The Revolution of Regenerative Medicine- Stem Cell Surgery and SVF

The Revolution of Regenerative Medicine:

Dr. Laurence discusses his motivation for pursuing competency in the area of cell surgery. For nearly a decade he has removed fat tissue for the purpose of improving cosmetic appearance, or removed for grafting to other areas of the body. An incurable lung disease diagnosis in his father, as well as his witnessed clinical experience of several of his patients (in this roundtable discussion), was the “final straw" as he observed this emerging technology for the last four years. Dr. Laurence saw, as he pursued competence in this area, that there were multiple specialties who were embracing this technology. While there are these physicians who are motivated to find better solutions for difficult-to-treat conditions, others clearly feel threatened that this effective emerging technology might invalidate traditional approaches. Dr. Laurence asserts that cell surgery is complementary to approved drugs and natural remedies. It is important to understand how economic considerations drive treatment decisions. Physicians are obligated to advocate for patients through recommendations based on the best information available.

This is the conclusion of a nine part podcast providing general information for this emerging area of medicine. Regenerative Medicine, in part, includes, the use of cells and tissue factors which can be deployed from one area of the body to another to potentially heal areas of the body that have undergone cellular damage.

Gregory Laurence, MD is the Founder of Germantown Aesthetics and Complete Medical Care Germantown near Memphis, TN. Dr. Laurence received his undergraduate and doctorate degrees from Baylor University and the University of Texas at Houston Medical School. Dr. Laurence fulfilled his initial specialty training at Saint Francis Family Medicine at the University of Tennessee. As a longstanding member and recent president of the American Society of Cosmetic Breast Surgery, Dr. Laurence has worked with adipose tissue as a breast and body grafting technique. He has expanded the traditional use of technology and pioneered several innovative, minimally invasive surgical techniques. Dr. Laurence has represented the industry by being involved with overseas promotion of a medical device. He is one of the few certified faculty teaching platelet rich plasma (PRP) Vampire™ procedures and other regenerative medicine procedures. Contact the staff at www.lasermemphis.com or 901-624-5605.

The Revolution of Regenerative Medicine:

Dr. Laurence responds to a roundtable question from a post-myocardial infarction (heart attack) patient who previously was enrolled in an (IRB) approved human trial. The patient was not a responder to the direct placement of bone marrow-derived SVF into the heart. The patient is not certain whether her non-response was due to a placebo treatment or if there would have been a better way to deliver her own SVF (stem cells and extracellular factors). Dr. Laurence’s perspective is that the body normally effectively delivers oxygen and nutrition through the vascular network. He believes that if a direct placement of SVF/cells is indicated, that an additional vascular deployment would almost always be indicated.

This interaction begs the question: If efficacy can be demonstrated for healing diseased hearts, why would our paradigm not change to using similar approaches (along with healthy living) to treat all organs in a PREVENTIVE manner. Only time will tell if this strategy will meet the high standard of evidence-based medicine.

Please see the medical practice description and biography for Gregory Laurence, MD on podcast episode 1.

The Revolution of Regenerative Medicine:

Healthy people, best candidates for cell surgery

Dr. Laurence is excited that several areas of medicine have shown substantial progress with SVF response-rates. Stem Cells have shown the ability to stabilize or cause disease regression. Networks of physicians have at times seen dramatic results in the areas of brain, heart, joint, and lung medicine. Efficacy has been particularly impressive in the area of autoimmune, inflammatory, and pain conditions. It is possible that the most overlooked potential patient is the one who seems to be free of significant degenerative or chronic disease. The concept of “cellular regeneration” might be validated over time. That concept is that the highest level health might be accomplished through a lifelong commitment to periodic scheduled SVF/Cell Surgical deployments. This idea implies that the patient's own organ is the template over which a “new” fully compatible organ would generate. This reality might require the future ability to expand autologous cells and deploy in the most appropriate manner, potentially in combination with engineered cells.

Please see the medical practice description and biography for Gregory Laurence, MD on podcast episode 1.

The Revolution of Regenerative Medicine:

Dr. Laurence explains the concept of point of care (POC) procedures. Using a fat removal (lipo-aspiration) technique that Dr. Laurence has used for a decade, fatty tissue is painlessly harvested from a fatty area of the body and is separated in a closed system. Using either an enzymatic, energy, or mechanical technique, the fat cells are separated from the stromal vascular fraction (SVF). The SVF is then deployed in the most appropriate manner for tissue repair. This procedure is available worldwide, and patients are traveling from the U.S. to Europe, South America, China, and Mexico, paying up to a 500% premium for this procedure. This cost difference contrasts with other medical tourism procedures, where travel has traditionally been associated with deep discounts.

Please see the medical practice description and biography for Gregory Laurence, MD on podcast episode 1.

The Revolution of Regenerative Medicine:

Stromal vascular fraction (SVF) is a combination of multiple cellular and extracellular factors which can be moved from one area of the body to another. Bone marrow SVF-acquisition may be demonstrated to have substantial efficacy for certain clinical applications, but fatty compartments are normally easier to access. Most physicians don’t realize that the majority of cells in adipose/fat tissue are NOT fat cells. There is some evidence that adipose-derived SVF may have higher counts of the most important cells. These cellular (and extracellular factors), once they are removed and re-deployed, essentially perform the same tasks that they were always meant to perform in their original fat tissue location. The important cell players: the mesenchymal stem cell, hematopoietic stem cell, pericyte, macrophage, lymphocyte, and pre-adipocyte all have unique roles. Likely they work together in a “symphony” of coordinated behavior. We are still discovering the best way to deploy these factors potentially with engineered “designer cells.”

Please see the medical practice description and biography for Gregory Laurence, MD on podcast episode 1.

The Revolution of Regenerative Medicine:

The traditional approach to medicine was the use of the body to heal itself (risk avoidance and appropriate nutrition/activity). While the advances of surgery, antibiotics, and drugs have been revolutionary in many areas, it is clear that we have strayed from the original respect of the body’s innate healing ability. Through the use of the body’s own SVF (cells and extracellular factors), a brand new set of possibilities has been opened. Deployment options from a multi-specialty team include directed image-guided placement and intravenous/intrathecal.

Please see the medical practice description and biography for Gregory Laurence, MD on podcast episode 1.

The Revolution of Regenerative Medicine:

There is still much that we do not know about the best protocols to enhance results—engineered cells vs. native stromal vascular fraction (SVF) vs expanded cell. In time we will develop a higher level of customized treatment protocols. Dr. Laurence believes the treatment of healthy individuals will become more common as it becomes more known that SVF provides cellular optimization. Many jobs and professions are high risk for strain and injury to the body as it is damaged through repetitive motion or high strain activities. The NFL has only recently recognized its responsibility to protect athletes. Individuals who have advanced cancer, who smoke, or who are unwilling to accept that a positive result may not be appreciated are not candidates for treatment.

Please see the medical practice description and biography for Gregory Laurence, MD on podcast episode 1.

The Revolution of Regenerative Medicine:

Dr. Laurence outlines the many different acute and chronic processes which lead to disease or death. Many times death is a result of cumulative cell injury to multiple organ systems, and sometimes it is the failure of a single irreplaceable organ. Cell surgery has the potential to dramatically restore optimal function to most damaged or attenuated tissues.

Please see the medical practice description and biography for Gregory Laurence, MD on podcast episode 1.

Gregory Laurence, MD introduces cell surgery and explains the purpose of this podcast series addressing the role of the use of stem cell and stromal vascular fraction. Regenerative medicine, in its broadest definition, includes:

Nutrition, risk avoidance, exercise, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), platelet rich plasma (PRP), and cell surgery (the topic of this series). There is much confusion regarding the cellular area of regenerative medicine. It has not been fully determined which cell sources are the most effective. Choices from one’s own body (autologous) include: peripheral, bone marrow, and adipose-derived. Other "off-the-shelf" options are also available for therapeutic use.

Dr. Laurence is the Founder of Germantown Aesthetics and Complete Medical Care Germantown near Memphis, TN. Dr. Laurence received his undergraduate and doctorate degrees from Baylor University and the University of Texas at Houston Medical School. Dr. Laurence fulfilled his initial specialty training at Saint Francis Family Medicine at the University of Tennessee. As a longstanding member and recent president of the American Society of Cosmetic Breast Surgery, Dr. Laurence has worked with adipose tissue as a breast and body grafting technique. He has expanded the traditional use of technology and pioneered several innovative, minimally invasive surgical techniques. Dr. Laurence has represented the industry by being involved with overseas promotion of a medical device. He is one of the few certified faculty teaching platelet rich plasma (PRP) Vampire™ procedures and other regenerative medicine procedures. Contact the staff at www.lasermemphis.com or 901-624-5605.