Stem Cell Therapy on the Front Line of Anti Aging

Stem cell therapy is showing promise in the cure of cancer and repairing injuries to the spinal cord – it is also in the front line as a potential treatment for anti aging therapy.

With baby boomers now reaching retirement age, the slowdown of their bodies not only will take their toll on the boomers, but will take its toll on the health system as well. Medical researchers are working furiously to find treatments and cures for many age related issues; anything from heart disease to Alzheimer's and broken bones.

Science knows that stem cells are the foundation for the development of all living things. Stem cells at the embryonic stage have the potential of becoming anything, whereas adult stem cells are limited in what they can do and what uses they can be put to. Regardless, stem cells have the potential of allowing the body to repair itself and replace cells which have been damaged.

A lot of the work in stem cell technology has been focusing on how these cells can be manipulated to manufacture other cells anywhere in the body – cells that can replicate and replace those that may have failed in the heart, brain or anywhere else. Many scientists are focusing their attention on how stem cells can be used to keep bodies healthier as they age. It is not an issue of extending the life span; it is more an issue of making one's life better as they age.

Stem cells fade over time and their ability to repair, heal and replenish is diminished. Research has found that elderly individuals have almost the same quantity of stem cells as younger people, but they lose out on performance. The surrounding tissue for some reason slows them down and they become less productive.

The research is focused on ways of reactivating these stem cells as they show potential in treating many diseases associated with aging, most of which are the result of the body's inability to be self healing. There are systems that are severely affected by aging – they simply break down, cease to function or result in disease. Stem cells have the potential of repairing tissue, adding not years, but productive years to life. Stem cells may help people remain vigorous as they age, adding to the enjoyment of life.

Research continues, but results look promising with each study and each finding made.

The Controversy Over Stem Cell Therapy

There are currently three ways to harvest stem cells – bone marrow, blood and embryos. The preferred method is from using the blood, as it is thought to be safer and can be done with no anaesthesia. Harvesting stem cells from bone marrow is the preferred source when the blood cannot provide sufficient cells. Harvesting embryonic stem cells is really where the controversy with stem cell therapy lies.

Removing stem cells from blood can be accomplished by processing the blood of either the patient or an outside donor. The procedure consists of placing an IV in each arm – through one, IV blood is drawn from the body, then processed by a machine which extracts the stem cells. The blood is then returned to the body through the second IV. Harvesting stem cells from blood can be done time after time until there are sufficient stem cells to begin the anti aging therapy that they are being harvested for. There may be discomfort in the bones as the marrow works overtime to generate more blood and white blood cells. Once enough stem cells have been harvested, the pain quickly subsides.

Usually, before harvesting stem cells from the blood, the patient gets a drug that increases the production of white blood cells in his bone marrow. Although blood is the preferred source for stem cells, there are very few of them in the blood. The drug that is given stimulates a massive overproduction of white blood cells that spill over from the marrow into the blood where they are harvested. Stem cell treatment for any purpose requires millions of stem cells to work correctly. Timing the harvest is constantly monitored to determine exactly when to start the process as the drug causes such a rapid production of white blood cells that they age and begin to die very quickly.

Harvesting stem cells from a human embryo causes the death of the embryo – hence, the moral dilemma. Many people consider this method of stem cell extraction tantamount to murder. Research continues and it is looking more and more promising that a stem cell can be extracted from the embryo and the remaining cells can be reintroduced into the womb, thereby preserving the embryo.

Regardless of how the stem cells are harvested, they show tremendous promise in treating disease as far removed from one another as cancer and aging. Along with alternative therapy, such as IV vitamin therapy, researchers continue to work toward enhancing, and perhaps extending, life.

Patients Report Positive Effects from Stem Cell Anti Aging Therapy

Studies into anti aging therapy are on-going and probably will be for many years to come. As people age, the stem cell production begins a slow decline and the body's cells reduce their ability to regenerate, thereby slowing tissue repair. Changes in the human body which are age related can be seen in the skin, the internal organs, those glands related to the sex drive, the immune and blood forming systems and muscles. These symptoms of aging are all due to the loss of stem cells and the robust nature of the cells.

As new scientific breakthroughs are made, a better understanding of the potential of stem cell therapy will gradually appear. One thing is for certain though; cells lose their strength over time and die, thus, replacing aging cells with new cells is an effective remedy against aging.

There is considerable evidence of the effect of stem cells as an anti-aging agent being reported in various well respected medical journals. In one recent report, preparations made from stem cells showed marked improvement in the immune function and a re-balancing of certain hormones in patients who were involved in cosmetic procedures. The results enhanced the cosmetic effect considerably.

Reports from patients consistently suggest unexpected positive results when undergoing anti-aging stem cell treatments. Depending on the patient's age and overall wellness at the time of treatment, the results of course differed, but some of the more common results that were noted and reported are:

•    Improved overall feeling of fitness, increase in energy and vigor
•    A marked improvement in mobility, endurance, strength and coordination coupled with a desire for an increase in physical activities
•    A reduction in the symptoms seen in arthritis and an improvement in the function of joints
•    An improvement in overall mental capacity, including enhancement in one's ability to concentrate, a longer span of attention, clearer thinking, articulation and memory
•    An elevated mood, a more positive attitude coupled with a decrease in irritability, apathy and better sleep patterns
•    General feeling of being physically and mentally refreshed upon waking
•    A restoration in the activity of damaged tissue and organs
•    Improved appetite
•    Improved sex drive

There is little doubt that as research into stem cell technology continues reinforcement of these and other positive benefits will emerge. Perhaps the day will come when a cocktail of anti-aging therapies and treatments will never stop the clock but make old age something to honestly look forward to.