Work Out, Pump Up Your Adult Stem Cells
Scientists at Tel Aviv University have found what they called a "fountain of youth" for aging muscles–exercise. They showed that endurance exercise can increase the number of muscle adult stem cells, and enhances their ability to rejuvenate old muscles. In a lab version of the rat race, young and old rats ran on a treadmill for 20 minutes a day for a 13-week period (can't you picture them working out in little sweat pants and head bands?) Younger animals showed a 20-35% increase in muscle adult stem cells retained, while older animals showed an even greater benefit, with a 33-47% increase in muscle stem cells, compared to sedentary controls. Endurance exercise also improved the levels of "spontaneous locomotion" in older animals, what the researchers called the feeling that tells our bodies to just get up and dance.
Prof. Dafna Benayahu and her team say their findings, published in PLOS One, explain for the first time why older people who have exercised throughout their lives age more gracefully. As we age, there is a decline in muscle mass and function as well as bone mass; this explains the increased risk of falling in the elderly. She hopes eventually to find a method to ameliorate the negative effects of aging by stimulating adult stem cells in the muscle.
Other studies have shown that exercise can stimulate production of new neurons and new brain cells from adult neural stem cells.
So get up and dance!
Adult Stem Cells Repair Damaged Facial Tissues
Spanish surgeons have reported pioneering work using a patient's own bone marrow adult stem cells to repair craniofacial damage. The group has recently published their results in the journal Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery for their first three patients.
One patient suffered from nerve impairment, a pathological fracture, and complete wasting of bone, muscle and skin, leading to life-threatening problems. At 12 months after the adult stem cell treatment, the patient had new blood vessel formation, bone regeneration, fracture consolidation and total nerve function recovery. Muscles later resumed function, and a destroyed salivary gland soon reactivated. Two other patients with advanced disease involving bone loss and other nerve defects were also treated. After adult stem cell treatment, bone formed rapidly and nerve function fully recovered. All patients also underwent minor surgery to receive dental implants in their newly-regenerated jawbones, and eight weeks later, doctors attached the dental prosthesis (teeth) to the implants, restoring oral function.
Paco Vidal, who was involved in the design of the stem cell production, said:
"The outcome of these treatments with the stem cells has surpassed our wildest expectations. The surgeons observed early bone formation in the afflicted areas that eventually resulted in complete healing."
Adult stem cells continue to provide real treatments for real patients, now.
Contact: David Prentice
Source: FRC Blog
Publish Date: December 17, 2010
