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Anti-Aging Stem Cell Treatment Proves Successful In Early Human Trials (newatlas.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from New Atlas: The results of two human clinical trials into a stem cell therapy that can reverse symptoms of age-associated frailty have been published, and the indications are that this landmark treatment is both safe and strikingly effective in tackling key factors in aging. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a particular type of adult stem cell generating a great deal of interest in the world of science. This new MSC treatment is targeted at reducing the effects of frailty on senior citizens. This is the first anti-aging stem cell treatment directed specifically at the problem of age-associated frailty to move close to a final FDA approval stage. The treatment derives human mesenchymal stem cells from adult donor bone marrow and in these clinical trials involves a single infusion in patients with an average age of 76. Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 human trials have demonstrated the treatment to have no adverse health effects.
Although the two human trials were ostensibly designed to just demonstrate safety they do offer remarkable results in efficacy as well, paving the way for larger, Phase 3 clinical trials. In the first trial 15 frail patients received a single MSC infusion collected from bone marrow donors aged between 20 and 45 years old. Six months later all patients demonstrated improved fitness outcomes, tumor necrosis factor levels and overall quality of life. The second trial was a randomized, double blind study with placebo group. Again no adverse affects were reported and physical improvements were noted by the researchers as "remarkable." The next stage for the research is to move into an expanded Phase 2b clinical trial involving 120 subjects across 10 locations. After that a final, large randomized Phase 3 clinical trial will be the only thing holding the treatment back from final public approval. The results of the Phase 1 clinical trial were recently published in The Journals of Gerontology. The results of the Phase 2 clinical trial were recently published in The Journals of Gerontology. Further reading available via University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine.
Although the two human trials were ostensibly designed to just demonstrate safety they do offer remarkable results in efficacy as well, paving the way for larger, Phase 3 clinical trials. In the first trial 15 frail patients received a single MSC infusion collected from bone marrow donors aged between 20 and 45 years old. Six months later all patients demonstrated improved fitness outcomes, tumor necrosis factor levels and overall quality of life. The second trial was a randomized, double blind study with placebo group. Again no adverse affects were reported and physical improvements were noted by the researchers as "remarkable." The next stage for the research is to move into an expanded Phase 2b clinical trial involving 120 subjects across 10 locations. After that a final, large randomized Phase 3 clinical trial will be the only thing holding the treatment back from final public approval. The results of the Phase 1 clinical trial were recently published in The Journals of Gerontology. The results of the Phase 2 clinical trial were recently published in The Journals of Gerontology. Further reading available via University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine.
"I've never seen a Government do anything good, ever, when revolutionary new advances occur."
Really? You've never seen treated municipal drinking water (reducing water-borne illnesses), sewer systems, regulated hospitals, food safety laws, etc?
Put down the Ayn Rand, and perhaps join us in reality?
Generally, if a drug is real, the more drug you apply the stronger treatment effect you observe (lots of caveats to this generality, but none seem too relevant here).
Why? First - it's not a drug. Second, even drugs (e.g. Seroquel) don't always do that - as you increase the dosage first it's an antihistamine, then causes low blood pressure, then it's an anti-psychotic - and that's a single molecule. Some drugs even manage to have a U-shaped response curve.
I would happily bet an amount of money that mattered to me that this result would fail to be replicated in a randomized, placebo-controlled study.
I would as well, just because of how often these early trials fail to produce usable results. But in the long run we have to make some long shots or we'll never get anywhere.
my body starts to wear - f.e. my eyes are getting worse and I'll need glasses soon ... annoying. Anyway, as my body starts to wear and show signs of the perpetual usage it's under I phantasize about being able to counteract signs of age, cyberpunk style. Like imagineing some drug I could take to regain brain performance (I feel that declining a little even though I'm putting it to good use (47, just enrolled in college for a BSc+MSc in Media-CompSci now that my daughter is out of the house) or some bioware/cyber treatment that replenishes joints and vertebrae disks and pushes bones back into shape.
Just at the turn of this year I finally had a long overdue laser surgery on my inner nose. I've got an ever so slightly lopsided skull and had breathing problems as a result - this is not that uncommen. However, the mordern laser surgery was minimaly invasive and changed my quality of life in leaps and bounds - for the first time I can breathe correctly through the nose for extended periods of time. A change that has countless minor effects on my everday life including how I can socially interact.
Long story short, we have bodies that are imperfect, wear out and we eventually die and that *does* suck. We all have our personal apocalypse coming and I really wish we'd have some way to add another 5 decades or so. I personally can't complain - I have good long-life genes in the family, I'm notably fit for my age - performing arts training, social dancing, cute ladies and sex as a hobby, bike as main means of transport, lean minimalist lifestyle - and I plan to get fitter - but I still notice end of warranty moving in on me.
If there were a way to slow this, even if it were expensive - costing like a house or something - I'd try to do it. However, if I had the means to extend my life notably vis-a-vis my peers and I'd have to watch them wither and die whilst I stay lean and fit, I am well aware of the fact that that would only work out for me if I'd go along with a notable change of perspective on life in general. I'd probably eventually move to become some sort of guru to help people live their life to the fullest. ... After all, imagine what wisdom you gain from consciously living for 150 years or so. ... Quite awesome a proposition if you ask me.
My thoughts on this. I do have those these days and I sure hope that someone makes some significant advances in anti-aging tech. Soon. That would be cool.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca