The Stem Cell Revolution: a New Era of Medicine

We are on the cusp of a stem cell revolution.

Understanding and harnessing these unique cells may unlock breakthroughs in longevity and therapeutic solutions to all kinds of chronic diseases and regenerative opportunities.

Over the last decade, the number of publications per year on stem cell-related research has increased 40x. And the global stem cell therapy market size is expected to nearly triple from $11.2 billion in 2022 to over $31 billion by 2030.

But what exactly are stem cells? And what’s possible with safe and effective stem cell treatments?

In today’s blog, I’ll discuss what stem cells are, the promise they hold for increasing healthspan and longevity, and how I personally use stem cell technology.

Let’s dive in…

What Exactly Are Stem Cells?

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can transform into specialized cells such as heart, neurons, liver, lung, skin and so on, and can also divide to produce more stem cells.

In a child or young adult, these stem cells are in large supply, acting as a built-in repair system. For example, they are often summoned to the site of damage or inflammation to repair and restore normal function.

There are 2 major categories of stem cells:

1. Autologous stem cells: these are derived from you, typically from your fat or bone marrow, and then delivered back to you. In other words, this is about you receiving your own cells.

2. Allogeneic stem cells: these stem cells come from a donor (derived from the Greek word “allos” or “other”), many times from a newborn’s umbilical cord or placenta.

As we age, our supply of stem cells begins to diminish as much as 100- to 10,000-fold in different tissues and organs. Additionally, stem cells undergo genetic mutations, which reduce their quality and effectiveness at renovating and repairing your body.

Here’s an analogy told to me by Bob Hariri, MD, PhD, one of the world’s leading thinkers in the realm of stem cells:

“Imagine your stem cells as a team of service technicians in your newly constructed mansion. 

“When the mansion is new, and the technicians are young, they can fix everything perfectly. As they age and reduce in number, your mansion goes into disrepair and eventually crumbles.”

But what if you could restore and rejuvenate your stem cell population?

Storing your Autologous Stem Cells

One option you should consider is extracting, concentrating, and storing your own autologous adult stem cells from places like your adipose tissue (i.e., fat).

Remember, your stem cells will never be younger than they are today, so it’s a good thing to consider at any point in your life.

I’m excited that Fountain Life is partnering with Dr. Bob Hariri’s company Celularity to enable adult stem cell banking before the end of the year.

Bringing Allogeneic Stem Cells to Market

Another option to consider is obtaining allogeneic stem cells derived from the placenta or umbilical cord (i.e., the leftovers of birth).

Allogeneic stem cells, abundant and possessing newborn-like "software," can be injected into joints or administered intravenously. These cellular "chemical factories" produce growth factors that reduce inflammation, combat autoimmune diseases, increase muscle mass, repair joints, revitalize skin, and promote hair growth, ultimately rejuvenating and revitalizing the body.

It's important to note that today, the use of allogeneic stem cells is not approved by the FDA and is therefore not legal in the United States. This is why many individuals travel to permissive jurisdictions such  as Costa Rica, Mexico, Antigua, and Panama.

Fountain Life is also working with Celularity on this source of stem cells, filing with the FDA for an IND (investigational new drug) implementation of allogeneic placental stem cells (provided by Celularity) for the treatment of frailty (i.e., sarcopenia or muscle loss).

Such treatments would take place at Fountain Life’s Headquarters in Orlando, Florida under the care of our medical staff and Celularity’s research team. I’ll let you know as soon as these approvals are in place.

How I’m Personally Using Stem Cells

My focus is on two areas:

First, this fall, during my upcoming Longevity Platinum Trip, I’m planning on banking my own stem cells (even though they are 63 years old, they will never be younger than they are today).

Second, once the FDA-IND is in place at Fountain Life Orlando, I will pursue therapeutic treatment with Celularity’s placental stem cells when possible.

Also during my fall Longevity Platinum Trip, I’ll be featuring in-depth conversations with some of the world’s top scientists in stem cell technology. These include:

• Celularity (NASDAQ: CELU): Dr. Bob Hariri, MD, PhD (Founder & CEO) – Placental-derived stem cells and natural killer cell therapies to combat aging and disease.

• UCSD: Cat Jamieson, MD, PhD (Distinguished Professor) – Stem cell research in microgravity and its implications for aging and cancer.

• Immunis: Hans Keirstead, PhD (Co-Founder & CEO) – Discussing muscle gain, sarcopenia using stem cells and secretome (growth factors, cytokines, etc. from stem cells).

• UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center: Thomas Rando, MD, PhD (Director, UCLA & Professor of Neurology, Stanford University) – Epigenetic rejuvenation and environmental factors affecting stem cells.

Why This Matters 

As humans, we've just come to accept the notion of dying... and we’ve come to accept that we’re stuck with a maximum “healthspan” of mid-70’s or maybe 80’s... But what if you could extend that, significantly? Wouldn’t you want to?

I personally believe that in the near future, stem cells are going to change medicine forever, extend life, and more importantly extend health!

Over a million people have already seen their lives transformed—or even rescued—by stem cells.

I predict that by the end of this decade stem cell treatments will cost less than the price of a laptop today. And eventually, treatments will be available at your private doctor’s office, with most of the price covered by private insurance or Medicare.

We are truly living during the most exciting time ever in human history.