NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / February 19, 2018 / Dr. Joel Singer announces that he plans to fund and start a double-blind study on the use of autologous, adipose derived stem cells for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. The Park Avenue Stem Cell Medical Director also says the study is designed to determine the efficacy of intra-articular autologous adipose derived stem cells in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the human knee. It will be the first prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind study of this kind.
The safety and efficacy of autologous stem cell treatment
Ever since the discovery by Zuk et al in 2001 of the presence, abundance, and significance of adult pluripotential mesenchymal stem cells as part of the structure and function of human adipose tissue, clinical applications have expanded exponentially all over the world.
There has been ample evidence in peer-reviewed medical literature of the safety of autologous stem cell treatment, including Chang et al in 2013, Centeno et al in 2016, and Berman et al in 2017 comprising more than 3500 patients. Stem cell therapy is considered safe because the stem cells used come from the patient. This minimizes any risk of negative consequences.
Numerous peer-reviewed publications suggest the efficacy of intra-articular injections for osteoarthritis of the knee and other joints in humans. Clinical evidence has been mostly anecdotal but is corroborated by changes in arthroscopy and X-rays.
Researchers believe that when stem cells are injected into an arthritic joint, they develop into cartilage cells, suppress the inflammation that makes the arthritis worse and releases cytokines that slow down cartilage degeneration.
Treatment of osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) is caused by the aging of joints, obesity, and injury. More than 60 million people in the US have symptoms of arthritis, and it is a major cause of disability and loss of income. The most common joints affected are the back, hips, shoulders, and knees. What happens is that the cartilage between the joints wears away. With less of this natural cushioning, the bones rub against one another because the cartilage is not there to absorb the shock. This results in swelling, stiffness, pain, less mobility, and a creaking sound when the knee moves.
Current treatments are rest, analgesics such as NSAIDs and intra-articular steroid injections. None of these treatments address the underlying inflammation in a meaningful way. When all else fails the patient ends up with a joint replacement, an expensive and imperfect treatment.
Dr. Joel Singer is a plastic surgeon who graduated from Yale School of Medicine and has over 30 years of experience. He has been exploring stem cell regenerative therapy in his clinic, Park Avenue Stem Cell (PASC) in midtown New York City. He is part of an international organization of physicians, Cell Surgical Network. These physicians collect data to help advance regenerative therapy for their patients. The FDA does not currently endorse stem cell therapies, and an institutional review board will be reviewing the data submitted by these physicians.
Stem cell harvesting procedure
The patient's own fat cells are used in this procedure and can be taken from any area with localized fat deposits. The harvesting process consists of mini-liposuction done under local anesthetic. Special equipment is used to prevent stem cell damage. Once the cells are harvested, the stem cells are separated from fat and other tissue using new technology that makes this possible. These stem cells can be deployed almost immediately. They are injected into the patient where they have the potential to regenerate damaged tissue.
Recruiting candidates for the study
The study will be performed at Dr. Joel Singer's clinic, Park Avenue Stem Cell, under standards required by the IRB and the FDA. Recruiting of candidates for this study will be starting this month. Studies like this will help to make more data available in the field of regenerative medicine.
About Dr. Joel Singer
Dr. Joel Singer is the Medical Director of Park Avenue Stem Cell and a board-certified plastic surgeon with more than 30 years of experience. Dr. Singer is especially interested in nonsurgical and minimally invasive procedures and research to incorporate the latest techniques into his treatment of patients.
Dr. Singer earned his MD from the Yale University and then completed residencies at Yale New Haven Medical Center and Rhode Island Brown University Hospital. Dr. Singer also has an MBA from the George Washington University School of Business.
Dr. Singer was the first plastic surgeon in Connecticut to perform liposuction in the early 1980s. This led to his research into the benefits of autologous fat-derived adult Stem Cells. He was an early affiliate in the Cell Surgical Network® which is a physicians' organization dedicated to clinical research of adipose derived stem cells.
Dr Joel Singer
Park Avenue Stem Cell
info@parkavenuestemcell.com
844-903 PARK (7275)
346 E 51st St. NY, NY 10022
SOURCE: Dr. Joel Singer MD
