Recently, stem cell therapy has been used in various medical settings as a novel approach to treat injuries and illnesses.
Do you know that stem cell therapy has also captured the attention of the beauty industry for its potential anti-aging effects?
This article will explain why stem cell therapy can potentially have anti-aging effects, along with the costs and detailed treatment methods.
Please continue reading if you are interested in the latest anti-aging care technologies that have been attracting attention worldwide.
Stem cell therapy, also known as regenerative medicine, is a treatment for repairing damaged tissues and body functions by using cells known as tissue stem cells present in human fat and bone marrow.
Tissue stem cells can differentiate into cells present in specific sites of the body, such as cartilage, fat, and nerves, and they have the potential to regenerate damaged tissues.
Stem cell therapy may help improve injuries and illnesses such as chronic pain, heart failure, Parkinson’s disease, liver dysfunction, diabetes, and osteoarthritis.
Stem cell therapy is also garnering attention in terms of beauty care as stem cells can work on skin cells to achieve beautiful skin.
Although the field of stem cells is still developing, Singapore and Japan are leading in stem cell research in Asia.
One relevant factor is the aging populations.
According to a survey by Euromonitor International, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore are expected to be among the top five countries with the oldest populations in the world by 2040.
Under such circumstances, stem cell therapy has come into the spotlight for its potential anti-aging effects and is being actively studied.
Particularly in Japan, Professor Shinya Yamanaka at Kyoto University succeeded in creating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) for the first time in the world and won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
In response to Professor Yamanaka’s achievement, Japan has set up laws and systems to regulate regenerative medicine.
This implies that an environment enabling the clinical development of regenerative medicine products has now been established.
In fact, patent-filing trends show that the number of international patent applications for human stem cell-based technologies filed from Japan ranks the second highest in the world after the United States.
In 2014, Japan also enacted the world’s first “conditional and time-limited approval system” for regenerative medicine products.
The system has enabled applicants to obtain conditional and time-limited authorization for new treatments using regenerative medicine, substantially reducing the time it would normally take for approval and thereby accelerating treatment delivery to patients.
All this also indicates that Japan is more advanced in stem cell research in Asia.
We can expect continual progress in domestic regenerative medicine and stem cell research.
Singapore nationally encourages research activities in the areas of science and technology and possesses the biomedical science R&D hub “Biopolis” as well as “A*STAR,” the country’s largest public sector agency for science, technology, and research.
In these research centers, various studies are performed daily, including stem cell research.
Human embryonic stem (ES) cells in particular are the focus of many studies in Singapore.
According to a survey by the Japanese Patent Office, among all stem cell-related papers published in 2008, the percentage of those regarding ES cells was the highest in Singapore, accounting for more than 30%.
In contrast, the percentage in Japan was 0.4%.
This difference can be partially attributed to the views of each country on human embryos, which are indispensable for the creation of ES cells.
Singapore allows the creation and use of human embryos for research purposes and the creation of cloned embryos for therapeutic purposes.
In contrast, Japan allows the use of “surplus embryos” not intended for human reproduction for research purposes, but prohibits the use of cloned embryos for any purpose.
Because of the statutory restrictions on the use of human embryos being more relaxed in comparison in Singapore, the country is more advanced in ES cell research than Japan.
To cite an example of actual ES cell research conducted in Singapore, a treatment for restoring vision with stem cells was developed by Singaporean and Swedish research teams, which was published in June 2023.
The study reported that growing ES cells in the presence of laminin proteins in the retina can successfully drive the transdifferentiation of ES cells into photoreceptor progenitor cells.
Because of this finding, we can now anticipate the establishment of a new treatment for repairing damaged retinas with ES cells.
ES cell research in Japan may not be very active in comparison to Singapore, but this is not necessarily considered a setback.
This is because Japan is advanced in iPS cell research.
ES cells are harvested from human embryos after fertilization, which can potentially affect the life of the embryos. Therefore, the practical use of ES cells is prohibited from an ethical perspective.
However, iPS cells can be grown from cells that are easy to harvest, such as skin and blood cells, and transplanting iPS cells made from the patient’s own cells can reduce the risk of rejection.
The iPS cells created by a Japanese researcher for the first time in the world are considered groundbreaking due to the fact that they can bypass the ethical issues associated with ES cell applications as well as reduce the burden on patients.
Although the practical use of iPS cells has not yet been realized, various other stem cell studies are being conducted in Japan.
There are three reasons why stem cell therapy can potentially have anti-aging effects.
Stem cells have the potential to increase fibroblasts, which play a vital role in maintaining youthful skin.
Fibroblasts are cells within the dermis, located in a deeper part of the skin.
They produce substances that are essential for maintaining youthful skin, such as collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid.
Deteriorated fibroblasts due to aging or UV exposure lead to insufficient production of essential substances, resulting in noticeable wrinkles and sagging skin.
Due to the number of fibroblasts gradually decreasing after 20 years of age, the skin will continue to lose its youthfulness if no measures are taken.
This is where stem cell therapy comes into play.
Stem cells can stimulate the growth of fibroblasts.
An increase in normal-functioning fibroblasts promotes the production of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid, thereby resulting in younger-looking skin.
Once the increased number of fibroblasts start producing sufficient amounts of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid, the skin texture is likely to improve.
The amounts of collagen and elastin decrease with aging, which is closely linked to the development of skin problems such as age spots, fine lines, and enlarged pores.
Stem cell therapy increases the number of fibroblasts, which increases the amounts of collagen and elastin. Logically, this would help ameliorate the above-mentioned skin problems, leading to enhanced youthfulness.
Stem cell therapy can have preventive effects on illnesses.
Normally, cells have a self-healing ability and can repair themselves when damaged or aged.
However, if the deterioration or aging becomes too advanced, the self-healing ability cannot work properly, and cell damage becomes irreversible.
Stem cell therapy can potentially repair and regenerate these problematic cells before the manifestation of an illness, allowing the patient to maintain their healthy for a longer period of time.
Stem cell therapy can be administered via two routes: infusion therapy and local injection therapy. Each administration method is described below.
Infusion therapy is a method of administering stem cells via IV drip so that they can spread throughout the body.
This method is used in approaches to condition with various symptoms, such as chronic pain and NK cell-based autologous immune enhancement therapy.
The cost tends to be higher than that of local injection therapy.
This is because infusion therapy requires stem cell separation to prevent infused stem cells from clogging capillaries.
Local injection therapy is a method of injecting stem cells directly into areas of concern.
Stem cells can be delivered specifically to the targeted areas to improve joint pain, chronic wounds, and cosmetic concerns.
A treatment similar to stem cell therapy is called stem cell culture supernatant therapy.
Stem cell therapy uses stem cells to repair and regenerate cells, whereas stem cell culture supernatant therapy uses only bioactive substances in the supernatant obtained from culturing stem cells.
Therefore, a major difference between the two therapies lies in “whether stem cells themselves are administered.”
Bioactive substances contain growth factors that activate cells, and, as with stem cells, they can restore damaged tissues and cells.
Another difference between the two methods is that stem cell therapy uses the patient’s own stem cells, whereas stem cell culture supernatant therapy uses substances extracted from the stem cells of another individual.
For this reason, the risk of infection is inevitably higher for stem cell culture supernatant therapy.
Because stem cell therapy uses the patient’s own cells, the risk of infection is relatively low.
Furthermore, the two therapies are handled differently under Japan’s regulatory systems.
Stem cell therapy is available only at the clinics approved by a Certified Special Committee for Regenerative Medicine authorized by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW).
In contrast, stem cell culture supernatant therapy uses a reagent with no approval from the MHLW or legal authorization, as the reagent is technically not a drug.
The main types of stem cell culture supernatant therapy are summarized below.
Examples of stem cell culture supernatant therapy
All therapies are used primarily for anti-aging purposes.
Infusion therapy is a method of administering the supernatant obtained from culturing stem cells via IV infusion.
In local injection therapy, the supernatant is administered via injection.
This method is specifically for people who wish to have the bioactive substances administered to the areas of concern only.
The two methods can be combined for more enhanced effects.
Stem cell therapy is a promising tool for anti-aging effects, but some may wonder if there are any risks.
As with any other injection therapy, internal bleeding and pain attributable to injection or infusion are risks that can occur during stem cell therapy, along with joint pain immediately after the procedure.
Stem cell therapy is considered safe in general, but there is a small chance that the large number of infused stem cells may cause a blockage in a blood vessel. Therefore, it is important to always choose a trustworthy clinic to receive stem cell therapy.
Stem cell therapy may help achieve rejuvenation of appearance by regenerating and repairing skin and subcutaneous tissue.
The use of the patient’s own tissue as a source for regeneration can help achieve a naturally youthful look, along with improved skin tone and texture.
Stem cells can repair damaged tissues and possibly slow the aging process, which is considered the ideal anti-aging treatment.
If you are interested in stem cell therapy, please contact the Regenerative Medicine Division at Korokai Medical Corporation for a consultation.
Our hospital aims to provide fundamental anti-aging care through stem cell therapy in combination with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy or peptide therapy.
1) Treatment method
Stem cells present in your own adipose tissue are collected and cultured before being administered via intravenous drip or local injection to an affected area.
2) Risk for adverse reactions
During and after fat harvesting: Some people may experience internal bleeding, swelling, postprocedural infection, postprocedural scar appearance, or injection site pain.
During and after stem cell administration: Some people may experience injection site pain, allergic reaction, or pulmonary embolism.
3) Contact information
Regenerative Medicine Division, Korokai Medical Corporation
5th floor, Precious 18, 4-14-6 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
4) Cost
This treatment is considered as self-funded medical care not covered by health insurance.
Approximately 1,650,000 JPY including tax (may vary depending on diagnosis)
For more information, please contact us.
5) Procurement route
Stem cells are cultured at a CPC affiliated with our hospital.
6) Devices/drugs with the same efficacy that are approved in Japan
No drugs with the same efficacy have been approved in Japan.
7) Safety information from other countries
Safety reports from other countries are not available.
*There is a possibility that this treatment may present a significant unidentified risk.
8) Unapproved status
This treatment uses a drug that has not been approved under the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act.
9) Unapproved drugs/devices
Public relief systems (The Relief System for Sufferers from Adverse Drug Reactions and the Relief System for Sufferers from Diseases Infected from Biological Products) do not apply to unapproved drugs and devices.