Through the years, stem cells have been the subject of much excitement and study in the medical and scientific communities. Though it is hard to pinpoint exactly who discovered “stem cells” as we know them, the general consensus is that two Canadian scientists, James Till and Ernest McCulloch, were the first to define the key properties of a stem cell when they discovered the hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cell. By definition, a stem cell must be able to self-renew and also differentiate into mature cell types.
Adipose Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Shortly after the discovery of the hematopoietic stem cell by Till and McCulloch, a scientist named Alexander Friedenstein discovered mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in bone marrow. But it would be several decades before MSCs were discovered in adipose tissue.
Though there are multiple types of stem cells, we work exclusively with MSCs here at PSC. (You can learn more about MSCs in this blog.) More specifically, we work with adipose (fat) derived mesenchymal stem cells.
Since the discovery of adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) in the early 21st century, they have been a hot topic of study. Numerous studies all over the world have evaluated the use of ADSCs in various disease categories ranging from orthopedics, autoimmune disorders, and even respiratory diseases such as COVID-19.
We Must Continue to Research
In the grand scheme of things, ADSCs are relatively new to the stem cell playing field and thus, more research is necessary to determine the safety and efficacy of such treatments. The FDA strictly regulates cell-based therapies and to this day, there are no FDA approved fat derived stem cell products on the market. But the research and results continue to accumulate via various FDA approved clinical trials. We are fortunate enough to contribute to this research with our own FDA approved clinical trials and resulting data. We hope to one day see adipose derived stem cell therapy become a readily available and easily accessible treatment for those who may benefit from it.