different individuals of the same species