Autologous conditioned serum, also known as Orthokine and Regenokine, is an experimental procedure in which a person's own blood is extracted, manipulated, and then reintroduced with claimed benefit in

osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of degenerative joint disease that results from breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone which affects 1 in 7 adults in the United States. It is believed to be the fourth leading cause of disability in the w ...

. There is limited evidence on safety and effectiveness as of 2017. It is not included in medical guidelines as of 2017. It is a type of autologous blood therapy.

Medical use

There is limited evidence on safety and effectiveness as of 2017. There is tentative evidence in

. Its use has not been recommended or considered by the Osteoarthritis Research Society International.

Process

The process removes about of blood from a patient's arm, which is then incubated at a slightly raised temperature. The liquid is then placed in a

centrifuge A centrifuge is a device that uses centrifugal force to separate various components of a fluid. This is achieved by spinning the fluid at high speed within a container, thereby separating fluids of different densities (e.g. cream from milk) or ...

until its constituent parts are separated. That serum is injected into the patient's affected area.

History

Autologous conditioned serum is a patented method developed by

molecular biologist Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecule, molecular basis of biological activity in and between Cell (biology), cells, including biomolecule, biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interact ...

Julio Reinecke and Peter Wehling, a spinal surgeon in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian language, Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second- ...

, Germany. Orthokine was first approved for use in Germany in 2003. Orthokine differs from a similar procedure with

platelet-rich plasma Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), also known as autologous conditioned plasma, is a concentrate of platelet-rich plasma protein derived from whole blood, centrifuged to remove red blood cells. Though promoted to treat an array of medical problems, evid ...

(PRP), where platelets are targeted instead of the interleukin antagonist. Also, PRP does not require the blood to be heated as Orthokine does. As of August 2012, about 60,000 patients worldwide have received the treatment. Americans have traveled to Germany for the treatment, which has not been approved by the

U.S. Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

(FDA). Freddie Fu, a professor of orthopedic surgery at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...

, said more high-quality independent trials proving the procedure's effectiveness are needed before the FDA approves.

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

player Kobe Bryant traveled to Germany to have the procedure performed. Some basketball fans refer to the procedure as the "Kobe Procedure". The procedure costs €6,000 (about $7,400) as of July 2012 and is not covered by health insurance.

References

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