Method and apparatus for improved mesenchymal stem cell harvesting

Abstract

A mesenchymal stem cell harvesting system and method for increasing the efficiency of collecting and processing physiological fluids containing mesenchymal stem cells from a cavity within a patient’s skeletal system. Microenvironments risk in MSC production and concentration within a cavity, for example the patient’s ilium, are penetrated with a pointed instrument used to create an aperture in the hard cortical bone forming the cavity followed by the insertion of an aspiration device which extracts one or more samples of cancellous bone, bone marrow, bone marrow blood and other aspirated material. The aspirate is rinsed and may be filtered to remove unwanted material and to increase the concentration and purity of the mesenchymal stem cells in the aspirant far beyond levels formerly obtainable for use in autologous treatment of the patient.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of maintaining a patient’s health, treating a patient having a medical condition, contributing to a patient’s healing and tissue regeneration processes following injury or surgery, or beautifying a patient or client with a solution comprising a micronized autologous biologic scaffold for administration to the patient or client, the method comprising:
 (a) obtaining at least one tissue plug or core including autologous cancellous bone from the patient or client with a harvesting tool; 
 (b) inserting the at least one tissue plug or core into a chamber of a processing device, the chamber not being in fluid communication with the patient or client, the tissue plug or core including autologous calcified bone, trabecular cavities, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC’s) and a glycosaminoglycan-rich (GAG-rich) matrix; 
 (c) adding a fluid to the chamber; 
 (d) initiating actuation of the processing device thereby causing at least a portion of the autologous GAG-rich matrix to separate from the autologous calcified bone and trabecular cavities and further to be broken mechanically into micronized autologous biologic GAG-rich matrix scaffold particles within the chamber by non-enzymatic processing such that at least a portion of the MSC’s remain attached to the micronized autologous biologic GAG-rich matrix scaffold particles in solution with the fluid and wherein the at least a portion of the autologous MSC’s retain an anti-inflammatory phenotype following the non-enzymatic processing; 
 (e) extracting the solution comprising the fluid, the micronized autologous biologic GAG-rich matrix scaffold particles and the at least a portion of the autologous MSC’s from the chamber, wherein the solution has a reduced concentration of calcified bone as compared to the tissue plug or core; and 
 (f) administering the solution to the patient or to the client. 
 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the solution comprises micronized autologous biologic GAG-rich matrix scaffold particles having a size of about 40 - 500 microns. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least a portion of the autologous MSC’s comprise at least three distinct MSC subpopulations including: LepR MSC’s, CXCL12 Abundant Reticular Cells and Nestin-expressing MSC’s. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the fluid comprises at least one substance from a group comprising: autologous fluids collected from the patient, bone marrow aspirate plasma (BMAP), bone marrow aspirate serum, peripheral blood plasma, peripheral blood serum, heparin, acid citrate dextrose anticoagulant solution, and buffered saline solution. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising step (g) discarding at least a portion of the separated calcified bone as a waste product. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of administering the solution to the patient or to the client comprises the step of injecting the solution intravenously into the patient or client whereby therapeutic treatment of the patient’s or client’s condition or injury is provided. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the patient’s or client’s condition or injury includes pain, degeneration, inflammation, post-operative recovery, and tissue regeneration. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of administering the solution to the patient or to the client comprises the step of applying the solution to the patient’s or client’s skin, whereby dermatological and/or cosmetic conditions are treated. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the step of administering the solution to the patient or to the client comprises the step of combining the solution with creams, ointments or salves adapted to be applied to a patient’s or client’s skin, whereby the patient’s or client’s dermatological and/or cosmetic conditions are treated. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of administering the solution to the patient or to the client comprises the step of injecting the solution at a site in need of treatment to treat pain, degeneration or inflammation or to expedite post-operative healing. 
     
     
         11 . A method of preparing a therapeutic solution for administration to a patient or client for treatment or for medical research, the therapeutic solution comprising a micronized autologous biologic scaffold and autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), the method comprising:
 (a) obtaining at least one tissue plug or core including autologous cancellous bone from the patient or client with a harvesting tool;   (b) inserting the at least one tissue plug or core into a chamber of a processing device, the chamber not being in fluid communication with the patient or client, the tissue plug or core including autologous calcified bone, trabecular cavities, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and a glycosaminoglycan-rich (GAG-rich) matrix;   (c) adding a fluid to the chamber;   (d) initiating actuation of the processing device thereby causing at least a portion of the autologous GAG-rich matrix to separate from the autologous calcified bone and trabecular cavities and further to be broken mechanically into micronized autologous biologic GAG-rich matrix scaffold particles within the chamber by nonenzymatic processing such that at least a portion of the MSCs remain attached to the micronized autologous biologic GAG-rich matrix scaffold particles in solution with the fluid and wherein the at least a portion of the autologous MSCs retain an anti-inflammatory phenotype following the non-enzymatic processing; and   (e) extracting the solution comprising the fluid, the micronized autologous biologic GAG-rich matrix scaffold particles and the at least a portion of the autologous MSCs from the chamber, wherein the solution has a reduced concentration of calcified bone as compared to the tissue plug or core.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the therapeutic solution comprises micronized autologous biologic GAG-rich matrix scaffold particles having a size of about 40 - 500 microns. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least a portion of the autologous MSCs comprise at least three distinct MSC subpopulations including: LepR MSCs, CXCL12 Abundant Reticular Cells and Nestin-expressing MSCs. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the fluid comprises at least one substance from a group comprising: autologous fluids collected from the patient or client, bone marrow aspirate plasma (BMAP), bone marrow aspirate serum, peripheral blood plasma, peripheral blood serum, heparin, acid citrate dextrose anticoagulant solution, and buffered saline solution. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising (f) discarding at least a portion of the separated calcified bone as a waste product.