The Technology Behind Bone Marrow Cellular Processing: The PXP® System
Cell therapies involve the transfer of live cells into a patient to help treat, prevent or potentially cure diseases. One category of cell therapy focuses specifically on the use of stem cells, or cells within the body that have the potential to replace those that are lost through injury or disease. Their versatility and ability to transform allow them to replace problematic or deactivated cells with new, healthy ones is giving patients around the world a second chance at life. Stem cells are found all throughout the human body including the skin, muscle tissue and even deep inside bone marrow.
Stem Cells Found in Bone Marrow
Bone marrow, the spongy substance that fills the inner cavities of our bones, is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells. These cells are particularly valuable for their ability to develop into all types of blood cells, including white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. Due to their unique ability, hematopoietic cells can be used to treat certain types of cancer, such as leukemia and lymphoma and have become a staple in the field of regenerative medicine.
Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate
Bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) is a procedure that collects bone marrow from a patient’s body and then concentrates it to create the optimal level of stem cells and other crucial growth factors, which can offer a variety of health benefits that traditional surgical methods simply can’t offer. Stem cells and their descendants, known as progenitor cells, combined with other bone marrow cells and platelets, have the potential to restore function when injected directly into the patient’s damaged tissue. The BMAC procedure is popularly used by physicians who practice orthopedic surgery, pain management and sports medicine. It has been shown to repair tissue damage, preserving function and strength and in some cases has even been used as an alternative for more intensive procedures such as joint and hip replacements.
Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate is currently being used to:
Treat bone fractures
Treat osteoarthritis in joints
Treat osteonecrosis
Improve wound healing
Repair cartilage
Form new tissue
Improve tendon healing
Automated Technology for Bone Marrow Concentrate
While there are many bone marrow concentrate technologies currently out on the market, there are none quite like the ThermoGenesis PXP® System. The PXP® System is an automated, closed system designed for sterile bone marrow separation and concentration. The automated system utilizes highly sensitive sensors to reduce the amount of red blood cells (RBCs) from the initial bone marrow aspirate, providing physicians with a high-quality final product. Red blood cell contamination is, by far, the biggest issue physicians encounter when using open, non-automated bone marrow processing systems. When high RBC contamination occurs in the bone marrow concentrate, it can impair cell function and diminish the overall effectiveness of the cell treatments. The PXP® System is specifically designed to eliminate RBCs contamination head-on, boasting a RBC reduction of over 99 percent.
The PXP® System obtains bone marrow concentrates easily, consistently, and reliably, setting itself apart from any other competitors on the market today. The automated nature of the system eliminates factors created by human error and allows for increased precision and control. It gives its user the ability to harvest a precise volume of cell concentrate from the bone marrow aspirate, while producing consistently high mononuclear cells (MNCs) and CD34+ progenitor cell recoveries.
Bone marrow aspirate is collected from the patient through a minimally invasive procedure, usually done under local or general anesthesia. After extraction, the aspirate is transferred into the PXP® System and processed in a centrifuge to compartmentalize the aspirate into three separate chambers within the Disposable Cartridge — the central processing chamber, the red blood cell depletion chamber and the harvest chamber. The plasma, nucleated cells and RBCs are all sorted by density to create maximum separation of components. The RBCs are then removed and transferred to the depletion chamber, leaving users with a 6 ml harvest of enriched bone marrow concentrate (containing stem cells, platelets, growth factors) ready to be reintroduced into the patient.
The entire process only takes about twenty minutes from the moment the bone marrow aspirate is placed in the system to the point where it can be reinjected. For added convenience, the automated control module provides users with accurate data tracking and serves as a record for the entire process.
Solutions for Bone Marrow Therapies
The PXP® System is a tool for physicians looking for a quick, easy and efficient system for processing bone marrow. It is one of the most innovative systems available on the market and our mission is to make it even better. We are currently working with our partners in the field and evolving our products based on their feedback. Based on their response, we’ve begun designing a stripped-down version of the PXP® System that requires less accessories and generates a smaller footprint, while still delivering a high-quality final product. Our applications are being developed with the needs of laboratories and physicians in mind, giving them the resources, they need to better serve their patients.
ThermoGenesis Holdings, Inc. (formerly Cesca Therapeutics Inc.), is a pioneer and market leader in the development and commercialization of automated cell processing technologies for the cell and gene therapy fields. We market a full suite of solutions for automated clinical biobanking, point-of-care applications and large-scale cell processing and manufacturing with a special emphasis on the emerging CAR-T immunotherapy market. We are committed to making the world a healthier place by creating innovative solutions for those in need.
