News
Cellular Healing
Johnny Huard starts his day with a five-mile run. Like most runners he loves the endorphins. But the knee pain? Not so much. I feel it today he says and I'll feel it tomorrow.
But he isn't just gritting his teeth and swallowing ibuprofen. Johnny Huard Ph.D. regenerative-medicine researcheris racing toward a remedy. A way to help the body age slower and heal faster. And he's doing key components of that work in Vail. He is chief scientific officer at Steadman Philippon Research Institute and director of the Center for Regenerative Sports Medicine.
In addition Dr. Huard remains the Distinguished Wallace Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.
Why the partnership in Vail? Some of the best orthopaedic surgeons in the world are here he says. And they want to be even better and help their patients heal more swiftly.
The key is stem cellsthose jack-of-all-trade cells that can morph into any type of tissue in the body. Dr. Huard should know: He's spent 20 years unlocking the secrets of cell damage and tissue repair.
The goal of his research is to turbocharge the body's repair mechanism by culturing a patient's own stem cells and boosting the supply. If we take a muscle biopsy that contains a million cells about 100 of those will actually be stem cells he says. But we can culture those 100 and in three weeks we'll have 20 million stem cells.
Studies suggest stem-cell reinforcements can speed healing of injured patients. And for aging patients a stem-cell boost can help the body resist normal wear and tear and potentially fight diseases.
Stem cells can't make you younger Dr. Huard points out. But they can keep you healthier and help you age better.
More News
-
New!
More
Keeping the Peace This Holiday Season: Tools for Handling Tense Moments With Care
Holidays may be joyous, but they often come with awkward moments, family dysfunction and difficult conversations.
-
New!
More
First Chair to Last Call: What Does Alcohol Really Mean For Your Health?
In nearly every Colorado ski town, some iteration of the neon sign blares its play-hard-party-harder anthem. It’s a not-so-subtle nod to mountain party culture, a lifestyle that normalizes combining sports and outdoor adventures with heavy drinking and partying. In Eagle County, après culture, high-altitude living and outdoor performance have coexisted for as long as locals have been sliding on snow. But how much is too much at altitude? And what role do social support systems play in helping residents find balance?
-
More
Counting More Than Steps: How Wearables Can Help (or Hinder) Your Health
From step counts to sleep stages, heart rate variability to blood sugar spikes, wearable devices are giving us a front-row seat to what’s happening inside our bodies. Strapped to wrists, slipped onto fingers or wrapped around our biceps, wearables like the Oura Ring or Whoop strap promise insight and advice in the quest for better health.