Frailty and Aging

There is still much to learn about stem cells and their potential to treat frailty and aging. However, the current research is promising and offers hope for a better quality of life for those affected by these conditions.

written by: Thomas J. Ennis (Ph.D.) & William Pfeifer (MD) – Stanford School of Medicine Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Division of Sports Medicine & Joint Reconstruction Service Medical Director, Cartilage Repair Center Co-Director, Stanford Stem Cell Biology, and Regenerative Medicine Training Program

As we age, our bodies become less able to maintain biological balance. This results in an increased incidence of chronic diseases that can be debilitating and painful. To address this issue, we must identify the mechanisms responsible for aging and develop new therapeutic strategies to make aging more bearable.

Stem cells are a promising area of research for regenerative medicine. They can repair or replace damaged tissue and have shown promise in treating various age-related conditions. Frailty syndrome is characterized by reduced muscle volume and strength, slowed movement, reduced physical activity, weight loss, fatigue, a decline in physiological functions, and elevated levels of inflammation.

There is still much to learn about stem cells and their potential to treat frailty and aging. However, the current research is promising and offers hope for a better quality of life for those affected by these conditions.

Written by: Thomas J. Ennis (Ph.D.) & William Pfeifer (MD) – Stanford School of Medicine

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Division of Sports Medicine & Joint Reconstruction Service

Medical Director, Cartilage Repair Center

Co-Director, Stanford Stem Cell Biology, and Regenerative Medicine Training Program

These recommendations are supported by a recent review showing that stem cells have properties that enable them to control or reverse many of the biochemical phenomena that cause frailty. Although the authors recognize that it is necessary to improve the level of clinical evidence, based on the data presented in the review, the modulation of chronic inflammation by stem cells is a promising strategy to prevent and delay not only frailty but also other clinical conditions frequently associated with it, such as chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoarthritis (6). Interestingly, a study published in 2020 reported an increase in the life expectancy of mice that received stem cells compared to controls that did not (7).

REFERENCES

1. Saedi AA, Feehan J, Phu S, Duque G. Current and emerging biomarkers of frailty in the elderly. Clin Interv Aging. 2019 Feb 19;14:389-398. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S168687.
2. Golpanian S, DiFede DL, Khan A, Schulman IH, Landin AM, Tompkins BA, et al. Allogeneic Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Infusions for Aging Frailty. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2017;72(11):1505-1512. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glx056.
3. Sun X, Hao Q, Tang R, Xiao C, Ge M, Dong B. Frailty and Rejuvenation with Stem Cells: Therapeutic Opportunities and Clinical Challenges. Rejuvenation Res. 2019. doi: 10.1089/rej.2017.2048.
4. Tompkins BA, DiFede DL, Khan A, Landin AM, Schulman IH, Pujol MV, et al. Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stem Cells Ameliorate Aging Frailty: A Phase II Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2017;72(11):1513-1522. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glx137.
5. Walston J, Bandeen-Roche K, Buta B, Bergman H, Gill TM, Morley JE, et al. Moving Frailty Toward Clinical Practice: NIA Intramural Frailty Science Symposium Summary. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2019. doi:10.1111/jgs.15928.
6. Florea V, Bagno L, Rieger AC, Hare J. Attenuation of frailty in older adults with mesenchymal stem cells. Mech Ageing Dev. 2019:111120. doi:10.1016/j.mad.2019.111120.
7. Guderyon MJ, Chen C, Bhattacharjee A, Ge G, Fernandez RA, Gelfond JAL, et al. Mobilization-based transplantation of young-donor hematopoietic stem cells extends lifespan in mice. Aging Cell. 2020;19(3):e13110. doi: 10.1111/acel.13110.