Find out more about regenerative medicine and its benefits.
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In this article:
- What is Regenerative Medicine?
- Cellular Regeneration
- The Problem with Misfolded Proteins
- How is Regenerative Therapy Achieved?
- Regenerative Stem Cell Therapy
- Why Is Regenerative Therapy Beneficial?
- What’s next for Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative Medicine and Its Benefits
What is Regenerative Medicine?
Regenerative medicine is an emphasis on reinforcing the body’s ability to heal itself.
For instance, when one has an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, the body’s own immune system is making antibodies against proteins that are found in every joint in the body.
This is a vital mistake by the immune system. Current medical practices are aimed at blindly shutting down the immune system. Thus, these current medication regimens suppress the immune system, and they make those being treated susceptible to infections such as tuberculosis, influenza virus, corona virus and fungal infections.
In regenerative medicine, peptides are used to retrain our immune system so that it stops attacking what is self and not foreign. Consequently, through regenerative medicine, there is an improvement in immune surveillance.
Having better immune surveillance eliminates autoimmune diseases and prevents cancer. Besides peptides, vitamin and hormone (testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and thyroid hormone) levels are optimized in order to maximize the body’s ability to heal itself.
Cellular Regeneration
In regenerative medicine, health begins at the cellular level. That is why cell regeneration is a pillar. As cellular aging occurs, several things start going wrong within cells.
For instance, the cellular power plants known as mitochondria start making energy less efficiently and with more inflammation (free-radical oxidation). This leads to a decline in physical performance and chronic pain.
The Problem with Misfolded Proteins
Protein folding is the process by which a protein structure takes its functional shape to carry out its biological function. However, proteins within cells can fold incorrectly. These irregular proteins are not recognized as self and can lead to autoimmune disease.
Defective proteins can also cause cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Heart Disease.
Currently, peptides such as BPC-157, CJC/Ipamorelin, Thymosin Alpha-1, Thymosin Beta-4 are used to restore several of these pathways within cells in order to optimize cellular regeneration.
It is not that cells cannot regenerate with time; it is the fact that they do not regenerate correctly that induces the aging process.
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How is Regenerative Therapy Achieved?
Regenerative therapy can be achieved through many avenues. These avenues are synergistic. That is why integrative medicine physicians such as myself coordinate the optimization of several factors (Peptides, Vitamins, Hormones).
Within the past few years, stem cell regeneration has expanded the boundaries of cellular regeneration. Stem cells by definition are cells that have the ability to become any cell in the body. Meaning, they can become any tissue or organ.
Regenerative Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cells are found throughout the entire body. The highest concentrations of these stem cells are in bone marrow and in fat cells.
In the United States, the only commercially available stem cell regeneration therapies are from mesenchymal stem cells of umbilical cord blood and those that are harvested from an individual’s own fat or bone marrow.
Why Is Regenerative Therapy Beneficial?
Regenerative stem cell therapy can be delivered intravenously or directly via ultrasound guidance to areas of tissue damage (i.e. arthritic knee). Once mesenchymal stem cells are injected into a joint such as the knee or hip, they direct healing and tissue regeneration.
As an analogy, mesenchymal cells are like engineers that direct electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and roofers in a construction project. This is the mantra of regenerative stem cell therapy!
In my office, stem cell regeneration is unique because I prepare the wounded tissue (construction site) with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and peptides two weeks prior to administering mesenchymal stem cells.
Prepping the tissue with peptides and PRP is like cleaning a construction site prior to building on it with the assistance of mesenchymal stem cells.
Summary Key Points of Regenerative Medicine
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- Peptides are smaller than proteins; this is why they are so effective in regenerative medicine. They act as chemical messengers and have the ability to travel deeper into tissue at a cellular level, which will stimulate cellular repair.
- Is it Dangerous? Peptides have been a breakthrough in regenerative medicine. There are now over 7,000 known peptides. The majority of these 7,000 are already naturally occurring in your body. Your body’s immune system well tolerates them, and it will not treat them as foreign or unnatural. Compared to standard medical treatments, you are highly unlikely to have an adverse reaction to regenerative treatment.
- Regenerative medicine concentrates on the cause of your pain and treats it. Contemporary medicine often approaches an injury or illness by treating the symptoms and not the cause. This can lead to adverse side effects, especially when medication is prescribed long term.
- Recovery time will be reduced. Regenerative medicine has the benefit of boosting healing. This allows you to get back to full health quicker than conventional medical treatments.
- Collagen and Regenerative medicine. The production of collagen is hugely beneficial in regenerative medicine. It’s highly effective at improving joint motion and functionality by strengthening the tissues and tendons surrounding the joints. This can significantly improve your quality of life after treatment.
- Less risk of repeated injuries. When you use regenerative medicine to treat joint damage, the strengthened tissues and tendons are much less likely to pull or tear next time. This is a considerable benefit of regenerative treatment.
There are many benefits to regenerative medicine. Start at a cellular level for overall better health. If you are suffering why not contact our clinic where we will be pleased to answer all your questions.
Are you excited to try regenerative medicine? Tell us about it in the comment section below!
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