Acorn focuses on storing cells that are both, your own (autologous) and cryogenically frozen (stopping the effects of aging). This offers some very distinct advantages for regenerative medicine, and provides a great starting material for upcoming cell based treatments.
The types of conditions where your own younger cells could be helpful are in the following areas
- where genetic compatibility is either preferred, important, or required
- where the damage or deficiency is attributed to age, wear and tear or acute injury
- where there’s a need for replenishing, rejuvenating or reforming specific tissues.
These could include:
- The visible signs of aging like wrinkles, skin discoloration, and hair loss.
- Orthopedic conditions such as osteoarthritis and joint injuries.
- Acute sports injuries like tears in cartilage, ligaments, muscle tissues and as well as bone fractures.
- Injuries such as burn wounds, cuts, ulcers, and scars.
- Cardiac conditions such as heart attacks and heart failure.
- Neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injuries.
- Bone and cartilage conditions such as osteoporosis and osteonecrosis.
- Organ damage and disease cause by lifestyle or the effects of age.
While some personal genetics may increase the predisposition to certain diseases, cancers, and conditions, age is often the most important factor. If you are able to preserve cells ahead of the onset of these conditions, you will have a better starting material to work with for regenerative medicine treatments.
Areas where your own cells might not be as effective are specific disorders and diseases associated directly with genetics, or conditions where the patient's own cells are genetically malfunctioning, like Type 1 diabetes and sickle cell anemia. Any cell treatment using donor cells would have the risk of cell rejection, or more serious side effects like graft vs host disease. Because of this, any treatment using donor cells would require immunosuppressants to guard against these risks, which come with their own side effects and health risks.
Genetic based conditions would ultimately require some gene therapy and the use of technologies like CRISPR to help resolve the underlying issues before autologous regenerative treatments could be helpful.