Jul 3, 2009
Breakthrough: Grow your own tendon
Close to FDA approval for regeneration technique
by Graeme KennedyMillions of people around the world could soon be enjoying a better quality of life with a regenerative medical procedure developed by Kumeu veterinarian Patrick Casey for horses.
Working with partners in his laboratories in the US, Australia and New Zealand and with Harvard University on human applications, Mr Casey has solved the problem of getting adult cells to divide and grow new body tissue.
He has achieved success in tendon replacement with almost 50 horses and has done experiments with human Achilles tendons and shoulder rotator cuffs using a person’s own cells.
He has grown heart wall, knee cartilage and pancreas tissue and predicts the liver, kidneys and other organs could be considered too once FDA approvals are obtained. He said that would come in about six months after two technical experiments.
“Every book will tell you that adult cells will not divide but we are doing it — we are the only people in the world who can but others are trying to copy us.
Mr Casey topped the wellness sector of The National Business Review’s monthly Exciting Companies series with a 77 rating in surveys conducted by strategic business consultancy New River. Equilibrium Chiropractic, Turning Point, Enriching Wellness Day Spa and Wellness Escapes followed (see table).
Mr Casey has had his Kumeu practice for 15 years and around 2000 began his research into regeneration based on a person’s own cells.
“Human tendons such as the Achilles have no natural regeneration,” he said. “The body recognises there has been a tear and tries to heal it but instead lays down scar tissue, which is always weak and the chances of doing it again are very high.
“But I grew small tendons in a Petri dish in the lab, then began working with Dick and Kerry Fry, a husband and wife Melbourne University scientific team specialising in in-vitro fertilisation to produce test-tube cows and experts in growing cells.
“We knew we could do it in the lab but we needed money to take it into the field.”
Mr Casey formed Therapy Cells with the Frys and Auckland investor and old friend Garry Green each taking 33% and his mentor, University of Auckland emeritus professor of obstetrics and gynecology Sir Monty Liggins, taking just 1%.
A Geelong vet in 2006 had the well-known and high-performing Victorian trotter Calder Sensation with a torn ligament, a condition which usually means it would never race again, and allowed Mr Casey to work on the horse.
“We took 100 cells from a neck ligament, multiplied them into 16 million and grew a small tendon. The cells were recovered and injected into Calder Sensation’s damaged tendon — he won easily at Moonie Valley five weeks after the treatment.”
Therapy Cells has treated 48 horses including thoroughbreds, polo ponies and a quarter-horse in the US, Australia and New Zealand.
“The FDA recognises horses as models for humans rather than doing experiments on people,” Mr Casey said, “and the treatment’s potential is enormous.
“In the future, people who have had a bad heart attack could use their own cells to regenerate the heart wall and rather than repair broken tissue in a joint such as a knee or hip it might be possible to work on it before it wears out.”
RECESSION BUSTER
The global wellness industry is expected to reach $US1 trillion next year — up from $US200 billion in 2002— and New Zealand is sharing in the sector’s growth.Business is steady or increasing for 70% of firms although none rated conditions very difficult or very buoyant according to a survey by consultancy New River.
The market includes a range of activities helping people find wellness including day spas, tourism, product suppliers, alternative therapy providers and practitioners such as doctors, dietitians and chiropractors.
New River found that wellness tourists spent more and their numbers had not fallen as sharply as regular visitors in the economic downturn.
The survey said that while affecting disposable incomes the recession had created a reverse effect on the wellness sector. which was treating more stress- related conditions and helping make lifestyle changes to improve quality of life.
Business conditions
Respondents’ rating of current business conditions in the WELLNESS SectorVery buoyant =%
Buoyant =35%
Neutral =35%
Difficult =30%
Very difficult =0%
Top 10 WELLNESS
Rank / Company/ Excitement rating1 Patrick Casey 77.0
2= Equilibrium Chiropractic 65.0
2= Turning Point 65.0
4 Enriching Wellness Day Spa 62.0
5 Wellness Escapes 60.9
6 Azion 60.0
7 Pujjis Wellness Retreat 59.6
8= FxMed 59.5
8= Kimi Ora Spa Resort 59.5
10 Comvita 57.3
