How Does Regenerative Medicine Work?

Regenerative medicine has been described by many medical experts as the next frontier in curing many diseases that afflict a great many people around the world. What’s more, regenerative medicine also has the potential to help people manage and live with chronic diseases longer, whereas these conditions might have been fatal as recently as a few years ago.

But what is regenerative medicine? What makes it so special? And, most importantly, how does it work?

The science behind regenerative medicine

The actual science associated with regenerative medicine includes engineering, replacing, and regenerating human cells. This includes stem cell transplants and stem cell therapy, and growing tissues that can be used as replacements for body tissue which has been destroyed or damaged. The point is to restore biological function to as close to normal functionality as possible.

How it works

Cells are the building blocks of the body, and when something in your body breaks down or becomes damaged, these building blocks are negatively impacted. That means they might not be able to support the organ or the tissue where they came from, as they normally would. By using stem cells, scientists have the capability to rebuild those building blocks through the process of tissue engineering.

Components of regenerative medicine

There are several components of regenerative medicine which you may have heard about over the past several years, and which are key elements in the success of regenerative medicine. Here are some of the most prominent of those elements:

• Stem cells – stem cells are master cells that have the capability of dividing and renewing themselves to create more of a specific type of cell. They can only replicate cells in the same kind of tissue they came from, for instance, blood cells.
• Bone marrow transplants – stem cells from healthy donors are removed, concentrated, and then injected into a patient so that they can replace missing or damaged cells.
• Cell therapy – cell therapy consists of using specific stem cells for the treatment of patients with damaged tissues.
• Gene therapy – is sometimes possible for doctors to identify and replace defective genes with chains that are undamaged or normal.
• Regeneration – this involves regenerating or re-growing various types of tissue in the body.

Can regenerative medicine help you?

For those who would like to learn more about regenerative medicine, or who are considering this type of therapy, please feel free to contact us at Texas Orthobiologics where we specialize in regenerative medicine therapies. We can consult with you on whether regenerative medicine can help your specific condition.