What are stem cells?
Stem cells, also known as pluripotent cells or totipotent cells, have the potential to develop into a wide variety of cell types such as red blood cells, neurons, etc.
Stem cells are able to do this because they are “unspecialized”, that is, they have not yet been instructed on what cell type to become or how to function. Once stem cells become instructed on what cell type they need to become, they transform and begin to develop the specialized function(s) of that cell type. They also have the ability to act as an internal repair system; replenishing and replacing damaged or dysfunctional cells.
Considering these special properties, stem cell therapy is being actively researched for treating numerous chronic and degenerative diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, Alzheimer’s Disease and more.
Isn’t the use of stem cells controversial?
Treatment using stem cells became controversial when researchers were harvesting them from human embryos. This type of stem cell is referred to as “embryonic stem cell”, which is less commonly used in treatment due to the controversial and ethical dilemma surrounding the source of these cells as well as their potential to activate tumor growth.
The less controversial and safer type of stem cells is called “somatic stem cell” or “adult stem cell”. These cells are derived from adult cells found in bone tissue and fat tissue (also known as adipose tissue).
Stem cells harvested from fat tissue, also referred to as “adipose derived stem cells”, are more commonly used for treatment because the procedure is less invasive than harvesting stem cells from bone marrow and stem cell counts are typically higher.
How are stem cells harvested?
At San Francisco Stem Cell Treatment Center we only use stem cells harvested from your fat cells, also referred to as “autologous adipose derived stem cells”.
The procedure is relatively pain free and typically only takes 30 minutes. After administering a local anesthetic medication, two small incisions are made to your flanks in order to extract fat cells using a liposuction device.
After the fat cells are extracted, your small incisions are stitched up and your stem cells are purified, concentrated and counted in a multi-step process that typically takes two hours.
Once complete, your stem cells are administered to you via intravenous (IV) therapy and or via localized injection, depending on the condition to be treated.
The entire procedure can be completed in approximately four hours.
Anatara Medicine’s Approach: Integrative, Comprehensive & Individualized
Our team of doctors will complete a thorough assessment of your health. This typically includes a detailed medical history, diet/nutrition and lifestyle assessment, a review your previous medical records/test results and more. Additional tests may be recommended to further identify areas of your health that may need to be optimized.
After completing the assessment and any additional tests, our doctors will provide you with an integrative, comprehensive and individualized treatment plan to optimize your response to stem cell therapy and for optimal health after therapy. This typically includes diet/nutrition and lifestyle modifications, nutritional supplements, IV therapies, pharmaceutical medications as needed, and others.
For additional support and health optimization, we commonly refer patients to our in house certified nutritionist and Chinese medicine practitioner.
Procedure and Cost Information
Since all stem cell procedures at San Francisco Stem Cell Treatment Center are tailored for each patient, we encourage you to contact our office by phone: 1-800-318-6006 or by email: info@sfstemcellcenter.com
This will provide us the opportunity to review your case in greater detail, answer questions and provide you with more specific information.
San Francisco Stem Cell Treatment Center also offers a one-time complimentary initial telephone consultation to further discuss your case with one of our doctors.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to optimizing your health!
Comments
How are stem cells introduced into the body and how do they know which kind of cells to turn into?
What an amazing opportunity to intregrade all these different healing modems into one. The opportunity to have a quality of life.