32 replies to this topic

[triguy]

The one semi-scientific presentation was from Neil Riordan of the Riodarn Clinic and Medistem Panama, INC. specializing in the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to treat diseases.

 

Overall, I got the impression that they are using MSCs to attempt to treat or cure just about anything, just to see what works. It is a nascent field of inquiry, so I suppose that is how it goes in the beginning. Riordan referenced several new clinical trials that are ongoing that should help to quantify the effectiveness of the treatments (injecting MSCs into the body or diseased area).

 

Some improvements in patients with MS, age-related frailty, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes have been noted. He referenced a "Taiwan Rat Study" where spinal cords were severed and then recovered some function after treatment with MSCs. His clinic in Panama has treated over 3,000 patients so they should have a good database of effectiveness to draw upon going forward.

 

He mentioned that they have found that the factors secreted by the stem cells seem to be more important than the cells themselves (shades of the mechanisms behind parabiosis). 

 

A couple other items of note: He noted that high dosages of steroids kill off your native populations of MSCs. He was thankful for all of the people who helped to develop "Charlies Law" in Texas, which loosens the restriction on using stem cells in medical practice and research.

 

 

anabolic or corticosteroid ?????

[albedo]

As per a note received from the "Society for Age Reversal" the protocol mentioned at RAAD2018 has been amended in focus as following:

 

"...

Society for Age Reversal
www.RescueElders.org

This organization functions as a private association to facilitate the investigation, validation, and dissemination of information to its members.
 
Our investigations and partial validations resulted in the dissemination of the following multi-step approach to biological age reversal at RAADfest:
 
Step 1:  Inhibit mTOR and induce autophagy with rapamycin (or AMPK nutrients
             and/or intermittent fasting and/or calorie restriction)
Step 2:  Repair cellular DNA by boosting NAD⁺
Step 3:  Purge senescent cells using two doses of dasatinib + quercetin
Step 4:  Systemic rejuvenation with young plasma and/or stem cells
 
We are amending this sequential order in this email.
 
Based on ongoing clinical research, we believe most of you are already sufficiently inhibiting mTOR with metformin and/or nutrients like gynostemia leaf extract and hesperidin (found in the AMPK Activator nutrient formula).
 
Low-calorie diets and exercise also indirectly suppress mTOR (via activation of cellular AMPK).
 
So as of this date, we are revising the age-reversal protocol as follows:
 
Step 1:  Inhibit mTOR/induce autophagy with metformin 
             (or AMPK nutrients)
Step 2:  Repair cellular DNA by boosting NAD⁺
Step 3:  Purge senescent cells using two doses of dasatinib + quercetin
Step 4:  Systemic rejuvenation with young plasma and/or stem cells
 
Those taking rapamycin in the 5 mg weekly dose pioneered by Dr. Alan Green (see https://rapamycintherapy.com), which combines rapamycin with metformin, aspirin and other drugs, may want to continue, but we ask that you keep our private association posted on what benefits you are deriving from any intervention at the following website forum:
 

Forum.RescueElders.org

We are not discouraging the initiation of rapamycin (about 5 mg/week) as it has tremendous longevity-enhancing potential. What’s been brought to our attention is that many of you are already achieving rapamycin-like benefits by indirectly suppressing mTOR with AMPK-activators like metformin and by restricting your calorie intake..."

 

I understand the focus shift as following. Beneficial effects on humans and differentiating between metformin and rapamycin need to be assessed, but it seems established the mechanisms are different. I understand rapamycin is directly inhibiting mTORC1 (chronic use might also result in inhibiting mTORC2 though which might not be good). Other molecules such as aspirin and metformin feature an indirect inhibition of mTORC1. Metformin seems to regulate REDD1 which promotes TSC2 which leads to inhibit mTORC1 and this independently from the metformin AMPK activation path (e.g. see Kalender et al 2010).

 

[Mind]

Dr. Riordan told me that these two papers explain some of the effects that steroids have on MSCs

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/22186921

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/25187334