Nutrition

Regenerative Medicine: Don't Just Look Younger, Become Younger in Every Cell

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Regenerative Medicine: Don't Just Look Younger, Become Younger in Every Cell about undefined
Everyone undergoes the aging process, known as “senescence” or biological aging. As time goes by, our cells lose their ability to divide and grow, and so bones and tissues begin to deteriorate….

Leading to wrinkled skin, poor concentration and “senior moments,” pain, fatigue, a weakened heart, reduced sex drive, degenerative diseases and all the other conditions we associate with old age.

But science has uncovered ways we can turn back time inside our cells and reduce the accumulated effects of aging.

Read on to discover how you can put them to work for yourself…

The branch of medicine concerned with turning back aging is known as regenerative medicine.

Professionals in this field are discovering ways to use stem cells to regenerate fresh cells, thereby reversing the aging process on a cellular level. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells, meaning they are the building block of all other cells. In mammals there are two kinds of stem cells:
  • Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are isolated from the structures that become embryos. ESCs are pluripotent, they can become any kind of cell depending on the signals they receive. They divide again and again to create complex tissues and organs.
  • Somatic or adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and multiply to replenish damaged tissue. These are responsible for things like healing skin wounds or repairing organs after disease or infection.
As we age, the body produces fewer stem cells, thereby speeding up the aging process.

Caption: Two people in this photo have an abundance of stem cells. The other two do not. Can you guess which is which?

Rejuvenating Old Tissue With Stem Cells

For use in anti-aging treatments, stem cells are isolated and injected into the patient’s cells. The presence of stem cells transports old cells back to an embryonic state. Once in this state they regain the ability to differentiate into fresh tissue cells, essentially “rewinding the clock of development” inside the cells.1 The words “stem cells” may seem controversial because early attempts at stem cell research and therapy involved human embryos. But technological advances now allow us to
  • Use other sources for anti-aging stem cell treatments and
  • Generate embryonic stem cells in a lab
Let’s take a look at two examples of stem-cell treatments.

Mesenchymal-Derived Stem Cells (MSC)

MSC are found in placentas, umbilical cords, adipose tissue (body fat), lungs, bone marrow, blood and teeth.

Among all the sources for MSC, research suggests that MSC from umbilical cords are the most effective because they have the highest rate of cell proliferation and clonality (being genetically identical, important so that your body doesn’t reject them).2 However, other studies show adipose-derived stem cells are also effective at reversing aging.3 In many cases, doctors will take a patient’s own stem cells from these sources and inject them into the patient’s own aging cells. This is called autologous stem cell therapy.Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSs) are a hot field of study -- the most cutting-edge development in regenerative medicine.

iPS technology is the equivalent of cloning embryonic cells (ESCs), but without the use of a human embryo. Working in a lab, scientists can generate pluripotent stem cells that are similar to ESCs from somatic cells.4 This advancement removes at least some of the ethical concerns surrounding stem cell sources.Where to find stem-cell treatments for age management Stem cell treatments are not available in the United States. Currently, Americans must go abroad to receive treatment.

Clinics practicing regenerative medicine claim that stem-cell anti-aging procedures can essentially reset the aging clock by 10 to 15 years, reversing many of the conditions mentioned above.

However, please be very careful when choosing a regeneration facility and do your research to ensure you select a reputable clinic with licensed and professional medical staff who follow approved treatment protocols for these procedures.

Watch these pages for a future special report on these clinics.

 
  1. Immortal stem cells for anti-aging therapies. http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2010/6/immortal-stem-cells-for-anti-aging-therapies/Page-01
  2. Comparative analysis of human mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow, adipose tissue, and umbilical cord blood as sources of cell therapy.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24005862
  3.  Stem cells collected from fat may have use in anti-aging treatments. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170217095947.htm
  4. Induction of pluripotent stem cells from adult human fibroblasts by defined factors. http://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(07)01471-7?_returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867407014717%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

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