autologous bone marrow concentrate

Autologous bone marrow concentrate (aBMC) is a point-of-care cell therapy developed by Cesca Therapeutics (now ThermoGenesis Holdings) for the treatment of non-reconstructable critical limb ischemia (CLI). The therapy is prepared using the proprietary SurgWerks system, which rapidly concentrates a patient's own bone marrow aspirate to isolate a rich fraction of mononuclear cells (MNCs), including hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). This concentrate is then delivered via multiple intramuscular injections into the ischemic limb. The therapeutic mechanism is primarily paracrine, where the concentrated cells secrete a variety of pro-angiogenic growth factors and cytokines—such as VEGF, FGF, and HGF—that stimulate neovascularization, improve distal perfusion, and promote tissue repair. The Phase 3 CLIRST III trial was initiated to evaluate the efficacy of aBMC in preventing major amputations in CLI patients, although the program faced challenges related to corporate restructuring and funding.

Brand names

SurgWerks

Other names

bone marrow aspirate concentrateBMACautologous bone marrow mononuclear cells