UNAIR NEWS – In 2008, RSUD Dr. Soetomo in collaboration with Institute of Tropical Diseases (ITD) and Faculty of Medicine Universitas Airlangga established Surabaya Regenerative Medicine Center as the center of stem cell treatment development. It is the ninth year of Surabaya Regenerative Medicine Center and it keeps introducing innovations.

Surabaya Regenerative Medicine Center through RSUD Dr. Soetomo’s Tissue Bank Installation has treated dozens of patients using Stem Cell method. From diabetes, blood cancer, cerebral palsy to  osteoarthritis patients.

If stem cell before was developed with Cell Based Therapy, now this development center introduces tissue engineering method. It was stated by the Head of Surabaya Regenerative Medicine Center DR. Dr. Ferdiansyah, SpOT.

As time goes on, there are two methods of stem cell development, through Cell Based Therapy and using cell and biomaterial called scaffold or also known as tissue engineering.

“Tissue Bank of RSUD Dr. Soetomo has produced a lot of biomaterial such as scaffold which is combined with stem cell for tissue engineering. It is developed in RSUD Dr. Soetomo,” he stated.

Cell Based Therapy often used by non-surgeon doctors. It is used to replace the damage cells due to degeneration of cells (aging).Furthermore, the method is also used to replace the protein for metabolism.

This combination of stem cell and scaffold has different advantages. This tissue engineering generally used by surgeons to handle major cases.

If the damage only in the cell area, such as stroke, diabetes, parkinson, then treatment with Cell Based Therapy can be used. But if there is major and complex damage, the treatment should use tissue engineering, a combination of stem cell and scaffold.

Ferdiansyah explained that from some cases he handled with tissue engineering, some of them were dealing with bone tumor. They are difficult to handle as beside removing the tumor, a great part of the bone was also extracted. To replace the tissue function from major damage, stemcell and scaffold combination is needed.

Another case was dealing with osteoarthritis. By this tissue engineering, it can be used to replace tissue function from major damage.

“For other example, a patient of traffic accident. Due to great impact, some of their bones lost. If the lost part was big, it is difficult to handle only with stemcell. It is even more difficult if a transplant is taken from the other part of body. It can cause disability. Therefore, tissue engineering is needed,” he explained.

Sacffold is made of donor bone material or animal processed bone, or biomaterial created in tissue bank RSUD Dr. Soetomo. To apply the engineering method, scaffold is combined with stem cell which then planted in the damaged or lost part of bones.

“When stem cell and scaffold is ‘planted’, there will be recovery process. Slowly, the damaged part of body will heal and function normally,” he said.

Stem cell and scaffold combination in damaged or lone bone part will give opportunity to full recovery. For bone cases, at least six month to a year is needed for the recovery.

“At the moment, scaffold is applied for bone, tendon and cartilage damages. Organ damage still treated with Cell Based Therapy. Scaffold treatment for organ damage is still being developed. Hopefully it can be applied for organ damage,” he said.

Regenerative concept is the stem cell work principle. It means if there is a damage, it can be repaired with stem cell to get full recovery.

These various innovations are the results of long and continuous research process. For nine years, basic in vitro research in the laboratory and animal study in ITD UNAIR were conducted. These process is aimed to know the stability and safety of the cell before applied to the patients. After it is stable and safe, the next process is isolation and stem cell culture in Tissue Bank  RSUD Dr. Soetomo and then applied to the patient.

Tissue and Cell Bank Installation of RSUD Dr. Soetomo is a non-profit service which take, process and distribute biological tissue for transplants.

The installation was initiated in 1992. At that time tissue bank has produced Fresh Frozen Bone. In 2000, it has new equipment which support the process of biological tissue. Since then, tissue bank can produce various biological tissue with guaranteed safety based on the standards of Asia Pacific Association of Surgical Tissue Banking. (*)

Author : Sefya Hayu

Editor    : Binti Q. Masruroh