Treatments using your own cells to support tendon and cartilage repair

Orthocell develops autologous cell therapies designed to support the repair and regeneration of damaged tendon and cartilage tissue.

“Autologous” means the treatment uses cells collected from your own body. These cells are grown in Orthocell’s laboratory and then returned to the site of injury by a trained clinician or orthopaedic surgeon.

Orthocell’s cell therapy treatments include:

  • Tendon cell therapy for chronic tendon injuries
  • OrthoACITM for articular cartilage defects in joints such as the knee, patella and ankle

These treatments may be considered when symptoms persist despite standard care, and when a specialist determines that cell therapy is suitable for your condition. 

What are autologous cell therapies?

Autologous cell therapies use a patient’s own healthy cells to help repair damaged tissue.

A small tissue sample, called a biopsy, is collected by a clinician. The specific cells needed for treatment are then isolated and grown under controlled laboratory conditions. Once enough cells have been prepared, they are returned to the area of injury.

Because the cells come from your own body, they wont cause an immune reaction like they could if you implanted someone else’s cells. 

Tendon cell therapy: for chronic tendon injuries 

Tendon cell therapy is Orthocell’s autologous tenocyte therapy for chronic tendon injuries.

Tenocytes are tendon cells. In tendon cell therapy, a small sample of healthy tendon is collected, and the tenocytes are grown in Orthocell’s laboratory. Once prepared, the cells are injected into the damaged tendon using ultrasound imaging to guide where the cells are implanted.

Autologous tenocyte therapy may be considered for patients with pain or other symptoms of tendinopathy for more than 6 months who have not responded to conservative treatments such as physiotherapy, rehabilitation, activity modification or injections. 

However, this treatment is not formally approved or registered for general use in Australia on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, known as the ARTG. Instead, it may only be accessed in limited circumstances through the TGA’s Special Access Scheme, where a suitably qualified clinician considers it appropriate for an individual patient.

Further, this treatment may not be suitable for everyone. A suitably qualified clinician will consider your age, medical history, allergies, current medicines, immune health, pregnancy or breastfeeding status, and the type and severity of your tendon injury before deciding whether it is appropriate for you.

Learn more about Tendon cell therapy

OrthoACI™: cell therapy for cartilage defects 

OrthoACI™ is Orthocell’s autologous chondrocyte implantation treatment for articular cartilage defects.

Chondrocytes are cartilage cells. In OrthoACI™, a small sample of healthy cartilage is collected from a non-weightbearing area of the knee. The chondrocytes are isolated, grown in the laboratory and then implanted into the cartilage defect by an orthopaedic surgeon.

OrthoACI™ may be considered for symptomatic cartilage damage in the knee, patella or ankle, including cartilage defects caused by trauma, wear or degradation.

OrthoACI is not suitable for patients with osteoarthritis, very large cartilage lesions (more than 20cm2 in total), or outside the 18–55 age range, so these eligibility limits should be clearly stated for patients seeking treatment options.

Why cartilage can be difficult to repair

Articular cartilage is the smooth tissue that covers the ends of bones inside a joint. It helps joints move smoothly and absorb load.

Unlike some other tissues in the body, cartilage has limited ability to repair itself. When cartilage damage becomes symptomatic, it can cause pain, swelling, stiffness and reduced mobility. 

Learn more about OrthoACI™ cartilage therapy

Autologous Cell Therapies FAQs 

Cell Therapies

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How does autologous cell therapy work?

Autologous cell therapy usually involves collecting a small tissue sample, isolating the required cells, growing those cells in a specialised laboratory, and then placing them back into the area of injury. The aim is to support the body’s natural repair processes using the patient’s own cells.
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Why are a patient’s own cells used in autologous cell therapy?

A patient’s own cells are used because they are biologically matched to that person. This avoids the need to use donor cells from another person, which your body may react to. The cells are collected, expanded and returned to the patient as part of an individualised treatment process.
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What does “autologous” mean in cell therapy?

“Autologous” means the cells used in treatment come from the same person who receives the treatment. In autologous cell therapy, cells are collected from the patient, prepared in a laboratory, and returned to the patient’s own body to support tissue repair.
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What types of tissue can autologous cell therapies help support?

Autologous cell therapies may be used to support the repair of specific damaged tissues, depending on the type of cells involved and the condition being treated. Orthocell’s cell therapies are designed to support the repair and regeneration of damaged tendon and cartilage tissue.
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When might autologous cell therapy be considered?

Autologous cell therapy may be considered when symptoms persist despite standard care, and when a specialist determines that cell therapy may be suitable for the patient’s condition. They are not suitable for every type of injury and not for every patient. It may be considered as a treatment option after clinical assessment, diagnosis and review of previous treatments.
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Is autologous cell therapy the same as stem cell therapy?

Autologous cell therapy is a broad term for treatments that use a patient’s own cells. Some cell therapies may involve stem cells, while others use specialised cells from specific tissues. Orthocell’s cell therapies use cells relevant to the tissue being treated, such as tendon cells for tendon repair and cartilage cells for cartilage defects.
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How are cells prepared for autologous cell therapy?

After a small tissue sample is collected, the required cells are isolated and grown under controlled laboratory conditions. Every type of cell and each person’s cells grow at different rates. Once enough cells have been grown in the laboratory, they are implanted in the area of injury by a trained clinician or orthopaedic surgeon.
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How is the cell implant scheduled after the biopsy?

After the biopsy, the patient’s tendon cells are sent to Orthocell’s laboratory, where they are cultured until enough cells are available for treatment. Once ready, the cells can be frozen and securely stored until the implant procedure is scheduled. This means the implant does not need to occur immediately after the cells are prepared, allowing the surgeon and patient to plan the timing of treatment.
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How soon after leaving the laboratory do the cells need to be implanted?

Once the final OrthoATI™ cell preparation is released from the laboratory for treatment, it must be implanted within 72 hours. Although this is managed through a controlled scheduling and logistics process to ensure the cells are handled and implanted appropriately, it limits where this treatment can be delivered.
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Who performs an autologous cell therapy procedure?

Treatment using Orthocell’s autologous cell therapies are only available from trained healthcare professionals. A clinician collects the tissue sample, laboratory specialists prepare the cells, and a trained clinician or orthopaedic surgeon returns the cells to the area of injury, depending on the treatment and clinical pathway.