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[Chosun Ilbo] Stem cell injections that boost regenerative power, 'anti-aging cosmetic' effect

By 2017-04-25No Comments

 


[Chosun Ilbo] Stem cell injections that boost regenerative power, 'anti-aging cosmetic' effect



줄기세포 치료
Medical professionals' extraction and mixing techniques are important
Precise procedure is required for a high graft survival rate.





Coach Guus Hiddink, who led the team to the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup, once garnered attention for reportedly having cured his knee osteoarthritis using stem cells. Even now, leading orthopedic hospitals and rehabilitation departments in Korea extract adult stem cells from sources such as abdominal fat, bone marrow, and umbilical cord blood, injecting them into worn-out knee cartilage to restore damaged tissue and alleviate pain. Due to the nature of cartilage, which does not regenerate once damaged, patients with early to mid-stage knee osteoarthritis face a vicious cycle where there are no suitable treatments available, forcing them to undergo surgery only in the late stages. However, stem cell therapy is emerging as an alternative treatment for early to mid-stage degenerative knee osteoarthritis.



Furthermore, public interest in stem cells has increased recently as stem cell cosmetic procedures have become a hot topic. It is said that stem cells have the effect of differentiating into various tissue cells when the appropriate environment is provided. Therefore, as they induce anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing effects, as well as the restoration of blood vessels and tissues to accelerate the speed of regenerative healing, some expect them to serve as a foundation for the treatment of intractable diseases.




◇ Stem cell therapy widely used in plastic surgery, dementia, heart disease, etc.



"Stem cell regenerative injection" involves centrifuging stem cells extracted from one's own body and administering them intravenously, similar to an IV drip. While extracting stem cells and culturing them without authorization from health authorities poses a potential illegality, extracting them without culturing allows for "legal treatment." Stem cell regenerative injections are primarily used in anti-aging clinics, and the number of medical consumers seeking this treatment is on the rise. This is because stem cells aid in blood vessel formation and protein synthesis, allowing patients to experience benefits such as fatigue recovery, improved skin elasticity, relief from decreased libido, and enhanced immunity.



Last month, a professor at Odense University Hospital in Denmark announced research results showing that injecting mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) harvested from the abdominal fat cells of patients with erectile dysfunction into the corpus cavernosum improved the condition. Prostate cancer patients often suffer from erectile dysfunction as a side effect of resection surgery, but stem cell therapy helped overcome this, with 8 out of 21 patients being able to lead healthy sex lives with natural erections. In addition, stem cells are widely used in the treatment of dementia, heart disease, and peripheral vascular necrosis.




◇ Widespread Proliferation of Fake Procedures; Consumers Need to Exercise Caution



Anti-aging stem cell cosmetic procedures, which have been researched and performed by Director Shin Dong-jin of SC301 Clinic since 2007, are attracting attention from many people. Anti-aging stem cell cosmetic procedures include stem cell anti-aging surgery, which involves injecting pure fat and stem cells into the face in appropriate proportions instead of artificial fillers or implants, and stem cell breast augmentation, which involves injecting fat and stem cells during revision surgery for breast implants that have developed capsular contracture or rupture.



Dr. Shin Dong-jin, Director of SC301 Clinic, stated, “While the principle of stem cell cosmetic surgery is simple, the technology to extract fat cells and stem cells without damage, the establishment of specialized equipment such as TGI or HuriCell, the doctor’s procedural skill in mixing stem cells in appropriate proportions and implanting them in optimal locations, and pre- and post-procedure care methods to increase the engraftment rate of stem cells are not things that can be achieved overnight. Through numerous trials and errors, we raised the stem cell engraftment rate from the 20-30% seen in most hospitals to the 70% range. This is the result of equipping ourselves with stem cell extraction equipment worth hundreds of millions of won and establishing standardized procedural methods after overcoming repeated failures.”



She continued to express concern, stating, “Many hospitals disguise what are at best Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) extraction devices or simple fat cell suction machines as stem cell extractors, passing them off as genuine products, and promote them as state-of-the-art equipment despite the minimal number of stem cells extracted. Furthermore, in an attempt to artificially boost low engraftment rates, they inject fat cells in amounts exceeding the appropriate level, leading to side effects such as cell necrosis or calcification in the affected tissue. For the stem cell therapy boom, which has garnered attention for the first time in a while, to create a virtuous cycle, medical consumers need to exercise special caution and attention to avoid receiving these counterfeit procedures.” Reporter Jo Ga-hee