Andrew Duncan and Dr. Lox Talk Knee Stem Cells on NBC Daytime

NBC Daytime Cindy Edwards and Jerry Penacoli, welcomed Andrew Duncan of the Duncan Duo Real Estate company, and Dennis Lox M.D. Sports and Regenerative Medicine expert to discuss knee pain, athletes, and stem cell therapy.

Jerry Penacoli started in the Florida area in news Broadcasting, before ending up in the Los Angeles, California area for various news programs.

Now, Jerry is back in Florida in the Tampa Bay Area on NBC Daytime. Dr. Lox practices Stem Cell Therapy in Los Angeles, California metropolitan area, as well as in the Tampa Bay, Florida area.

Andrew Duncan Division 1 College Basketball Player

Dr. Lox on Aging Athletes Knee Pain, Stem Cells and Weight

Aging athletes are often faced with the problems of years of wear and tear in the sport. Some are more fortunate than others.

Andrew Duncan was a Division 1 Basketball Player. A successful career and time, sometimes add weight to your body. The extra weight compounds the wear and tear on the knee joint.

Many elite professional basketball players such as Kobe Bryant, struggled in his later 30’s with injuries and knee pain. Father Time has a way of ending even the best professional athletes careers.

Andrew Duncan wanted to keep playing Basketball in a league. It was great exercise, a stress outlet, and made him feel young and vital. Yet, the years of stress on the knee and added body weight were slowing him down.

Several former professional athletes had told him about Dr. Lox and his Regenerative Medicine approach with stem cell therapy for knee pain. He was adamant he wanted to avoid a total knee replacement surgery. Dr. Lox performed the knee stem cell therapy treatment on Andrew Duncan and suggested body weight modifications.

Andrew was a star patient. 2 years later he is older, but still playing basketball, and back to his college playing weight. A resounding success story.

Why is there So Much Confusion Over Stem Cells?

A very good and interesting question Cindy Edwards asked Dr. Lox.

There is a short story and a long story.

The only way to explain it is to go into some science. There are embryonic stem cells, which are from fetuses or unborn origin. These tissues and cells are highly regulated and were the source of political and religious debate.

Next, there are Perinatal Stem Cells and Perinatal tissues, or newborn birth tissues. These include cells and tissues, from the Perinatal period as it is formally called.

Informally, you could say birth or newborn tissue origins. These include amniotic, placental, umbilical, cord blood, and Wharton’s jelly.

Lastly, we have adult stem cells. Cells from your own body are referred to as autologous, and those from someone else are called allogenic. In the United States, Stem Cells from someone else’s embryonic, Perinatal or adult are all autologous and are regulated as drugs by the FDA. Therefore someone else’s stem cells are classified as drugs and regulated as such.

Only a few indications have FDA approved stem cell drug therapies. For instance, there is a cord blood stem cell drug FDA approved for Leukemia.

Tissue grafts versus Stem Cells

This is where the confusion, misinformation, and misleading information really begins.

A tissue graft is a collection of tissues. One original intent was for wound healing. There is a lot of research in this area for tissue grafts of many types, including Perinatal tissues.

Grafts are devoid of stem cells and are correctly termed Acellular. This includes Acellular derived xenografts from animals, which has been used also in human wound care.

A tissue graft is classified as a medical device, not a drug by the FDA. A huge difference, just like Acellular is a huge difference. This is the basic problem.

A lack of understanding or misrepresentation of these facts, by many parties. Basically, people are saying Tissue grafts with no stem cells are stem cell products. Understanding this is the source of all the confusion.

Is There a Difference in Stem Cell Doctors ?

Quite simply, yes.

Andrew Duncan chose Dr. Lox on referral from several other people he respected, who treated with Dr. Lox.

Word of mouth referral is quite telling. People trust people they know, who have good experiences with a respected doctor. Everyone wants a good doctor, however, if it is not their field of expertise, how do you know?

Often, that is just the case people have knee surgery, and sometimes they don’t improve.

Rarely, are they ever told it may lead to early knee arthritis?

Finding a doctor who is an expert in Sports and Regenerative Medicine, such as Dennis M. Lox, M.D., can be a very welcome experience. Listening to your problem, and suggesting a solution to keep you in the game is just what the patient wants, and just what the doctor ordered.

Dr. Lox practices Sports and Regenerative Medicine, in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area in Beverly Hills, California area, and the Tampa Bay, Florida area.