What is Cell Therapy?

Cell repair (Cell Therapy) is an approach to caring for cells whose function has declined, by injecting cells or cell components into the body. The idea is that the cells travel to the target area and may help stimulate other cells to divide, form new cells and work more efficiently.

As we age, the cells that make up our organs and body gradually deteriorate. Some die, while most remain alive but no longer work fully. As more cells deteriorate and stop working, this may lead to symptoms of various diseases, as well as degeneration and ageing. Care at the cellular level is therefore one approach of interest in anti-ageing medicine.

Stem Cells

Almost all living things, animals and plants alike, grow from stem cells. Stem Cells play a key role in developing an embryo from just a few cells into a fully grown body.

Stem cells allow the body to keep forming new tissue, such as rebuilding muscle after exercise, and continually produce replacements for many types of cells when the body deteriorates or is injured.

Two special properties of stem cells

• Self-Renewal: a stem cell can divide into stem cells identical to itself.
• Differentiation: a stem cell can divide and transform into various types of cells with specific functions.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC)

MSC are stem cells that can develop into many types of cells. The idea is that when injected into a particular area of the body, they may help support the repair of worn tissue and the growth of cells in that area. MSC also have a low likelihood of rejection when used in another person.

MSC have therefore attracted interest for use in Cell Therapy in many areas, such as immune deficiency, bone disease, heart disease and knee osteoarthritis, many of which are still under research, as well as in aesthetics, such as injections to the face, neck, nasolabial folds, under-eye area and forehead to help improve skin condition and soften the look of wrinkles and deep lines.

MSC with fat grafting

Using MSC together with conventional fat grafting may help more fat cells survive, so buttock or facial fat grafting with MSC may give more visible results. MSC are also given by intramuscular or intravenous injection with the aim of supporting health restoration and healthy ageing.

Although cell therapy attracts great interest, you should not rush into treatment without careful consideration, as there may be risks, or results may not meet expectations, if you have not first consulted a specialist physician.

Sources of stem cells

Stem cells can be collected from several sources:

• Bone marrow: collecting stem cells from bone marrow is now straightforward, taking about 30 minutes. It is done in hospital by a specialist physician, and the donor can go home to rest afterwards.
• Placenta: a physician collects stem cells from the placenta after the baby is delivered, without causing harm to the baby or mother.
• Adipose (fat): fat contains a large number of mesenchymal stem cells. Studies have found that using fat-derived stem cells for facial aesthetics, such as nose augmentation or wrinkle reduction, may give better results than fat alone, because stem cells may help stimulate new cell formation and are not foreign to the body, unlike collagen or hyaluronic acid injections, which are external substances.

Fresh Cell Therapy

Fresh Cell Therapy is a form of cell therapy that typically uses cells from sheep embryos. It aims to stimulate the body's own cells to regenerate, and to support the repair of deteriorated organs or tissues as well as the immune system.

According to this approach, once the cells are injected, the body's signalling system directs them to the organs that need them most. The approach traces back to a medical theory from about 500 years ago, in the 16th century, by the physician Paracelsus, who said “similia similibus curantur”, or “like cures like”: heart cells help the heart, lung cells help the lungs, and spleen cells help the spleen.

Results vary between individuals, and scientific evidence supporting Fresh Cell Therapy for many uses remains limited.

Fresh Cell Therapy in wellness care

In anti-ageing medicine, Fresh Cell Therapy is used to help address concerns such as:

• Daytime drowsiness
• Insomnia
• Poor concentration
• Forgetfulness
• Anxiety
• Low mood
• Aesthetic care
• Preventive health care

Conditions where Fresh Cell Therapy is used as supportive care

It is also used as complementary care in the following conditions, and is not a substitute for standard medical treatment:

• Digestive disorders
• Heart and circulatory problems
• Age-related degeneration
• Immune deficiency
• Nervous system disorders
• Hormonal imbalance
• Joint disease
• Skin conditions
• Sexual dysfunction