Autologous Cell Therapies

Histologically, three types of cells can be discerned in the blood:

1. Erythrocytes responsible for the transportation of oxygen and carbon dioxide,
2. leukocytes which divide up into different types and regulate the immune defense,
3. as well as thrombocytes, also referred to as blood platelets.

Platelets are responsible for hemostasis, and mediate the first phases of wound healing. In this phase, platelets aggregate and form the blood clot. In addition, growth factors are released by degranulation of thrombocytes.

The release of cellular growth factors supports healing by

• Attracting undifferentiated cells to the site of the injury (chemoattraction and migration) and by stimulating mitosis of undifferentiated cells (proliferation)
• Suppressing cytokine release, thus reducing anti-inflamma- tory reactions
• Attracting macrophages for the improvement of tissue healing and regeneration
• Supporting capillary growth and accelerating epithelization

Leukocytes form several cytokines, referred to as interleukins. They mediate between leukocytes and play an important role in immune defense.

Autologous cell therapies use exactly these processes of the natural healing cascade – the body´s complex response to an injury. They contain growth factors, antiinflammatory cytokines or stem cells in concentrated form, for example. After injection to the defect, they assist the body in a natural way to heal the injured tissue.