How do Stem Cells work?

First, let’s define stem cells. Understanding their nature can help us comprehend their functionality in regenerative treatments.

So, let’s start the science class.

Stem cells, also known as mother cells, are special cells that can turn into different types of cells, such as skin, blood, fat, bone, nerve, and liver cells. They are undifferentiated as they haven’t been assigned a function in the body yet, making them unique.  Their other primary ability is to self-renew, meaning they can make copies of themselves.

What does this mean? It basically indicates that they are “blank canvas” cells. You can think of them as the raw material in your body to build many things or as a child’s brain that acts like a sponge, adapting and learning from its environment.

See the Stem Cells in action!

Stem cells are everywhere in the body, but for medical applications, they can be harvested from different tissues within the body, such as blood, bone marrow, adipose tissue (fat), umbilical cord blood, and even dental pulp. They are typically in a state of readiness to transform into the specific type of cell needed by the body.

Examples of the important work they carry out in the body without your awareness:

When you cut yourself and lose blood, stem cells stimulate tissue regeneration to close the wound layers and restore the skin barrier.

When you tear a muscle or break a bone, stem cells go to the injury to become new bone or muscle cells.  

When you drink alcohol and damage your liver, stem cells then become liver tissue.

Your intestine is constantly renewing its internal lining thanks to stem cells.

From conception to ongoing development, parts of your body come from stem cells.

It’s impressive, right? These are just some of the functions of stem cells, and there are many more to discover. Their applications are endless; that’s why we’re constantly researching them as longevity solutions and using them in various regenerative treatments. It’s not a trend; it is just the truth behind biology.

Stem cells are incredible, but…

As you can see, stem cells are very important for maintaining our body’s function. Unfortunately, stem cells’ diversity and functionality will likely decrease as we age. This is accompanied by cellular senescence, which is the loss of cell division capacity.

Stem cell exhaustion and cellular senescence are both hallmarks of the aging process.

In the complex biological process of aging, the progressive increase in senescent cells and the decrease in stem cell function participate in a state of low-grade chronic inflammation that is consistently linked to the development of chronic illness and the shortening of both health span and lifespan.

Your stem cells may deplete more quickly, depending on your lifestyle. For instance, poor nutrition, smoking, drinking, or multiple accidents throughout your life can impact your stem cell count.

So, what is the role of stem cell therapies in human health?

Here is where mesenchymal stem cells come to the rescue. Clinical studies have shown the benefits of stem cell therapy in the context of age-related frailty, such as increased physical performance, improved quality of life, and reduced inflammation.

The most important mechanism of action of mesenchymal stem cells is their ability to secrete a large set of bioactive molecules that promote healing and tissue regeneration. This makes them useful for treating various diseases, reducing inflammation, and modulating the activity of our immune system cells. Some of these molecules can stimulate our resident stem cells to specialize into the cells needed to repair tissues.

A lot of scientific research on stem cells shows how these cells can help improve specific health problems and age-related issues.

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