You'll find some good commentary on recent EMBO Reports research papers ("Youthful prospects for human stem-cell therapy" and "Stem cells and aging") from Randall Parker over at FuturePundit. Go and read it all, but here are some highlights:

The problem with stem cells in older bodies does not appear to be so much diminished numbers as diminished abilities in those stem cells which remain.

...

As we age we all would benefit from infusions of youthful stem cells carefully selected to have few DNA mutations. We'd gain stronger immune systems, less risk of anemia, and probably stronger bones as well. More generally, the development of genetically sound and youthful stem cells for all the stem cell reservoirs of the body would partially reverse aging and substantially increase life expectancies.

It may just be that the results of stem cell science over the next twenty years will give us more than a few extra years of healthy life to wait out the development of the other necessary components of Aubrey de Grey's Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence.

Posted by Reason at August 12, 2005 12:23 AM | TrackBack (0)