In general, patients are typically unclear about the phrase “stem cell,” so it is worthwhile to clear up some of the confusion at the beginning. Stem cells are scattered throughout our bodies but start as cells called pericytes that lie inactive on small blood vessels, but are mobilized quickly by many factors at a time of stress, injury, or needed repair work in our bodies. As infants, we start with a relatively large number of endogenous stem cells throughout our bodies, but this number quickly declines to a point where, as senior adults, we have few viable stem cells throughout our bodies and subsequently have diminished healing capacity.
The average patient who develops arthritis and other degenerative disorders has relatively few functioning stem cells to effect the repair of the ongoing damage to their joints and muscles. Some physicians have chosen to collect a patient’s stem cells from either the pelvis bone or abdominal fat — which may seem like a great idea — but again, the number of cells that are available to collect is relatively small and — let’s face it — they’re old like you are!
Stem cells derived from the umbilical cord are a more vibrant source of cells and growth factors than the cells harvested from a typical patient. They are “younger” and have been exposed to far less environmental mutagens than patient-derived cells and therefore are less likely to possess DNA mutations. In addition, increased telomere length allows for greater potential to undergo more cell division cycles than cells from other sources.
This is why at ZCO we have chosen to offer our patients stem cells that are processed from umbilical cord blood, one of the richest sources of bioactive proteins and growth factors currently available. These growth factors and cytokines may help in the formation of new blood vessels, suppression of the inflammatory response, and encourage the healing process.
The total nucleated cells of umbilical cord blood aid in the endogenous repair and release of proteins that communicate with and direct neighboring cells to positively impact the joint. This product gives patients a higher quality and volume of stem cells with far less risk associated with the harvesting of your stem cells. The product is immunogenic and incapable of inducing an adaptive immune response, meaning there is minimal chance of being rejected by the recipient.
*Although this treatment is not covered by insurance, please let us explain how we can help you afford this state-of-the-art treatment.