How much does it cost for cellular therapy treatment?
Modern cellular therapy across the UCHealth system is $5,000 per treatment. This has been standardized no matter the type of treatment or where it takes place.
How long do cellular therapy injections last?
There is not enough data to prove how long cellular therapy lasts. Patients that undergo cellular treatments often experience decreased pain and inflammation. For some, one treatment may only be necessary to decrease their symptoms; for others, it may last six weeks. The variability from one individual to another and the understanding of the driving force behind the patient’s symptoms of inflammation and pain make it difficult to quantify an answer.
What diseases or injuries can be treated with cellular therapy?
Cellular therapy can treat symptoms of osteoarthritis, inflammation and other orthopedic conditions causing pain.
Is cellular therapy covered by health insurance?
No.
What are the negative effects of cellular therapy?
There are no known negative effects of autologous cellular therapy besides pain from where the tissue is harvested, a one percent chance of infection and of local bruising. Since we are using your body’s own tissue, the implanted cells are not rejected. There is also a chance that the procedure won’t work for the intended result (you might still have pain).
When implanting cells from another human (allograft therapy), there is a potential downside of rejection, but the percentage chance of this happening is not known. There is also a chance that the procedure won’t work for the intended result (you might still have pain).
With birth products, there is a chance of transmitting an infection, an immune reaction to the transplanted tissue, as well as pain and inflammation. The recipient’s body may attack the transplanted tissue because they are foreign. This is why we encourage the use of the patient’s own cells, rather than using tissue from others.
Can cellular therapy help arthritis?
Maybe. A study from Korea shows that there has been actual production of cartilage in patients who have severe arthritis. Many studies show that cellular therapy decreases their arthritis symptoms. We are performing clinical trials here at UCHealth now to help understand the true answer to this question.
What can patients who suffer from arthritis expect from cellular therapy?
If you have pain from arthritis, there is a significant chance that your pain will decrease, as well as a chance that your inflammation will decrease too.
Can it heal your cartilage?
There’s not yet enough evidence that cellular therapy can regrow or routinely thicken cartilage.