FAQ’s

Stem cells maintain two defining characteristics: the potential to self-renew (divide and create more stem cells) and the potential to  turn into specialized cells that make up tissues, organs,  and other body structures.

Stem cells come from different parts of the body, or they form at varying times during life. The types of stem cells include:

• Embryonic stem cells – Exist in the earliest stages of development. Unfortunately these have been obtained from aborted fetuses in the past. R3 has never and will never use these!
• Adult stem cells – Also called tissue-specific stem cells, they appear during fetal development, but stay in the body for the duration of life.
• Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSs) – These are created in the laboratory, and they essentially turn adult stem cells back into embryonic cells.

Adult stem cells are multipotent, which means they are able to turn into many different cell types necessary for repair and regeneration of damage. These adult stem cells form cell types from many tissues (called unipotent). Some adult stem cells correspond with the tissues in which they reside (called bipotent). Stem cells often replace dead cells or they can restore tissue following an injury.

Pluripotent stem cells (also called embryonic stem cells) give rise to all cell forms in the human body. They can grow in the lab, and if provided the appropriate direction, may differentiate to a variety of mature cell types. Because of this trait, these cells are valuable in regenerative medicine. Embryonic stem cells are collected during the early stage of development, when the fetus is only a mass of cells.

R3 Stem Cell Center of Excellence physicians DO NOT use embryonic stem cells

The aim of regenerative medicine is to repair tissues and/or organs that are damaged from aging, disease, or trauma. This is done to restore and improve function. Regenerative medicine is used to describe medical research and treatments that use stem cells to restore the function of tissues and organs. This can occur by administering stem cells, using cells derived from stem cells in the laboratory, or by administering drugs that potentiate stem cells that are present in the human tissues.

Adult stem cells along with amniotic and umbilical cord blood stem cells are used to treat many autoimmune diseases, as well as musculoskeletal conditions. Conditions treated include:

• Type 1 diabetes
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Lyme disease
• Post Stroke
• Alzheimer’s, MS, ALS
• Heart disease
• Kidney Failure
• Hip/Knee/Shoulder/Ankle Arthritis
• COPD
• Osteoarthritis
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Injuries to ligaments and tendons
• Rotator cuff tears
• Achilles/Knee Tendonitis

In a recent study, intra-articular stem cell injections benefited patients with knee osteoarthritis. Based on this study, patients had improved joint function, decreased pain, and reduced cartilage defects following injections. There have literally been thousands of studies performed looking at the beneficial effect of stem cells for all types of bone and joint conditions.

There have been many additional studies displaying the effectiveness of stem cell therapy for conditions such as COPD, kidney failure, neurodegenerative disorders, autoimmune syndromes, and all types of bone and joint degeneration.