About Us
Regenerative Medicine at Nagitsuji Hospital

What Is Regenerative Medicine?

Regenerative medicine is a treatment that makes the most of the body’s inherent “natural healing ability” to repair lost tissues and organs. Because treatment uses a person’s own blood or cells, it has attracted attention as a treatment with a high level of safety and a low risk of rejection.
Medical image of a stethoscope and laptop

Types of Stem Cells

There are three types of stem cells:
Human Somatic Stem Cells
01
Human Embryonic Stem Cells
(ES cells, derived from fertilized eggs)
02
Human Induced
Pluripotent Stem Cells
(iPS cells)
03

Among “01 Human Somatic Stem Cells,” our hospital uses autologous adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), which are considered to have a high level of safety. ADSCs are somatic stem cells that can be collected from a person’s own adipose tissue. They are multipotent, rather than pluripotent. Their characteristics include the low physical burden of intravenous administration and the accumulation of long-term safety data.

Characteristics of Autologous Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

Homing to Injured Tissue

Stem cells migrate toward the site of injury.

Anti-inflammatory Action

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells have the ability to secrete substances that suppress inflammation.

High Level of Safety through Autologous Cells

All treatment at our hospital uses “autologous cells” derived from the patient’s own adipose tissue, a feature associated with a high level of safety.

Biological Support

Living cells secrete hundreds of factors in a natural balance, helping to regulate the cellular environment.

Safety of Autologous Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

  • Because they are the patient’s own cells, allergic reactions and rejection are less likely, and immunosuppressants are not required.
  • Their low degree of undifferentiation means that the theoretical risk of tumor formation is extremely low.
  • Because the cells “act while alive,” they secrete a broad range of factors.
  • Research suggests the potential for long-term regulation of inflammation and protection of cells.
  • After adipose tissue collection, treatment can be administered by intravenous infusion rather than surgery, allowing repeated treatment.

Strengths of ADSCs

Various approaches to regenerative medicine are currently being studied. ADSCs have the following characteristics:

  • 01

    Derived from the Patient’s Own Body

    They avoid the immune rejection and genetic variability that cannot be avoided with allogeneic cells, and are expected to offer safety suitable for long-term administration.
  • 02

    Low Risk of Tumor Formation

    ADSCs are somatic stem cells with
    limited differentiation potential. A major advantage is that research and clinical data to date contain
    very few reports of tumor formation.
  • 03

    Repeated Intravenous Administration after Adipose Tissue Collection

    Because ADSCs are administered by intravenous infusion, this treatment format allows even older patients to continue treatment without burden.

Toward the Medicine of the Future

Regenerative medicine for intractable neurological diseases is still a developing field. Nevertheless, the accumulation of research and clinical experience, step by step, is steadily shaping the future. An approach using ADSCs is also not a treatment that can be described definitively as “curing the disease.”

The Power of Your Own Cells to “Protect Nerves”
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