Use of MSCs in antiaging strategies

Autologous mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapies are preferable due to biosafety concerns. In addition, increasing evidence suggests that MSCs may not be immune privileged. However, the quantity and quality of MSCs decline with age and limit the effectiveness and regenerative potential of autologous MSC therapies in elderly patients. Interestingly, we have observed that a subpopulation of MSCs (5%-10% of the total population) from elderly donors possess a more “youthful” phenotype. The activity of these “youthful” cells in vivo may be deeply suppressed by the aging environment, and the viability of these cells is diminished by harmful factors released by neighboring senescent cells during expansion in culture. In this chapter, we discuss principles for the use of MSCs in antiaging, and specifically describe a novel strategy for isolating and expanding this “youthful” subpopulation from elderly patients to bank large quantities of high-quality autologous MSCs for treating age-related diseases.