Do mesenchymal stem cells help against frailty in older adults?
Mesenchymal stem cells appear to be safe in the short term in frail older adults and demonstrably reduce inflammatory markers in the blood, but whether they genuinely help against frailty has not yet been established. Until larger and longer studies are available, this remains a promising but still experimental direction.
Safety is the strongest story so far. In a randomised trial with 30 frail older adults (mean age 75.5 years), no serious treatment-related adverse events occurred within one month after an infusion of 100 or 200 million mesenchymal stem cells. The treatment was judged to be safe at both doses.
Effects on movement and fitness are cautiously positive, but difficult to interpret. Only the group that received 100 million cells walked farther on the six-minute walk test and performed better on a short physical fitness test. Notably, the group that received twice as many cells did not see this benefit, nor did the placebo group. Why the lower dose outperformed the higher dose has not been explained, which raises questions about the finding.
For blood markers of chronic inflammation, a mechanism strongly associated with frailty, certain inflammatory substances did decline in both active groups, including compared with the placebo group. This suggests that the cells influence the immune system, but whether that also leads to better functioning in the long term has not yet been demonstrated.
The limitations of the current research are clear. All completed studies are small early-phase trials. Reviewers are unanimous: larger and longer research is needed before a definitive statement about efficacy can be made. Furthermore, the risk of tumour formation in the long term cannot be ruled out; no cases have been reported in the published trials, but the follow-up period was too short and the number of participants too small to draw any conclusions on this point. For cognitive frailty, only a theoretical rationale exists, with no clinical data in humans.
This answer is based on two small randomised studies (the CRATUS study with a maximum of 30 participants), supplemented by a systematic review and several narrative reviews. The evidence on short-term safety is reasonably consistent, but the studies are too small and too short-running to make statements about efficacy or long-term risks. Reviewers emphasise that only a handful of trials are running worldwide and that all results are still considered early-phase findings.
Can stem cell therapy slow down ALS?
Stem cell therapy has not yet been proven effective in ALS patients; the method appears to be safely feasible, but whether it slows the disease is currently unknown.
Does linoleic acid in tissue increase the risk of skin cancer?
There are preliminary indications that higher linoleic acid levels are associated with a higher melanoma risk, but the evidence is too thin and inconsistent to justify avoiding linoleic acid. Those concerned about skin cancer would benefit more from ensuring adequate vitamin D intake and protection against UV radiation.
Can you remove microplastics from your blood vessels?
There is still too little research to answer this question.