Most regenerative medicine therapies focus on delivering medicine intravenously, that is, through a vein commonly known as an IV. It uses your bloodstream to move treatments and therapies around the body. While IV methods work well in some conditions, there is a way to better target specific areas of the body. This is important for using stem cell therapy for things like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Much of our lymphatic and immune system is found in our abdomen, which is critical for therapies focusing on IBD. At Innate Healthcare Institute, we’ve focused on an intraperitoneal delivery method to target the intestines and provide systemic delivery.
An intraperitoneal (IP) injection involves delivering therapies directly into the peritoneal cavity, which is the space that houses organs like the liver, intestines, stomach, as well as the lymphatic, circulatory, and immune systems. The peritoneal cavity is lined by a membrane called the peritoneum, which offers a large surface area for absorption.
How an Intraperitoneal Injection is Done
1. Preparation: To begin, the patient is put in a specific position where the stomach can be easily reached, usually lying flat. Alcohol is used to clean and sterilize the area to prevent infection. A doctor may also use a local numbing agent (anesthetic) to decrease the pain.
2. Needle Insertion: A doctor will use imaging guidance, such as ultrasound, to carefully insert a thin needle or catheter through the abdominal wall into the peritoneal cavity.
3. Infusion or Injection: The therapeutic agent (in this case, stem cells, exosomes, or other regenerative substances) is placed directly into the peritoneal cavity. The dose and volume are calculated based on the patient’s condition and treatment plan.
4. Post-Procedure Monitoring: After the injection, the patient is monitored for any unexpected negative reactions or complications, such as infection or fluid buildup in the abdomen. If there are no complications after 10 minutes, you’re free to go home.
Advantages of Intraperitoneal Injections for Regenerative Medicine
1. High Absorption Rate: The peritoneum has a large surface area, allowing therapeutic agents like stem cells and exosomes to easily cross into the membrane. This allows for widespread coverage in the intestines, which may boost regenerative effects throughout the intestines and body.
2. Targeting Specific Organs: Since the peritoneal cavity surrounds key abdominal organs, this method can help target localized tissue repair. Conditions that directly affect the intestines, like IBD, could benefit from intraperitoneally regenerative therapies.
3. Causes Minimally Damage: Compared to other surgical approaches, intraperitoneal injections are less disruptive, not requiring cutting through tissue. This reduces recovery time and the risk of complications such as infection, bleeding, or scarring.
4 The Ability to Spread Throughout the Body: IP injections stimulate local and whole-body effects. While local organs benefit directly, the treatment can also enter the bloodstream and lymph system allowing it to spread to other areas of the body and potentially help diseases or conditions more widely.
5. Promotes Stem Cells Movement to Injured Areas: In regenerative medicine, stem cells are often believed to “home” to areas of injury or inflammation. By introducing stem cells into the peritoneal cavity, they’re exposed to various organs and tissues, which may increase their ability to locate and migrate to areas in need of repair, called “homing”.
6. Potential for Repeated Treatments: Because it causes minimal damage, intraperitoneal methods can be done multiple times. This can be beneficial for chronic conditions that may need multiple stem cell or exosome therapies.
In the field of regenerative medicine, there is promise in using simple procedures that cause minimal damage and are easy to perform. These procedures deliver powerful biological agents directly to the peritoneal cavity, which shows potential for treating conditions such as IBD. This approach can help repair organ damage, address autoimmune components, and regenerate tissue.
You can check out our article about how stem cells therapy works in IBD to learn more.
