At the Beverly Hills based location, California Stem Cell Treatment Center works with a multidisciplinary team of physicians to provide the most advanced regenerative techniques relying on the use of our patients’ own personal cells from their own body and no other source.
The California Stem Cell Treatment Center was founded in 2010 and its team of physicians have since been instrumental in advancing the field of regenerative medicine and personal cell therapy.
Relying on our patients’ own personal cells, especially those derived from their adipose (fat tissue), we have taken care of thousands of patients, all while collecting valuable long term follow up data to best evaluate these cutting edge techniques.
During a same day surgical procedure, we are able to isolate a mononuclear cell line (predominantly autologous mesenchymal stem cells, hematopoioetic stem cells), but also macrophage cells, endothelial cells, red blood cells, and important growth factors that promote a natural healing and regenerative process, that does not include conventional drugs or major invasive surgeries.
We obtain high numbers of these viable cells and we are studying the conditions that respond best, at which time points, and which deployment methods are most effective by following up with all of our patients for a 5 year period post-therapy. This effort, which has been underway for over 10 years now, has led us to publish over 10 peer-reviewed publications, the largest of their respective kind, documenting safety and efficacy in a number of different clinical areas as well as teaching over 500 physicians across the USA and around the globe our techniques for their own implementation. The California Stem Cell Treatment Center employs a clinical research coordinator to continuously analyze our valuable data and our vision is to perfect our treatments and ultimately teach them to other physicians around the world.
CELL TECHNOLOGY BREAKTHROUGH
Early stem cell research has traditionally been associated with the controversial use of embryonic stem cells. The new focus is on non-embryonic adult mesenchymal stem cells which are found in a person’s own blood, bone marrow, and fat. Cell therapy around the world is shifting its focus from bone marrow based cells to adipose (fat) derived cells since the cells are easy to obtain and generally very robust. Adipose fat is an abundant and reliable source of stem cells. The best quality adipose cells are derived from the enzymatic digestion of liposuctioned fat which can be performed at the bedside in an essentially closed system to protect sterility. Autologous stem cells from a person’s own fat are easy to harvest safely under local anesthesia and are abundant in quantities up to 2500 times those seen in bone marrow.
The California Stem Cell Treatment Center cell harvesting and isolation techniques are based on technology from South Korea. Clinical success and favorable outcomes appear to be related directly to the quantity of stem cells deployed. This is a technological breakthrough as it allows patients to safely receive their own autologous stem cells in extremely large quantities. Once the adipose-derived stem cells are administered back to the patient, they have the potential to repair human tissue by influencing healing and also forming new cells of mesenchymal origin, such as cartilage, bone, ligaments, tendons, nerve, fat, muscle, blood vessels, and certain internal organs. Stem cells’ ability to form cartilage and bone makes them potentially highly effective in the treatment of degenerative orthopedic conditions. Their ability to form new blood vessels and other tissues makes them suitable for mitigating a large number of traumatic and degenerative conditions.
Over the past 10 years, we have collected clinical data from thousands of patients to determine safety and efficacy of every procedure we do for up to a 5 year period. This data, coupled with our direct work and partnerships with laboratories performing stem cell scientific research, has resulted in our advancement of the regenerative medical field, the advancement of personal cell therapy, and our 12 peer-reviewed publications covering safety, orthopedics, urology, neurology, and pain management. Our treatments and research are patient funded and we have endeavored successfully to make it affordable. All of our sterile procedures are non-invasive and done under local anesthesia. Patients who are looking for non-surgical alternatives to their degenerative disorders can participate in our trials by filling out our treatment application to determine if they are candidates.
DEPLOYMENT PROCESS
Physician Team
Mark Berman, MD, is an internationally renowned expert in the field of regenerative medicine and cellular therapy and helped to restore the health of thousands of patients around the globe – without dangerous prescription drugs or risky surgery. Together with partner Elliot Lander MD, he co-founded the CSN, a global network of 500+ doctors worldwide dedicated to the research and advancement of cellular therapy. For over a decade, Dr. Berman has tracked and followed his patient’s stem cell treatment outcomes, using IRB approved cellular therapy protocols, in an independent, 3rd party, global medical database. His patients are routinely followed up with for a 5 year period to track safety and conditions specific outcomes, data which has been used to drive informed clinical decisions, but also has been used for over 10 peer-reviewed publications. Since 2010, Dr. Berman, along with his multi-disciplinary team of physicians, is proud to have helped restore the health of thousands of patients with a wide array of medical ailments and diseases, including various types of orthopedic conditions/injuries, auto-immune disorders, cardiac/pulmonary disease, neurological disorders, chronic pain, and much more. While he has cared for numerous high profile personalities, celebrities, and professional athletes, he has also donated his time to help those unprivileged and in need. Currently, he is one of few physicians in the United States qualified to freeze and store his patient’s stem cells.
Dr. Berman is devoted to furthering the field of regenerative medicine and has published numerous scientific papers – including a first of its kind study that demonstrated the safety and efficacy of autologous stem cell therapy. Through his advanced training and decades of continuing education, he is able to provide his patients with the latest advancements in stem cell therapy and the field of regenerative medicine. Above all, he is committed to providing his patients with only the most safe, effective, and ethical cell-based therapies available, all revolving around their own personal cells. As co-founder and co-medical director of the California Stem Cell Treatment Center, Dr. Berman’s philosophy is to provide the highest quality, state of the art care while maintaining concern and compassion for each patient’s individual needs. This means treating the whole person, not just their injury or illness.
In his spare time, Dr. Berman enjoys many different sporting activities, plays the guitar, and loves to read and write. In fact, he’s authored numerous scientific papers in the field of regenerative medicine and co-author of the book, The Stem Cell Revolution, which highlights real stories from a number of their patients that were given their health back with stem cell treatment.
Dr. Elliot Lander, a Board-Certified Urologist, is Co-Founder and Co-Medical Director of California Stem Cell Treatment Center, Cell Surgical Network. Elliot B. Lander, M.D. F.A.C.S. is a Board-Certified Surgeon. He was born in Los Angeles, California. He graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Occidental College with Distinction in Biochemistry. He attended medical school at the University of California, Irvine. For six years after medical school, Dr. Lander studied General Surgery and then Urologic Surgery at the University of California, Irvine. He was a Clinical Assistant Professor of Urology at UC Irvine while in practice in Orange County for five years. During that time he was active in teaching residents and doing research. Dr. Lander has been elected as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He has served as Chief of Urology at Eisenhower Medical Center and Chief of Surgery at John F. Kennedy Hospital. Dr. Lander has been on staff at Eisenhower Medical Center for over twenty years. Dr. Lander is founder of Nanologix Research Inc., a company dedicated to a novel drug therapy for interstitial cystitis. Dr. Lander is a pioneer in regenerative urology with publications on using stem cells to treat Peyronies Disease and Erectile Dysfunction, as well as interstitial cystitis.
Dr. Lander is currently involved in IRB approved translational stem cell treatment research at the California Stem Cell Treatment Center. He is a founding member of the International Cell Surgical Society ICSS, a nonprofit organization supporting cell therapy research and education. ICSS supports Regenatrak™ which is an online regenerative medicine database tool use by clinicians to track clinical outcomes and adverse events from all over the globe. Dr. Lander with Dr. Berman and their team of multi-specialty experts were instrumental in bringing fat derived stem cell technology to the United States in 2010 and have pioneered several new techniques in regenerative medicine. Dr. Lander is co-founder of Cell Surgical Network, an international research network dedicated to studying the clinical applications of adipose-derived stem cells. Research affiliate physicians trained by the Cell Surgical Network team can be found all around the world. Dr. Lander is co-author of The Stem Cell Revolution, a popular book on regenerative medicine.
Dr. Grogan is a practicing pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Pacific Coast Sports Medicine in Los Angeles. Dr. Grogan graduated cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in Biology and received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Dr. Grogan’s orthopedic training has included an orthopedic residency at UCLA plus several orthopedic fellowships in pediatric orthopedics, trauma, and NIH sponsored joint replacement surgery. Following his orthopedic training he returned to Los Angeles, spending six years at Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children, including serving as Assistant Chief in 1996 and 1997. In addition to his clinical practice, he spent several years involved in managed care consulting as an orthopedic surgeon and has developed special expertise in this area. He has collaborated with the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons in the development of a handbook and audiotape entitled, “Health Care Reform and Managed Care: A Guidebook for Orthopedic Surgeons”. In addition, he has served as the lead faculty member for the AAOS for their 1995, 12 city educational seminar, “Taking Charge: Managed Care Contracting for Orthopedic Surgeons” and as a faculty member for the AAOS’s 1996 seminar series entitled, “Winning at Risk: The Interplay of Cost, Quality, and Access in Orthopedic Practice”. He most recently served as a faculty member for the AAOS’s 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 seminars, “Practice Management Symposium for Practicing Orthopedic Surgeons’. He is currently chairman of the Practice Management Committee for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and a member of their Council on Education. He is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha, Honor Medical Society, the Sigma XI Scientific Research Society, California Orthopedic Association (COA), the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America (POSNA), the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), and is a diplomate of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery.
Why Personal Cell Therapy?
We obtain high numbers of these viable cells and we are studying the conditions that respond best, at which time points, and which deployment methods are most effective by following up with all of our patients for a 5 year period post-therapy. This effort, which has been underway for over 10 years now, has led us to publish over 10 peer-reviewed publications, the largest of their respective kind, documenting safety and efficacy in a number of different clinical areas as well as teaching over 500 physicians across the USA and around the globe our techniques for their own implementation. The California Stem Cell Treatment Center employs a clinical research coordinator to continuously analyze our valuable data and our vision is to perfect our treatments and ultimately teach them to other physicians around the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our own Dr. Mark Berman, of the California Stem Cell Treatment Center, is featured in Episode 4. To learn about this important film, click here. If you have additional questions on how stem cells work and how they relate to your condition, contact us today to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation. To get the process started, simply fill out our short Confidential Candidate Application.
What is a stem cell?
A stem cell is basically any cell that heal other cells and tissues. Stem cells can both replicate to duplicate itself and also differentiate (form other cells and tissues upon demand). A commonly heard term is “adult” stem cell. These are stem cells that come from umbilical tissue, bone marrow or fat.
Why Use Fat? The California Stem Cell Treatment center’s cell harvesting and isolation techniques are based on technology from South Korea. We use adipose (fat) derived stem cells for investigational clinical treatments Early stem cell research has traditionally been associated with the controversial use of embryonic stem cells. The new focus is on non-embryonic adult mesenchymal stem cells which are found in a person’s own blood, bone marrow, and fat. Cell therapy around the world is shifting its focus from bone marrow based cells to adipose (fat) derived cells since the cells are easy to obtain and generally very robust. Adipose fat is an abundant and reliable source of stem cells. The best quality adipose stem cells are derived from the enzymatic digestion of lipo-suctioned fat which can be performed at the bedside in a closed system to protect sterility. Autologous stem cells from a person’s own fat are easy to harvest safely under local anesthesia and are abundant in quantities up to 1000 times those seen in bone marrow. Fat derived stem cells have the same telomere length (cellular age) as umbilical stem cells for the first four decades of life, but consistently remain younger than bone marrow stem cells at any chronologic age. The fat derived cells also grow in culture and differentiate faster than the bone marrow derived stem cells that are commonly used.
What is Regenerative Medicine?
Regenerative Medicine is the process of creating living, functional tissues to repair or replace tissue or organ function lost due to damage, or congenital defects. This field holds the promise of regenerating damaged tissues and organs in the body by stimulating previously irreparable organs to heal themselves.
What are the tools of Regenerative Medicine?
Traditionally, we have used various medications and hormones to limit disease and help the body repair itself. For example, hormone replacement therapy has, in many cases, shown the ability to more optimally help the immune system and thus help us repair diseased or injured tissues. Genetic research is an evolving area where we will eventually learn and utilize more ways of specifically dealing with gene defects causing degenerative disease. Stem cell therapy has already shown considerable promise in alleviating many degenerative conditions. Stem cells communicate with our tissues to provide regenerative and healing signals through a complex signaling system mediated by exosomes (containing genetic material) and also peptide cytokines or “growth factors,” which can promote regeneration.
How do stem cells heal?
Stem cells are found all over the body but they remain dormant unless they interact with some level of cellular injury. It’s the injury signals like beacons that attract stem cells and turns them on to start the healing process. So, when a person has a degenerative type problem, the stem cells tend to go to that area of need and stimulate the healing process. Stem cells can promote healing by either directly differentiating into target cells and functional tissue or by proxy healing which is based on secretion of growth factors and exosomes that signal for repair and regeneration of other cells, Stem cells can even transfer their healthy “power pack” mitochondria (energy producing organelle in all your cells) to aging or dying cells in your body.
Are the stem cell treatments at California Stem Cell approved by the FDA?
No, The California Stem Cell Treatment Center’s surgical procedures fall under the category of physician’s practice of medicine, wherein the physician and patient are free to consider their chosen course of treatment. The FDA does have guidelines governing use of a patient’s own tissues. At the California Stem Cell Treatment Center, we meet certain FDA requirements by providing the “same surgical procedure” exclusion using a patient’s own cells that undergo no manipulation and are deployed during the same procedure.
Does California Stem Cell provide patient testimonials?
Many patients have heard compelling testimonials about stem cells in the through marketing website, brochures, and on various websites where one can read about remarkable results of stem cell treatments. California Stem Cell does not believe in such marketing claims or testimonials since our work is still investigational. Nevertheless, we are data driven and we are a resource for patients who need access to regenerative care. California Stem Cell gives a choice to those informed patients who seek modern regenerative therapy but desire convenience, quality and affordability.
Is it better to use umbilical stem cells since they may be younger than your own?
The umbilical cells can be slightly younger than the stem cells of a middle aged person but that is not worth the negative factors of receiving cells that are not made out of your own DNA. When you use your own stem cells, there is no risk of transmissible disease contamination and there is no risk of allergic reaction or immune reaction.
Can stem cells from fat cause cancer?
Adult mesenchymal stem cells are not known to cause cancer. Some patients have heard of stories of cancer caused by stem cells, but these are probably related to the use of embryonic cells (Not adult stem cells). These embryonic tumors known as teratomas are rare but possible occurrences when embryonic cells are used. California Stem Cell does not use embryonic stem cells under any conditions.
Are there reports of stem cells causing harm to recipients?
The California Stem Cell Treatment Center uses a sophisticated database to follow all our outcomes and any adverse events and we have had extraordinary safety since we started treating patients in 2010.
Is radiology technology required to administer a person’s stem cells?
California Stem Cell has both ultrasound and fluoroscopy technology at our facility and these modalities are used for many complex stem cell injections for complete targeting accuracy.
How long does it take to see improvement?
Stem cell therapy relies on the body’s own regenerative healing to occur. The regenerative process may take time, particularly with orthopedic patients, who may not see results for several months. In some diseases, more immediate responses are possible.
Is everyone a candidate?
No. Only certain medical problems are currently being treated at the California Stem Cell Treatment Center. Check our list or fill out a candidate application form on the website. All patients need to be medically stable enough to have the treatment in our facility. Some patients may be declined due to the complexity of their problem. Other patients may not have conditions appropriate to treat or may not be covered by our specialists or our protocols. An outside referral (if we know of someone else treating such a problem) might be applicable in such cases.
How many treatments are required for a favorable conical outcome?
Most patients, especially those with orthopedic conditions, require only one deployment. Certain types of degenerative conditions, particularly auto-immune disease or neuro-degenerative disorders, may respond best to a series of stem cell deployments. The number and necessity of any additional treatments would be decided on a case by case basis.
What is the cost of consultation and treatment?
Patients who are considered to be candidates for our protocols may be offered a complimentary consultation. Unfortunately, insurance generally will not cover the actual cost of our stem cell treatments since stem cell therapy is still considered investigational. The ultimate cost varies depending on the disease state being treated and which type of stem cell deployment is required. Because of recent innovations in technology, the California Stem Cell Treatment Center is able to provide outpatient stem cell treatment at a fraction of the cost of that seen in many overseas clinics. Our fees cover Stromal Vascular Fraction SVF harvesting, preparation, and deployment which may include the use of advanced interventional radiology and fluoroscopy techniques. Total costs will be determined after a medical evaluation.