Fresh vs. Frozen Stem Cells: Why IRM’s “Harvested Same Day” Approach Matters
In the world of regenerative medicine, the promise of stem cell therapy rests on one simple factor: quality.
While both stem cell and bone marrow transplants are used in regenerative treatments, understanding their differences highlights why IRM’s focus on mesenchymal stem cells is so effective.
A patient’s potential for improvement is directly linked to the health, vitality, and potency of the cells they receive.
Yet a critical, often overlooked variable in stem cell treatment is the condition of the cells themselves. Are they fresh, active, and ready to work? Or are they “viable but stressed,” having just survived a traumatic freezing and thawing process?
This focus on cell vitality lies at the heart of IRM’s holistic stem cell treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder, where every aspect of therapy, from lab quality to delivery, is designed to maximize real clinical outcomes.
This is the core of the fresh vs. frozen debate. While many clinics must rely on cryopreserved cells shipped from outside labs, we at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine (IRM) have built our entire protocol around a different model. Our state-of-the-art in-house laboratory enables a “harvested same day” approach, and we believe it makes all the difference.
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The Industry Standard: Cryopreservation
Most stem cell clinics do not have their own lab. When they need cells for a patient, they must order a frozen (cryopreserved) vial from a third-party laboratory, which is then shipped overnight in liquid nitrogen.
Cryopreservation is the process of freezing cells at ultra-low temperatures to stop all biological activity, allowing them to be stored and transported. On paper, this is a logistical miracle. In biological reality, it’s a necessary compromise that comes with significant risks.
The Hidden Risks of Cryopreservation
Cells are delicate, living organisms. The process of freezing and thawing them is incredibly traumatic.
The “Viability Shock”: To prevent large, cell-destroying ice crystals from forming, the cells must be mixed with cryoprotectant chemicals (like DMSO), which can be toxic. Even with these chemicals, the freeze-thaw cycle is violent. A significant percentage of cells do not survive. A vial labeled with 30 million cells may yield only 20 million viable cells post-thaw.
Beyond Viability: The “Potency Problem”: This is the most critical point. Stem cell viability (being “alive”) is not the same as stem cell potency (being “functional”). The cells that do survive the thaw are often damaged or stressed. They enter a state of shock (senescence), diminishing their ability to signal, modulate the immune system, or release the healing growth factors that are the entire point of the therapy. They are alive, but they are not the active, robust healing agents they were before freezing.
The stress of freezing can push cells toward apoptosis (programmed cell death), the very process that anti-apoptotic mechanisms in regenerative medicine seek to prevent.
The IRM Difference: Our In-House Lab & “Harvested Same Day” Protocol
At IRM, we eliminated this compromise. We invested in building our own cGMP-compliant laboratory inside our treatment center.
Explore the facilities behind our breakthrough results at IRM’s dedicated stem cell laboratories.
This single decision fundamentally changes the quality of our therapy. Our process looks like this:
On-Site Culturing:
Our team of biologists cultures and expands pristine, ethically-sourced umbilical cord-derived MSCs in our lab. They are never frozen.
Our team of biologists cultures and expands pristine, ethically-sourced umbilical cord-derived MSCs in our lab. (Learn more about how we generate and culture stem cells for medical use.)
Harvested for You:
On the morning of your treatment, our lab team harvests a new, fresh batch of cells specifically for you.
Peak Potency:
These cells are at their maximum metabolic activity. They are healthy, unstressed, and in their prime.
Immediate Administration:
The fresh cells are verified for quality and count, then walked, not shipped, directly to our medical team. They are administered to the patient within hours of being harvested.
Why Fresh Stem Cells Offer Better Efficacy
By removing cryopreservation from our protocol, we ensure that our patients receive a product of uncompromising quality.
The advantages of fresh stem cells are clear:
This enhanced activity includes the release of powerful biological signals known as growth factors, which play a crucial role in regeneration and cellular communication.
When a family chooses regenerative medicine, they are seeking the most advanced care possible. We believe that “advanced care” must include the quality of the cells themselves. Our “harvested same day” process not only ensures potency but also contributes to the overall benefits of stem cell therapy in Pakistan, setting a new national benchmark in medical innovation.
