Could Stem Cells be the Future of Sports Medicine?

Why orthopedics should no longer be the primary focus of treating sports-related injuries.

It wasn’t long into the 2022 NFL season when the nation watched in horror as the Miami Dolphins Quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, fell to the field, his fingers stiffening in a way immediately recognizable to anyone familiar with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The incident was discussed and debated widely over all social media and news platforms. It was a major topic of discussion at the Hope Biosciences office as well, because unfortunately, we are all too familiar with the limited treatment options available to patients suffering from a TBI.

You don’t have to be an NFL quarterback or live a particularly dangerous lifestyle to be at risk of a traumatic brain injury. According to the CDC, accidental falls account for nearly half of the TBI-related hospitalizations in the US each year. CDC data estimates that more than 611 TBI-related hospitalizations and 176 TBI-related deaths occurred per day in 2020. And that statistic doesn’t even include the many TBIs that are treated solely in emergency rooms, primary care/urgent care facilities, or those left untreated. (https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/data/index.html)

The effects of a traumatic brain injury can be moderate or quite severe, with an immediate or delayed onset of symptoms. Following the initial medical intervention in emergency cases of TBI, long-term treatment options are usually limited to rehabilitation therapies, such as physical, occupational, speech, and cognitive therapies in conjunction with medications to ease specific symptoms.

Hope Bio’s CEO Donna Chang with UTHealth’s Principal Investigator Dr. Cox, M.D. celebrating the completion of the TBI trial.

Recognizing that TBI patients account for a very large patient population with unmet clinical needs, Hope Biosciences began working with a research team at UTHealth to study the safety and efficacy of Hope Biosciences autologous adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (HB-adMSCs) in a clinical trial for TBI. The pre-clinical data indicates that HB-adMSCs hold great promise for TBI treatment and recovery. You can read the full report here: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0233263

Hope Bio gifted the researchers at UTHealth and the staff at Hope Bio with customized Blender Bottles to commemorate making history in TBI research.

This groundbreaking clinical trial and the data produced has the potential to forever change the treatment landscape of TBI. Early results indicate HB-adMSCs as an emerging therapy with high potential for therapeutic benefit. This is great news for the millions of individuals currently suffering the effects of a traumatic brain injury and provides new hope for TBI treatment in the future.

The healthcare industry is just now gaining a clearer picture of the long-term effects of concussions and sub-concussive events on the brain and the barriers they pose to full physical recovery. Treatment plans concentrated on orthopedics are no longer enough for sports-related injuries. Due to this and recent events, the use of stem cells in TBI treatment is something we believe the NFL and all contact-sport athletes should be paying close attention to.

The adult stem cell therapies produced by Hope Biosciences have been studied in over 25 FDA-authorized clinical protocols (https://www.hope.bio/clinical-trials), including, but not limited to, TBI, Spinal Cord Injury, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Long Haul Covid.

The best way to ensure your stem cells are ready for you when you need them is to invest in a Master Cell Bank with Hope Biosciences. The process is easy and painless. Everything you need to know can be found here: https://www.hope.bio/adult-stem-cell-banking

CEO of the NFL's Houston Texans, Cal McNair, holding his banking number with Hope Bio.

If you won’t take our word for it, here’s what CEO of the Houston Texans had to say:

“Everyone should bank their stem cells, period. It’s the future of medicine.”

And the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, Case Keenum:

“We don’t know what tomorrow holds, in this day and age. Anything that could help my health, and my family’s health in the future, I’ll be ready to go.”

Hope Biosciences works for a future in which injury and disease will be alleviated with one’s own stem cells. We have a growing list of stem cell banking clients, both adult and newborn, who recognize the importance of having their very own Master Cell Bank with Hope Biosciences and appreciate the peace of mind it brings them. Learn more and sign up by visiting www.hope.bio.

NFL's Buffalo Bills Quarterback Case Keenum banks with Hope Biosciences for his future health.