Regenerative medicine harnesses the power of the body's own cells and cell by-products to facilitate healing. We call it regenerative medicine because we utilize the animals own resources to regenerate the original tissue rather than allow it to scar. These therapies will not be rejected by the patients immune system and also will not drug test for competitions. Tissues such as bone, tendon, ligaments, and cartilage can definitely benefit from regenerative medicine. We are proud to be the first equine hospital in the nation certified for ACT Now Autologous Cellular Therapy. The ACT Now therapies use the most up to date processing methods that we can complete in our own lab or your facility, allowing the treatment to begin at the same appointment as the collection. The ACT Now therapies included in Conley and Koontz Equine Hospital's arsenal of regenerative resources are: ACT-PRP, Pro-StrideTM Injection: ACTProtein Solution, and ACT Cell Concentration. ACT-PRP: The platelets that are circulating throughout your own horses blood are responsible for initiating the clotting and healing process. When these platelets become activated they release various anti-inflammatory substances and growth factors that are responsible for the beginning of healing. These anti-inflammatory substances and growth factors recruit cells that are responsible for healing and new blood vessel formation to the site of injury. ACT-PRPis a platelet rich plasma product that is prepared by concentrating your own horses blood through a special procedure that results in a plasma that is rich in activated platelets and devoid of other cells that result in inflammation. Unlike other PRP products on the market, our PRP has a 6-8 times concentration of platelets and a 90% capture rate compared to the other PRP products (2-3 times; 60% capture). Injections of ACT-PRP into the region of the injury have been shown to accelerate and enhance the healing process using the body's own mechanisms. Pro-Stride Injection: ACT -Protein Solution: Pro Stride is a therapy which uses interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein and various other antiinflammatory proteins and growth factors collected from the animals own blood. The product is used to counteract inflammatory proteins which are present in joints with osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease. ProStrideTM makes the inflammatory protein ineffective in causing inflammation and calms the joint allowing it to heal. The process involves collecting blood from the patient and processing it into one injection. Unlike other incubated (6-24 hrs) IRAP/autologous conditioned serum products on the market which contain mostly serum, IRAP, and a high level of inflammatory proteins (IL-1), ProStride offers a protein solution consisting of white blood cells (anti-inflammatory proteins), platelets (anti-inflammatory/pro-healing proteins), and an anti-inflammatory protein-rich conditioned solution which contains virtually no detectable inflammatory proteins and 5-10 times more IRAP protein in less than 60 minutes. ProStrideTM processing is done in our own lab or your barn in less than 1 hour, avoiding the shipping and incubation delays of previous IRAP therapies. ACT-Cell Concentration: Stem cells are progenitor cells that are extraordinary because they can grow and multiply many times. This is different than other cells in the body because they have already differentiated and are end-stage cells. These stem cells have the ability to differentiate into multiple tissue types like cartilage, bone, or tendon. We collect these stem cells from bone marrow. The ACT-Cell Concentrator makes a stem cell rich solution that also has the added benefit of platelet rich plasma (anti-inflammatory/pro-healing proteins) and can be processed in our hospital or your barn in less than 1 hour. Treatment: If your horse has sustained an injury to a tendon, ligament, bone, or cartilage; regenerative medicine may very well give your horse the best opportunity for complete resolution of the injury and return to athletic function. The ACT Now therapies minimize wait time. With treatments available at the same appointment as diagnosis, your horse can be on the road to recovery with minimum wait time.