Neil Riordan, PA, PhD, explains the impact of stem cells on medicine and lives in his best-selling book, Stem Cell Therapy: A Rising Tide: How Stem Cells Are Disrupting Medicine and Transforming Lives. In his book, he details the process of discovering Golden Cells™ and the benefit of introducing them to patients during stem cell therapy. We share that journey in this blog, showing what it took to bring this discovery to the public so thousands of patients can enjoy the benefits.
After years of providing treatments to thousands of patients, our team observed extraordinary recoveries which prompted us to perform a retrospective analysis. After two and a half years, we identified six cell lines with a unique molecular signature, dubbing them Riordan Golden Cells™. This groundbreaking discovery enables us to select superior cells for treating chronic diseases and advance the large-scale use of specialized mesenchymal stem cells.
Medistem Panama is our in-house laboratory licensed to harvest, process, and store stem cells from:
- Bone marrow
- Fat
- Umbilical cord tissue
- Umbilical cord blood
Our lab is licensed by the Panama Ministry of Health. The state-of-the-art 11,000-square-foot facility is ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 9001-certified and follows Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
Over time, we noticed that some patients experienced benefits beyond those of others. These recoveries were occurring on a regular basis. By this time, we had treated enough patients that we could take a good look at the activity of our cells. This would help us determine whether some cells were performing better than others.
The Review Process
We retrospectively analyzed cells used in highly successful cases, which we discovered were almost entirely limited to six particular cell lines. We then compared those cells to six cell lines of moderately successful cases and six fibroblast cell lines, which have no activity at all. We then screened those cells, using high throughput screening, for the secretion of over 1,100 molecules.
What emerged was a molecular signature that was significantly different in the cells from the six lines given to highly successful cases compared with the other two groups. I call these highly effective cells Riordan “Golden Cells™”.
This screening process took two and a half years because we first grew the cells in two dimensions, or on flat surfaces with the cells multiplying side by side. While this is the industry standard, it’s a space- and medium-dependent process that we have been working to improve. The cells are anchorage-dependent, so they require a huge surface area to grow. We have since grown the cells in bioreactors that allow the cells to multiply in three dimensions, a cutting-edge technology that allows us to grow more cells in less medium, with just the right density. We went through well over one year of screening to ensure that the Riordan Golden Cell™ molecular signature is preserved in cells grown in three dimensions. It is preserved. In fact, it’s even pronounced.
What We Discovered
“This is the first time in history that anyone has been able to retrospectively analyze which MSCs have more benefit. I like to say that an MSC is not an MSC. They are not all created equal. If you are picking a basketball team, would you want me on your team or LeBron James, possibly the best basketball player of all time? We are both humans, but our abilities on the court are not equal. It’s the same with MSCs. Some perform better than others. That’s why we’ve been working to select the best cells for use in patients with chronic disease. Now we can retrospectively analyze existing data on outcomes. We are the only stem cell company with the data to do that.”
– Neil Riordan, PA, PhD, Stem Cell Therapy: A Rising Tide: How Stem Cells Are Disrupting Medicine and Transforming Lives
This new technology allows us to continue to grow stem cells more efficiently, a crucial factor for the eventual large-scale use of MSCs for patients. With dosage costs of many thousands of dollars, MSCs are not yet able to serve the large number of patients who need such treatment.
Now that our laboratory has established what makes an MSC a Riordan Golden Cell™, we test the cells we receive to ensure that we only use those cells with the best molecular signature. Out of 100 umbilical cords that we receive, we now only use cells from fewer than ten.
Are you interested in learning what stem cell therapy may be able to do for you? Apply today!
Our team witnessed remarkable recoveries after years of administering stem cell therapy. This prompted us to conduct a retrospective analysis of previous cases. After years of treating thousands of patients as well as two and a half more years of careful analysis, we pinpointed six cell lines characterized by a distinctive molecular signature, naming them Riordan Golden Cells™. This revolutionary finding empowers us to choose superior cells for addressing chronic diseases and acute conditions like sports injuries.
Stem Cell Institute in Panama City, Panama is at the forefront of applied stem cell research. Since our inception in 2008, we have performed over 50,000 procedures, helping thousands of families across the United States and around the world embrace the opportunity for a better life. Our medical team prioritizes the health and well-being of all our patients through top-notch stem cell treatment and care.
*This post has been updated since it was originally published in August 2021 for clarity and comprehensiveness