Medical Breakthroughs Are What Keep Us Motivated

1. Medical Breakthroughs Are What Keep Us Motivated Every business goes through those seasons when missions and visions are re-evaluated. Company directors question why they do what they do. They begin to wonder what the future holds for the companies they work so hard to build and grow. For us, medical breakthroughs related to regenerative medicine are a big motivator. It is true that we are in the business of selling PRP kits, stem cell injection kits, centrifuges, and other related equipment and supplies. But what we do encompasses a lot more than just needles, syringes, and medical equipment. It’s also about helping people desperate for some kind of treatment that will accomplish something out of the reach of prescription medications and surgery. We are motivated by breakthroughs like the one just announced by British researchers, a breakthrough that could end up saving millions of lives in the very near future. That breakthrough involves utilizing stem cell therapy to treat heart attack victims in the weeks and months following their cardiac episodes. The Damage Left Behind We all know that heart attacks are potentially fatal as they are happening. But that’s not the half of it. Among those who survive, roughly 20% are left with permanent damage that affects their quality of life. Many of those same patients go on to eventually die of heart disease anyway. Bypass surgery is a routine procedure that often follows heart attack. In more extreme cases, heart transplant is necessary to replace a heart so badly damaged that the patient would not likely survive otherwise. And still, the damage done by cardiac arrest can haunt a heart attack victim for the rest of his or her life. British researchers suggest that some 70,000 people die every year as a result of heart failure. But thanks to a new stem cell procedure that is amazingly simple in its application, they think they can offer new hope to cardiac patients.

2. Their procedure is a two-step process that first cultivates the right kinds of stem cells and then injects them into the patient to rebuild damaged heart tissue. It is a revolutionary procedure that has shown a lot of promise in preclinical trials. Researchers believe they can have the procedure ready for mainstream use in as little as 5 to 10 years. How the Procedure Works The first step in treating heart attack patients is to inject them with growth factors that encourage their bones to produce more stem cells. Those stem cells are then extracted through a simple blood draw and the processing of that blood in a specialized centrifuge. The separated stem cells are cultured in order to increase volume by 20 times. The second step is to inject the stem cell material into the patient through the groin. The stem cells are carried by the vascular system to the heart where they begin rebuilding damaged tissue and blood vessels. Both phases of the procedure can be completed in under two weeks. If the British researchers are right, treating heart attack victims in this way could save lives, reduce the need for bypass and transplant surgeries, and save the UK’s National Health Care system millions of dollars. The data suggest they are on the right track. Of the seven patients treated thus far, six have seen significant improvement to the point of now having “near-normal heart function.” Yes, Apex Biologix sells regenerative medicine equipment and supplies used by doctors and clinics across the country. But we are also part of a much larger effort that has seen some incredible medical breakthroughs in recent years. They are a big part of what motivates us.