For years, the Hoag Orthopedic Institute has been at the forefront of advancing orthopedic care through groundbreaking research and top-tier fellowships. Hoag Orthopedics is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Hoag Orthopedic Institute physicians that fosters education, research and community outreach in orthopedic medicine. Through the support of Hoag Orthopedics, researchers at the Hoag Orthopedic Institute are embarking on a first-of-its-kind clinical trial in partnership with Immunis, a biotechnology company developing regenerative therapies.  

A Shift Toward Non-Surgical Solutions 

Orthopedics has long been associated with surgical interventions to repair and restore movement. However, a growing trend in the field is focused on developing noninvasive treatments to avoid the need for surgery altogether. Immunis Inc.’s STEM-META clinical trial is centered on IMM01-STEM, an investigational therapy designed to reverse muscle mass loss and potentially improve physical function. The big picture? Keeping people stronger for longer, reducing the need for surgical procedures, and improving overall quality of life. 

How This Could Transform Orthopedic Care 

This clinical research is at the forefront of an innovative approach to muscle regeneration. Injected directly into muscle, this therapy harnesses the natural signaling power of stem cells to stimulate muscle repair and recovery. It’s like giving your cells a wake-up call, encouraging them to function more like they did in youth. 

Early-phase trials have shown promising results. “The real measure of success isn’t an increase in muscle size; it is how well people improve movement and regain strength,” said Erin Curry, PA-C, MSPAS, MPH, director of medical affairs at Immunis. Now advancing to the next phase of research, the team is exploring how this therapy could help prevent muscle loss, particularly in patients with both mild obesity and age-related muscle decline. If successful, this breakthrough could redefine how we approach muscle recovery, rehabilitation, and even surgery prevention. 

The Role of Philanthropy in Advancing Innovation 

None of this would be possible without philanthropy. Executive Director of Hoag Orthopedics Carlos Prietto, MD, MEd, highlighted this essential support: “Philanthropy is the backbone of our ability to conduct research. It allows us to pursue investigator-initiated research—projects driven by our physicians’ curiosity and commitment to advancing care, in addition to industry-sponsored studies like this one. The ability to explore new ideas and translate them into real-world applications is what sets Hoag apart.”  

Hoag Orthopedics plays a critical role in funding fellowships and research at Hoag Orthopedic Institute, ensuring novel studies like this one can take place. In this instance, donor support has helped to equip a lab, fund research coordinators and clinical staff, provide specialized training with local pharmacy teams, support patient screening and clinical trial logistics, and enable essential procedures such as blood draws and monitoring. Philanthropy has also contributed to an increase in peer-reviewed research, with over 30 publications from Hoag Orthopedic Institute physician researchers in the past year alone. 

To learn more about this clinical trial, or if you are interested in participating in the trial, please contact Edward Quilligan, research manager, Hoag Orthopedics, at (949) 942 – 8984 or edward.quilligan@hoagorthopedics.org. 

If you would like to support this important work through Hoag Orthopedics, please contact Sean Fischer, director of development, Hoag Hospital Foundation, at (949) 557-0269 or sean.fischer@hoag.org. 

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