CG Bio's 'Cellunit' Introduced at Severance Hospital Sinchon Orthopedic Surgery

Automated SVF System 'Cellunit'
Now Used for Knee Osteoarthritis Treatment at Severance Hospital

CG Bio, a company specializing in regenerative medicine, announced on June 17 that treatments involving the intra-articular injection of autologous adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) using its automated cell therapy platform 'Cellunit' have begun to be applied to knee osteoarthritis patients at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Severance Hospital in Sinchon, Yonsei University.

Cellunit product image by CG Bio. Photo by CG Bio

Cellunit, which has been approved as a new medical technology by the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency (NECA), is a system that automatically extracts SVF from a patient's subcutaneous adipose tissue for therapeutic use. SVF is a collection of various cell types present in adipose tissue, including stem cells and immune cells involved in inflammation regulation and tissue regeneration.

Initially, Cellunit was mainly used in cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures for tissue regeneration, but its application has recently expanded to a variety of medical fields, including musculoskeletal disorders. At the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Severance Hospital in Sinchon, the use of Cellunit for knee treatment in osteoarthritis patients has been fully introduced, and SVF-based therapeutic approaches are gradually expanding within the field of orthopedics.

For patients diagnosed with KL grade 2-3 knee osteoarthritis (a stage where moderate or greater degenerative changes are observed), Cellunit is being used to relieve pain and improve joint function. The application of this procedure is gradually increasing in the orthopedic field, with real-world adoption in clinical settings. Since SVF contains immune cells and stem cells that regulate inflammation, this therapy is attracting attention not only for its pain-relieving effects but also for its potential to regenerate cartilage.

Cellunit is characterized by its automated process, which significantly reduces infection risk and reproducibility issues that can occur with conventional manual SVF extraction methods. It enables high cell yield from small amounts of adipose tissue and maintains consistent quality by using standardized enzymes of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) grade, while its sterilized closed structure minimizes infection risk. In addition, its compact size enhances space efficiency within hospitals.

CG Bio plans to use this application in orthopedics as a stepping stone to expand the clinical potential of SVF-based regenerative therapies to various medical specialties. The company is also gradually introducing Cellunit to major hospitals, including Gangnam Severance Hospital and Yongin Severance Hospital.

Yoo Hyunseung, CEO of CG Bio, stated, "Through our collaboration with the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Severance Hospital in Sinchon, we are demonstrating the clinical utility of Cellunit in actual treatment settings," and added, "We will continue to advance the technology and strengthen partnerships with medical institutions so that Cellunit can become a new platform for musculoskeletal knee treatments."