Stem Cells: Are More Better?

When people think of regenerative medicine, it is often associated with stem cells. Stem cell therapy is taking the regenerative medicine world by storm… but should stem cells get all the credit? The question we are asked most often, by physicians and patients, is “what is the cell count of the product?” It’s a common misconception that stem cells are the only component needed in regenerative medicine to kickstart the healing and regenerative process and the higher the cell count, the better. However, it is the patient’s own stem cells that do the work, not the stem cells contained in products; these cells serve as a vehicle to deliver signaling molecules. While we agree that cells are an important part of regenerative medicine, equally important, if not more important, are the “dream team” components of regenerative medicine, chemical messengers comprised of growth factors and cytokines, that enhance the body’s natural ability to heal and regenerate. In addition, collagens, proteins, hyaluronic acids, and peptides assist in harnessing the body’s power of true healing.

Many companies are utilizing procedures that extract the patient’s own stem cells via adipose (belly fat) or bone marrow aspirate (a small plug of bone usually taken from the ilium (hip bone). These procedures are considered invasive, have a higher risk of infection and may cause additional pain to the patient. What many “stem cell” companies fail to mention is that your cells are as old as you are. As we age, the number of cells and the quality of our cells drastically diminish. With a decrease in cell quality, a person of advanced age will not heal and regenerate as a young child would. New Life Regenerative Medicine products are derived from birth tissues, which means the components in these products are at day one strength.