Do mesenchymal stem cells help against frailty in older adults?
Early studies show real improvements in walking ability and physical functioning in frail older adults, and no serious side effects were found.
Two studies give the most concrete results. In one study (148 participants), people who received the highest dose of laromestrocel walked an average of 63 metres further in a walking test after 9 months than those in the comparison group. That is a difference that doctors consider meaningful. In a second study (147 participants, conducted in Vietnam), participants received stem cells from umbilical cord blood. After 9 months they scored an average of 1.1 points higher on a test that measures walking speed, balance and the ability to rise from a chair. Both effects were clearly real at 9 months, and not just down to chance.
Safety has not been a major concern so far. Three studies involving a total of around 208 frail older adults reported no serious side effects related to the treatment. Headache, dizziness and mild chest discomfort occurred occasionally and resolved on their own.
On other outcomes, such as quality of life and markers of inflammation in the blood, several studies showed a positive signal. However, the size and reliability of that effect varied too much between studies to draw firm conclusions.
The three studies differed considerably from one another: the cells came from bone marrow in some cases and from umbilical cord in others, the doses varied, and the time points at which outcomes were measured differed. This makes it impossible to add the results together, meaning the evidence cannot yet support a definitive conclusion about whether the treatment works. Larger studies are needed. What we also know from laboratory and biological mechanism research is that stem cells appear to work not so much by forming new tissue, but by releasing signalling substances. Ageing and the production process may reduce that effect, which raises the question of how the therapy needs to be further refined.
This answer is based on two studies in frail older adults and two reviews that summarise those studies. The total population is around 208 participants. The researchers were unable to combine the results into one overall figure because the studies differed too much in cell type, dose and what they measured. This makes the positive signals promising but not yet definitive. No safety data are available beyond 9 months. A fifth source describes how stem cells work in the body but provides no data on outcomes in people.
Does stem cell therapy work against ageing in people?
In frail older adults, stem cell therapy showed a meaningful improvement in walking ability in one study. Most other applications in people are still at an early stage of development.
Does taking resveratrol make sense as an anti-ageing supplement?
Research shows that resveratrol does not activate the mechanism behind the anti-ageing theory in people. There are small indications of benefit for muscle function in people who exercise, though that evidence is thin.
Does quercetin work against ageing and inflammation?
Quercetin shows promising signals in the laboratory and in animals, but in humans there is not yet solid evidence. Taking supplements on the basis of this early-stage research gets too far ahead of the science.
What do we really know about metformin and ageing?
In people with diabetes, metformin shows clear health benefits. Whether it also slows ageing in healthy people is being investigated by an ongoing study.
Can stem cell therapy slow down or cure rheumatoid arthritis?
Stem cell therapy may be able to slow the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, but it does not cure it. The research is still too limited for firm conclusions, so if you are interested, discuss it with your rheumatologist.
Does hyperbaric oxygen therapy help against ageing?
HBOT shows interesting signals in small, early studies regarding telomere length and cerebral blood flow, but the evidence is too thin and too susceptible to bias to recommend it as an anti-ageing treatment. Wait for larger, independent trials before taking on the considerable costs.