Alpha-2-Macroglobulin

The Sharper Edge Anti-Aging and Rejuvenation Clinic is pleased to offer an exciting new, non-operative treatment for arthritis of the knee arthritis pain.

This scientific alternative to the usual non-operative and operative approaches for osteoarthritis of the knee uses your body’s own defenses to stop pain and loss of mobility of the knee. We are talking about the use of Alpha 2 Macroglobulin (A2M), a protein found in all of us. Using what is already inside of you, we can isolate then administer an injection using the A2M protein to dial down the pain in your knee.

So how does this treatment work? Let me explain.

Osteoarthritis is a condition that results from the breakdown of articular cartilage that cover the ends of the bones that make up a joint. Because it has very poor blood supply, articular cartilage has little capacity to heal. Once damaged, through a lifetime of normal use or as a result of trauma, this complex tissue sheds small fragments into the joint. These fragments are eliminated from the joint through a naturally occurring enzymatic process that digests these fragments preventing their potentially harmful buildup. In most people the body is able to regulate the release of these enzymes. In some patients, this feedback loop is genetically compromised and doesn’t function properly allowing the “out of control” release of enzymes, enzymes which damage previously normal cartilage, which releases even more cartilage fragments. These damaging enzymes are not shut down or inactivated by the traditional methods used to treat arthritis pain: anti-inflammatories, “cortisone” (steroid) and visco-supplementation injections (Synvisc, Hyalgan, etc.). While these methods may mask the pain, the destructive process goes on.

Using innovative technology, we can now test for the presence of these cartilage fragments which imply a predisposition toward the overproduction of these destructive enzymes. The test involves pulling fluid out of the joint and is quick and of no cost to the patient. Once we’ve determined that the patient is likely to benefit from the procedure, we separate the A2M from the patient’s blood sample. The Alpha 2 Macroglobulin is then injected into the joint where it binds to and inactivates the destructive enzymes stopping further joint destruction. While ongoing research might eventually discover how long the protection lasts, it has been our experience that the protection and pain relief last from months to years!