REGENERATIVE MEDICINE
"A new branch of medicine will develop that attempts to change the course of chronic disease and in many instances will regenerate tired and failing organ systems." ~ Leland Kaiser, 1992.
Regenerative Medicine has become a buzz word these days for everything from stem cells to anti-aging skin products. Kaiser originally coined the term in 1992 to refer to the use of cells, advanced molecular biology techniques and novel biomaterials to manufacture new parts for the body, a field known as Tissue Engineering, to restore or establish normal function. Some would say Regenerative Medicine is the clinical application of Tissue Engineering.
Dr. Reiss has been working with Stem Cells, Biomaterials and Gene Therapies for over 20 years, helping to advance the fields of Cell Therapy & Regenerative Medicine in the laboratory, operating room, and patient clinics; first as a postdoctoral research fellow, then as a university based physician-scientist, and for over a decade now, as a Biotechnology Consultant, Board Member, and Life Science entrepreneur. He is one of the most qualified Regenerative Medicine physicians in the nation (see Dr. Reiss' Bio & CV).
University of Utah Health Sciences Report
REGENERATIVE SPORTS MEDICINE
Dr. Reiss believes that a true Regenerative Sports Medicine program involves much more then injecting patients with PRP, stem cells or biologics and sending them on their way. A clinical program should only be administered by a licensed medical physician with an extensive background and training in Stem Cell Science and should entail a comprehensive clinical approach that is multidisciplinary in nature based on medical sports science, provide a highly personalized therapy, and demand that patients are not lost to follow-up. It should also capture the results and clinical outcomes of patients that are treated to improve future patient outcomes and advance the field as a whole.
Stem Cells
Most Cell Therapy & Regenerative Medicine therapies have yet to be approved by the FDA for widespread use in the United States. In particular, stem cells, like any other medical products intended to treat, cure or prevent disease, require FDA approval before they can be mass marketed. Because of this, we feel that offering stem cell therapies for a wide variety of ailments like other clinics do may not be the proper course of action at this time. We are hopeful that this will soon change and we are prepared for when this happens. However, we do currently offer biologic therapies that we believe are safe and effective at this time and are working hard to get you the best treatments available today and provide them under the highest standards.
If we conclude that regenerative medical therapy is what is needed to help you recover then we will discuss with you the options that our clinic provides. This may include PRP, stem cells, or other Biologics, alone or in combination. We will also inform you of the latest status of the various therapies in terms of cost, safety, efficacy and FDA regulatory approval.
Lastly, there are many ongoing clinical trials out there (click here ClinicalTrials.gov) taking place in highly reputable institutions that are looking for stem cell therapy candidates and most often they provide the treatment for free because it is considered experimental. If it seems that your condition is more suited for one of these trials then we will attempt to assist you in your enrollment by providing any information regarding your case that you made need.
PRP
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) on the other hand, has been approved for years for many uses, mostly while treating patients during surgery. It also has a much longer historical safety and efficacy profile than many of the newer stem cell therapies being offered in today's clinics. Therefore, we feel that PRP's use in the office is a great alternative for patients needing something more than just physical therapy but who are not in need of surgery or stem cell therapy. PRP has been shown in many studies to limit pain and speed recovery of musculoskeletal injuries and is often a good first line therapy for sports related injuries involving the joints and soft tissues.
Other Biologics
Amniotic tissue and umbilical cord blood products have shown significant promise in wound healing and bone marrow transplantation respectively for years and are now commercially available for other indications. Most recently, they have demonstrated efficacy in treating musculoskeletal injuries and conditions.
These normally discarded biologic products are harvested from healthy newborn deliveries after birth and then processed in a very strict and sterile manner in order to ensure safety and preserve potency. Note, due to this intensive manufacturing process, these products and amniotic tissue in particular, do not contain any viable stem cells of significance. That said, they can still have great therapeutic value when used correctly. At this time, the best use for these products and approval by the FDA are to be determined.
We feel that these alternative biologic therapies will play a significant role as viable treatment options for many patients in the future and be offered alone or in combination with other modalities depending on what is right for you.
SCHEDULE a REGENERATIVE SPORTS MEDICINE APPOINTMENt with Dr. REisS:
(435) 200-3452
