Image provider Getty/Futurism
Age is just a number. Or, in an age of immortality-obsessed elites, a number of bizarre stem cell treatments that supposedly keep you young are all you can afford.
One celebrity who has recently revealed that he has used these experimental treatments is British actor and comedian John Cleese.In an interview with Saga Magazinethe 84-year-old revealed that for the past 20 years he has spent around £17,000 a year (equivalent to around $21,000) on private stem cell therapy to prevent aging.
Admittedly, the Monty Python co-creator looks pretty good for his age. But experts warn that not only are these treatments not proven to be effective, they can even completely damage our bodies and lead to dire consequences such as cancer. are doing.
Private clinics offering these treatments operate in a “regulatory gray zone” in countries such as the United States and Switzerland, where Mr. Cleese is being treated, and they often challenge the public's lack of understanding of the science behind the techniques. They are being exploited, they warn.
“These clinics may be operating outside of regulatory oversight or scientific collaboration, and do not publicly disclose the protocols or results of what they are doing for patients who pay for their services.” Anna Couturier of the European Gene and Cell Therapy Communication Consortium said (EuroGCT) reported: telegraph paper.
Of course, there's a reason stem cells have a reputation as a scientific miracle. So-called “pluripotent” cells are not only highly capable of reproducing themselves, but can also develop into virtually every type of cell in the human body. They are essentially jack-of-all-trades, and these properties make them ideal for regenerating damaged and even lost tissue.
Perhaps advances in this field will allow us to regenerate limbs like frogs. Even now, it has already been established that stem cells can be used to treat leukemia patients by transplanting them into the affected bone marrow.
“We're trying to remove the disease and replace the blood system with fresh stem cells,” said John Frampton, a stem cell biologist at the University of Birmingham. telegraph paper. “It's tried, tested and proven to work.”
However, beyond these limited proven uses, things get questionable. Some anti-aging treatments claim to make you look younger by replenishing collagen in your face, despite limited evidence to support it, and the potential downside may be worth the risk. I don't think there is.
“If put in the wrong situation without the right prompts or cues, stem cells will do what they can, but in a very random way,” Frampton said. telegraph paper. “Tumors called teratomas can develop because the stem cells multiply in large numbers and form lumps.”
These methods of administering stem cells also carry considerable risks.
“If the product is not sterile, it can cause inflammation and, in the worst cases, septic shock,” said Darius Videla, professor of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at the University of Reading. telegraph paper. “Many patients are harmed by these gray zone clinics.”
That's not to say that stem cells can't fulfill the very high potential we predicted. But we should be skeptical of rushing to use them for these questionable and perhaps timeless uses. No matter what concerns you have about aging, it's best to let science catch up.
Learn more about stem cells: Scientists grow tiny testicles in the lab
