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Age-related frailty.

Exploring how mesenchymal stem cells could support performance and promote healthier lives as we grow older.

The growing challenge of ageing frailty

Frailty is a gradual decline in strength, mobility, and resilience that can make everyday activities harder. Frailty increases vulnerability to falls, hospitalisation, and loss of independence, and there are currently no approved medical treatments to reverse frailty.1-3

What is ageing frailty?

Frailty is a condition many older adults experience as the body gradually loses strength, resilience, and the ability to recover from stressors such as illness or injury.1,2

Why mesenchymal stem cells are being explored in ageing frailty

Research into mesenchymal stem cells in frailty focuses on their potential to reduce chronic low-grade inflammation, influence immune signalling, and support biological processes linked to resilience, mobility, and healthy aging.4,10-13

What we’re starting to see

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Several clinical trials in the US have studied intravenous mesenchymal stem cells therapy for ageing frailty.

Phase II

Trial



Participants who received an intravenous dose of 100 million mesenchymal stem cells showed significant improvements in walking tests and physical performance, with decreased levels of inflammatory markers compared to placebo.25

100 million mesenchymal stem cells

The live page highlights an intravenous dose of 100 million mesenchymal stem cells in the Phase II trial summary.25

Phase I pilot study

Mesenchymal stem cell therapy was well tolerated in older participants, with improvements seen in walking distance, lung function, quality of life scores, and a significant reduction in TNF-α.24

148

Patients



The Phase IIb trial summary on the page refers to 148 patients and says preliminary results continued to show a strong safety profile with improved physical performance.24

62 randomized clinical trials

A 2021 meta-analysis of 62 randomized clinical trials concluded that mesenchymal stem cell therapy was safe compared with placebo, with no treatment-related serious adverse events reported.26

How stem cells may interact

How could mesenchymal stem cells help prevent frailty?

Mesenchymal stem cells interact closely with the immune system. When exposed to inflammation, they release signals that reduce harmful immune activity and increase protective, regulatory responses.10-13

Reduce chronic low-grade inflammation

Mesenchymal stem cells are being investigated for their potential to reduce chronic low-grade inflammation and improve resilience against age-related decline.4,10-13

Support muscle, bone, and blood vessels

The live page also points to related research in cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis as evidence that mesenchymal stem cells may influence core processes of aging that contribute to frailty.14-19

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These properties make mesenchymal stem cells an important focus of research into frailty and healthy aging.

References

  1. Xue QL. The frailty syndrome: definition and natural history. Clin Geriatr Med. 2011.
  2. Chen X, Mao G, Leng SX. Frailty syndrome: an overview. Clin Interv Aging. 2014.
  3. Fairhall N et al. Treating frailty-a practical guide. BMC Med. 2011.
  4. Gonzalez R, Woynarowski D, Geffner L. Stem cells targeting inflammation as potential anti-aging strategies and therapies. Cell Tissue Transpl Ther. 2015.
  5. Franceschi C, Campisi J. Chronic inflammation (inflammaging) and its potential contribution to age-associated diseases. J Gerontol A. 2014.
  6. Ferrucci L, Fabbri E. Inflammageing: chronic inflammation in ageing, cardiovascular disease, and frailty. Nat Rev Cardiol. 2018.
  7. Kanapuru B, Ershler WB. Inflammation, coagulation, and the pathway to frailty. Am J Med. 2009.
  8. Afilalo J et al. Role of frailty in patients with cardiovascular disease. Am J Cardiol. 2009.
  9. Lopez-Otin C et al. The hallmarks of aging. Cell. 2013.
  10. Caplan AI, Correa D. The MSC: an injury drugstore. Cell Stem Cell. 2011.
  11. Murphy MB, Moncivais K, Caplan AI. Mesenchymal stem cells: environmentally responsive therapeutics for regenerative medicine. Exp Mol Med. 2013.
  12. Shi Y et al. Immunoregulatory mechanisms of mesenchymal stem and stromal cells in inflammatory diseases. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2018.
  13. Krampera M, Le Blanc K. Mesenchymal stromal cells: Putative microenvironmental modulators become cell therapy. Cell Stem Cell. 2021.
  14. Ferrucci L, Fabbri E. Inflammageing: chronic inflammation in ageing, cardiovascular disease, and frailty. Nat Rev Cardiol. 2018.
  15. Karantalis V, Hare JM. Use of mesenchymal stem cells for therapy of cardiac disease. Circ Res. 2015.
  16. Perin E, Borow K, Henry T, et al. Randomized Trial of Targeted Transendocardial Mesenchymal Precursor Cell Therapy in Patients With Heart Failure. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2023.
  17. Mahindran E et al. Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation for the Treatment of Age-Related Musculoskeletal Frailty. Int J Mol Sci. 2021.
  18. Wang QQ et al. Human umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly derived mesenchymal stromal cells may attenuate sarcopenia in aged mice induced by hindlimb suspension. Med Sci Monit. 2018.
  19. Shen J et al. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells from young donors delays aging in mice. Sci Rep. 2011.
  20. Brody M et al. Results and insights from a phase I clinical trial of lomecel-b for Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s & Dementia. 2022.
  21. Li Y et al. Efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation therapy for type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2021.
  22. Cruz FF, Rocco PRM. The potential of mesenchymal stem cell therapy for chronic lung disease. Expert Rev Respir Med. 2020.
  23. Copp G, Robb KP, Viswanathan S. Culture-expanded mesenchymal stromal cell therapy: does it work in knee osteoarthritis? Cell Mol Immunol. 2023.
  24. Golpanian S et al. Allogeneic human mesenchymal stem cell infusions for aging frailty. J Gerontol A. 2017.
  25. Tompkins BA et al. Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stem Cells Ameliorate Aging Frailty: A Phase II Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. J Gerontol A. 2017.
  26. Wang Y, Yi H, Song Y. The safety of MSC therapy over the past 15 years: a meta-analysis. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2021.
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