Ortokine therapy

Orthokine® (autologous conditioned serum or ACS) is a special serum from the patients own blood, which features a significantly higher concentration of signaling proteins, especially Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) and different growth factors.The initial idea to develop the Orthokine®-therapy is based on the fact that Interleukin-1(IL-1; a messenger of the immune system) plays an important role in cartilage degradation, nerve root inflammation and pain.The opponent of IL-1, IL-1Ra, is a natural inhibitor of IL-1. Particular immune cells in the blood of a patient are capable of releasing IL-1Ra in large quantities. During the processingof Orthokine those cells are triggered to do so as well as several growth factors, which play an important role in connective tissue repair.