Anti aging medicine or regenerative medicine is an extension of preventive health care, and is the next great model of health care for the new millennium.
This form of medicine is focused on the very early detection, prevention, and reversal of age-related disease. This includes heart disease, most cancers, adult-onset diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, arthritis, osteoarthritis, autoimmune disease, glaucoma, and Alzheimer’s. With early detection and appropriate intervention, most of these diseases can be prevented, cured, or have their downward course reversed. If we could slow ageing we could eliminate almost 50% of all adult diseases
Stem cell therapy as a therapeutic intervention against ageing is derived from the use of stem cells for over 30 years. Utilising the benefits of research into stem cells and clinical application stem cell therapies have been successfully utilized around the world to treat a wide range of aging-related disorders, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurodegenerative diseases and diseases associated with ageing metabolism.
As we age, our stem cell reserves with which we are born, decline. Our cells diminish in their ability to regenerate and repair tissue. Age-related changes occur in the skin, organs, sex glands, immune system, blood-forming system, muscles and other systems. These changes are all due to the decrease in the function and loss of stem cells. As our body’s cells become progressively weaker over time and perish, their replacement with new stem cells can slow down ageing. Evidence of an “anti-aging” effect of stem cells is reported in medical literature. In one report, fetal liver stem cell and cord blood stem cell preparations improved immune function and hormonal balance in patients undergoing cosmetic procedures, and thereby enhanced the cosmetic outcome.
Stem cell anti-ageing therapy is the replacement of diseased, dysfunctional, aged or injured cells with either stem cells or activation of the body’s own latent stem cells. This is somewhat similar to the organ transplant process but uses stem cells instead of organs. Perhaps this is why the process of ageing can be slowed down with the supplementation of stem cells. Stem cell therapy or stem cell transplantation is often referred to as regenerative medicine. This field of regenerative medicine is at the forefront of advances in anti-ageing therapies.
Stem cells are different from other types of cells in two ways:
In the 70’s the use of vitamins was introduced, the 80’s brought herbal remedies from the Eastern world to the West. In the 90’s, anti-oxidants and exotic juices came into the marketplace. Nowadays we have stem cell treatments. But until now, no marketed substance has yet been proven to slow or reverse human aging. Finally, after years of research, science has discovered the natural renewal system of our bodies. By being able to assist our bodies to achieve optimal health we will allow ourselves to live a long fruitful life.
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As we age, three major concerns seem to be at the top of our list: freedom from disease, an alert brain, and physical function. Remarkably, stem cells seem to be able to improve all three.
Through regenerative medicine and anti-ageing treatments we can enjoy life and well being to our full potential for longer. No longer will age be the impediment to our quality of life.
Scientists used to believe that our cells did not begin to degenerate (ageing-process) until about the age of 36, but research has found that cell degeneration begins in the womb and continuing shortly after birth.
Cells are constantly turned over or replaced and replenished e.g. skin and hair cells are continuously growing from an adult’s own supply of stem cells. Unfortunately this source is quite small and obviously depletes over time. The best example of the constant replenishment of cells from stem cells is the blood, which is made of red blood cells that are continuously replaced from haematopoietic stem cells as they only survive for 120 days.
As we grow older, the ability of the repair mechanisms in our bodies lessen, allowing free-radical damage to accumulate; cells, tissues, and organs become impaired, and we become more vulnerable to disease. The result, wrinkles, stiff joints, loss of muscle and bone mass, reduced hearing and our ability to heal diminish. We bruise easier as our skin becomes thinner and is less elastic. Imagine how we would feel today if we could have started the anti-aging process in our thirties.
Stem cells repair, regenerate and rejuvenate the diseased organ, thus limiting the further progress of the disease itself, as well as halting the ageing process; your immune response may also be enhanced thereby further slowing down the disease process or ageing. Treatment with stem cell therapy is not a cure, it is a process of repair, regeneration and rejuvenation that occurs at varying levels. This is why stem cell treatment is so effective and essential for anti ageing.
Stem cell treatment itself also modulates the immune mechanism as stem cells themselves act as mild immunosuppressive agents. This may allow the body’s own healing and regenerative capacity to become more effective.
Research has revealed that bone marrow stem cells constitute the natural renewal system of the body. Simply supporting the release of stem cells from the bone marrow allows the body to combat ageing naturally thereby promoting optimal health. Over the past ten years or so, profound advancements have been made in the area of stem cell research and anti-aging, so much so that almost all anti ageing therapies now include a stem cell component.
The question posed is that if we can repair ourselves then why do we need stem cell treatments? One theory is that there are not enough stored stem cells to constantly repair the body’s tissues as they are recruited for more vital tasks such as replacing red blood cells. Stem cell treatment is the replacement of diseased, dysfunctional, aged or injured cells with mesenchymal stem cells.resulting in the benefits of anti ageing, i.e. a more enjoyable and healthier life.
Researchers have shown for the first time that putting two specific types of neural cells directly into an aging brain can kick-start creation of brain cells linked to learning and memory. (1)
Cardiomyocytes that die in response to disease processes or aging are replaced by scar tissue instead of new muscle cells. Although recent reports suggest an intrinsic capacity for the mammalian myocardium to regenerate via endogenous stem cells, the magnitude of such a response appears to be limited, although beneficial, but has yet to be realized fully in patients with heart disease. If this process can be augmented via stem cell treatments then survival rates following heart disease will increase.
Studies from multiple laboratories have shown that transplantation of donor cells (e.g. fetal cardiomyocytes, skeletal myoblasts, smooth muscle cells, and adult stem cells) can improve the function of diseased hearts over a short period of time (1 - 4 weeks). While long-term follow-up studies are warranted, it is generally perceived that the beneficial effects of transplanted cells are mainly due to increased angiogenesis or scar remodeling in the engrafted myocardium.
“The level of CD34+ (stem cells) is one of the best predictors of cardiovascular health. The higher number of circulating stem cells, the greater the cardiovascular health”….. “The level of stem cells in the blood was a better predictor of heart attack than cholesterol level”. New England Journal of Medicine Sept. 8, 2005.
This is a major finding and provides a foundation for the suggestion that stem cells contribute to the ongoing repairs needed for a healthy heart and overall health. Enhancing the number of stem cells in the blood seems to be a very important factor for maintaining cardiovascular health.
Mesenchymal stem cell treatment is promising as a cell-based therapeutic strategy for cardiovascular disease. The possible therapeutic role of mesenchymal stem cells in vascular stenosis has been investigated. Researchers have tested the effectiveness of allogenic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in reduction of stenosis in research studies. They have shown that the internal size of the arteries is larger with stem cell treatment and there will be less regrowth of stenotic lesion. Stem cells also lowered the levels of inflammation-related genes after arteriotomy. (2)
Skin is an organ whose function is far beyond a physical barrier between the inside and the outside of the body. Skin is composed of the epidermis, dermis and matrix. The dermis is a tissue rich in matrix elements and poor in cellular content. It is accepted that modifications occurring in the matrix are those which mostly contribute to skin ageing, by altering its biomechanical properties. Therefore it is common to address questions related to skin ageing by considering alterations in matrix molecules like collagen.
Researchers have undertaken investigations in stem cells related to fibroblasts, which are the cells responsible for the formation and maintenance of the dermis. It has now been shown that these fibroblasts from stem cells in classical culture on plastic exhibit very different morphologies associated with different secretion properties, allowing the reproduction of a three-dimensional architecture resembling skin in vivo (within the human body).
Scientists are now generating preparations that contain fibroblasts from stem cells that grow and form your own natural collagen and skin. This collagen matrix assumes the same structure as normal young healthy skin and so reduces the visible appearance of wrinkling.
In healthy individuals, skin integrity is maintained by epidermal stem cells, which self-renew and generate daughter cells that undergo terminal differentiation. Despite accumulation of senescence markers in aged skin, epidermal stem cells are maintained at normal levels throughout life. Therefore, skin ageing is induced by impaired stem cell mobilisation or a reduced number of stem cells able to respond to proliferative signals from damaged skin. In the skin, the existence of several distinct stem cell populations has been reported.
Genetic labelling studies have detected multipotent stem cells of the hair follicle bulge to support regeneration of hair follicles, but is not responsible for maintaining interfollicular epidermis, which exhibits a distinct stem cell population. Hair follicle epithelial stem cells have at least a dual function: hair follicle remodelling in daily life and epidermal regeneration whenever skin integrity is severely compromised, e.g. after burns.
Bulge cells (or stem cells of the hair follicle), the first adult stem cells of the hair follicle have been identified. These are capable of forming hair follicles, interfollicular epidermis and sebaceous glands. In addition, they can also give rise to non-epithelial cells, indicating a lineage-independent pluripotent character. Multipotent stem cells (skin-derived precursor cells) are present in human dermis; dermal stem cells represent 0.3% among human dermal fibroblasts.
A resident pool of stem cells exists within the sebaceous gland, which is able to differentiate into both sebocytes and interfollicular epidermis. The self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation of skin stem cells make these cells attractive for treatment of the ageing process but also for regenerative medicine, tissue repair, gene therapy and cell-based therapy with autologous adult stem cells, not only in dermatology. In addition, they provide in vitro models to study epidermal lineage selection and its role in the ageing process.
Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and their secretory factors can stimulate collagen synthesis and migration of fibroblasts during the wound healing process. This is currently utilised in many stem cell treatments for burns, for example stem cell impregnated burns dressings. Conventional treatments for skin aging, such as lasers and topical regimens, induce new collagen synthesis via activation of dermalstem cell fibroblasts or growth factors. Therefore ADSCs can also be used for the treatment of skin ageing.
Researchers have analyzed secretory factors of ADSCs and intradermally injected ADSCs (1 x 10(6) cells in 1 mL of Hanks’ buffered salt solution) and conditioned media of ADSCs on the skin. In addition, as a pilot study, intradermal injections of purified autologous processed lipoaspirate (PLA) cells were tried with the photoaged skin of one patient. The results demonstrated that ADSCs produce many useful growth factors, increase collagen production in animal study, and reverse skin aging in human trial. These scientists concluded that stem cell treatment for skin via their secretory factors showed promise for application in cosmetic dermatology, especially in the treatment of skin aging.
No studies have yet been done specifically to answer this question but we do know that the quality of stem cells diminishes with ageing. Some answers can be drawn from medical experience with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Before undergoing such therapy, which kills all stem cells in the body, doctors harvest stem cells from the patients. These stem cells are later injected in the patient to repopulate the bone marrow. Before harvesting stem cells, patients are injected with compounds known to stimulate stem cell release from the bone marrow. It has been observed that older people release fewer stem cells than younger people. This seems to be a clear correlation with age.
Whether this comes from the reduced ability to make stem cells or to release them is not well documented but recent studies suggest that as we age the number of stem cells also declines. However, we know that the bone marrow slowly turns from red marrow (stem cell producing) to yellow marrow or fatty marrow (which does not produce stem cells) as we age. This may explain why fewer stem cells are released as we grow older.
Data suggests that antioxidants help cell function. Grape seed extract is at its best when combined with the bioflavonoids in bilberry and cranberry. Other berry and tomato based anti-oxidants are also needed. Another anti-oxidant, Pomegranate extracts, should contain punicalagin for optimum antioxidant activity. Other antioxidants are vitamin C, green tea, bilberry and grape seed.
All vitamins and minerals play a role in maintaining the good health of stem cells, as well as other cells throughout the body.
Melatonin has been shown to support the proliferation of neural stem cells. Melatonin is produced during sleep and suppressed by prolonged exposure to screens (televisions, computers etc). So, good sleep should help the body and brain recover faster and better.
So far, no food has been studied for its effect on stem cells. There is enough data to suggest that antioxidant and anti-inflammatory food could help overall stem cell physiology and slow ageing.
Various studies have collectively shown that the higher the number of stem cells in the blood, the greater overall health, thus fighting the anti-aging process. This was specifically shown in cardiovascular health in a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine. There are different hypotheses as to the actual effect on health. More stem cells may simply mean more stem cells for migration, and hence a greater potential to repair. So rather than the body deteriorating as we grow older we now have an opportunity to repair much of the damage from ageing that has been done. There is a big difference between living a long life and living a long healthy life.
1. http://www.dukehealth.org/HealthLibrary/News/10088
2. Adipose-Derived Stem Cells and Their Secretory Factors as a Promising Therapy for Skin Aging.Park BS, Jang KA, Sung JH, Park JS, Kwon YH, Kim KJ, Kim WS. J Dermatol Surg. 2008 Jun 27.
3. Anti-aging diagnosis and therapy: fact and fiction Zech NH Gynakol Geburtshilfliche Rundsch. 2004 Apr;44(2):113-22. Review. German. Mesenchymal stem cells effectively reduce surgically induced stenosis in carotids. Forte A, Finicelli M, Mattia M, Berrino L, Rossi F, De Feo M, Cotrufo M, Cipollaro M, Cascino A, Galderisi U. J Cell Physiol. 2008 Dec;217(3):789-99.
4. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 57:B333-B338 (2002)
5. © 2002 The Gerontological Society of America
6. Is There an Antiaging Medicine? Robert N. Butlera, Michael Fosselb, S. Mitchell Harmanc, Christopher B. Hewardc, S. Jay Olshanskyd, Thomas T. Perlse, David J. Rothmanf, Sheila M. Rothmang, Huber R. Warnerh, Michael D. Westi and Woodring E. Wright
7. The regenerative potential of stem cell therapeutics in the anti-aging setting.
8. Publication: Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients Publication Date: 01-DEC-05 Goldman, Robert ; Klatz, Ronald
