Simple Technique Boosts the Activity of Your Stem Cells
By now, you've likely heard about the regenerative, healing power of your body's stem cells. Stem cells can replace any cell lost through normal wear and tear, injury, or disease. However, their ability to carry out this function declines with aging. To stay healthy, these ailing stem cells must be given a boost, but how?
Scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine believe they have found a relatively simple way to accomplish this by focusing on one common mineral.
Iron and Your Stem Cells
All red and white blood cells and other vital blood components are formed from hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells (HSCs) in the bone marrow. However, as individuals age, HSCs struggle to form new blood cells. This contributes to chronic inflammation, accelerated onset of blood cancers, and the promotion of degenerative diseases.
Rehabilitating HSCs could have significant implications, and a method for achieving this may be on the horizon thanks to a serendipitous discovery.
In 2018, stem cell biologists at Albert Einstein College in New York studied the effects of a drug used to treat thrombocytopenia, a low blood count condition caused by bone marrow failure. Surprisingly, they discovered that the drug also binds to iron in HSCs and removes it.
The removal of iron resulted in the stimulation of HSCs by bone marrow stem cells in mice. An examination of human bone marrow samples also revealed a threefold increase in the frequency of HSCs with the drug compared to a similar drug that does not bind to iron.1
This significant and unforeseen discovery necessitated further investigation, leading to a new study aimed at understanding the effects of excess and restricted iron on HSCs and how limiting iron helps maintain the health of these stem cells.
Supercharging Stem Cells
The researchers found that an excess of intracellular iron triggers inflammation within HSCs and pushes them towards dormancy—a state in which a cell's functions are significantly slowed, akin to animal hibernation. Dormancy limits the ability of HSCs to replicate and produce an adequate quantity of high-quality blood cells.
Conversely, when iron levels are restricted, HSCs readily multiply and respond effectively when additional blood components are required. Yun-Ruei Kao, the first author of the study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell in March, explains that "iron restriction governs and preserves the regenerative capacity of stem cells - their ability to divide and differentiate into blood cells."2
The researchers discovered that in young mice, low iron triggers a molecular response in HSCs that temporarily boosts fatty acid metabolism, reinforcing genetic programs in HSCs after they have proliferated.
However, in aged mice, HSCs contained elevated iron levels, inhibiting the activation of this fatty acid metabolism pathway.
Low Iron Enhances HSC Stem Cells Tenfold
The researchers sought to determine if using a drug that binds to or removes iron could enhance blood cell production in mice. When 6-month-old (middle-aged) mice were administered an iron chelator for 13 months (well into old age), the HSCs of the animals exhibited up to a tenfold increase in regenerative capacity compared to controls.3
Lead author of the study, Britta Will, stated, "We have demonstrated that the decline in HSC function is not inevitable and appears to be reversible. By reducing iron levels within the cell using a clinically available drug, we were able to rejuvenate a youthful pool of HSCs in older mice. This straightforward treatment approach holds promise for mitigating aging-related diseases, chronic inflammatory conditions, and blood cancers."
Should We Reduce Our Iron Intake?
Considering that iron deficiency and aging often coincide, physicians typically recommend that seniors take supplements or consume iron-rich foods to prevent anemia. Dr. Will concurs because iron metabolism can deteriorate with age, resulting in iron deficiency in certain organs while causing iron overload in others, including the bone marrow.
However, as we have previously discussed, excessive iron accelerates aging, underscoring the importance of regular blood tests to ensure that you are receiving adequate iron to prevent anemia without overdoing it.
Furthermore, Dr. Will noted, "To the best of our knowledge, this is the first instance in which a non-invasive strategy has effectively rejuvenated stem cells." However, this is not entirely accurate.
In 2019, Christian Drapeau, a pioneer in stem cell research, and colleagues published findings demonstrating that HSCs increased by 24.2 percent after just two hours in the blood of human participants. This increase was achieved following supplementation with sea buckthorn berry, which is available in the company's anti-aging supplement.