Damage to stem-cell DNA may explain link between alcohol and cancer

A new study in mice suggests alcohol causes stem-cell mutations in the absence of a critical enzyme.

3rd January 2018

When the body breaks down alcohol, it briefly converts it into a chemical called acetaldehyde. For most people, acetaldehyde is only a temporary by-product of alcohol, before it is oxidized by the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). 

However, an estimated 540 million people in Asia have a mutated ALDH2 gene that stops them from breaking acetaldehyde down. This could potentially increase the risk of cancer in this population, as acetaldehyde accumulation can damage the DNA.

A new study in mice sheds light on this process, and the potential link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk. We talk to one the study’s authors, Ketan Patel from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, about the work.

ResearchGate: What motivated this study?

Ketan Patel: We were interested in what natural factors damage the DNA of blood stem cells and how this damage is repaired. In the human illness fanconi anaemia a DNA repair system fails and causes the blood stem cells to die which leads to a loss of blood production. Individuals with this illness also develop blood cancers. We wanted to know what exactly this DNA repair system fixed in these very important cells. We discovered that one of the factors that damage the DNA in these cells is a byproduct of alcohol metabolism, the chemical acetaldehyde.

RG: How does alcohol increases cancer risk?

Patel: Our research suggests that alcohol causes cancer because, when the body breaks it down, it briefly converts it into acetaldehyde, which damages DNA if allowed to accumulate. Damaging DNA leads to DNA scars (mutations) and these mutations can then alter the genes that instruct a cell to become cancerous. Because alcohol seems to damage stem cells (at least in the blood) these changes can then be transmitted to many cells that are then subsequently created from a single stem cell.

RG: How did you discover this?

Patel: We used genetically engineered mice that lack protection against acetaldehyde. This protection system has two tiers; the first line of defense is to process acetaldehyde with an enzyme called ALDH2, and the second line of defense is the DNA repair pathway that fixes the DNA damaged by acetaldehyde. When we genetically remove both protection mechanisms in mice, they become hugely prone to alcohol induced DNA damage. Our more detailed analysis of these mice shows that some of this DNA damage occurs in blood stem cells, causing most of the stem cells to die. The few that survive carry DNA scars or mutations that they then pass on to many blood cells.

RG: What would you like the public to take away from your study?

Patel: This work informs us of how alcohol causes damage to an important class of cells (stem cells) and how this could lead to cancer. In addition, the work predicts that the huge number of people in Asia who lack their first line of protection enzyme are unusually prone to alcohol induced DNA damage and hence possibly cancer. Such individuals (Asian alcohol flushers) are utterly reliant on their DNA repair system.

RG: What's questions are you looking to tackle next?

Patel: How precisely does acetaldehyde damage DNA and how does the repair system fix this? Does this matter for other stem cells? Can this concept be in fact exploited therapeutically?

Featured image courtesy of Santy Gimeno.

https://www.researchgate.net/blog/post/damage-to-stem-cell-dna-may-explain-link-between-alcohol-and-cancer

Hope for multiple sclerosis patients as scientists reveal type 2 diabetes drug metformin 'can reverse nerve damage caused by MS in rats in three months'

• Scientists from Cambridge University gave rats the drug metformin
• Stripped protective substance from some of the nerves in the animals' brain 
• Amazed to find the damaged nerves made an almost complete recovery 

By ALEXANDRA THOMPSON SENIOR HEALTH REPORTER FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 09:04 BST, 4 October 2019 | UPDATED: 09:04 BST, 4 October 2019

A type 2 diabetes drug can repair nerve damage caused by multiple sclerosis (MS), according to trials on rats. 

Cambridge University scientists gave rodents the blood sugar-lowering medication metformin for three months.

They then stripped myelin from some of the nerves in the animals' brain. Myelin is a fatty sleeve that protects nerve cells. 

In MS, the immune system attacks myelin, leaving nerves unable to efficiently send and receive messages.

Results described as 'spectacular' showed the rats' damaged myelin made an almost complete recovery after three weeks on metformin.

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The type 2 diabetes drug metformin (pictured, stock) repaired nerve damage in rats

The drug, taken by millions battling type 2 diabetes, is thought to rejuvenate stem cells to develop into myelin-producing cells. 

The results were so impressive the scientists are planning to test metformin in MS sufferers next year.

The team, whose findings were published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, are 'very optimistic' it will work equally well in human patients. 

They hope that the drug will at least slow MS' progression or even prevent further neurological damage. 

MS is thought to affect 100,000 people in the UK, with 14 patients being diagnosed every day, MS Society statistics show.

And in the US, nearly one million are living with the condition, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

There is no cure, with no treatments focusing on easing symptoms and preventing relapses.

WHAT IS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS?

Multiple sclerosis (known as MS) is a condition in which the immune system attacks the body and causes nerve damage to the brain and spinal cord.

It is an incurable, lifelong condition. Symptoms can be mild in some, and in others more extreme causing severe disability.

MS affects 2.3 million people worldwide - including around 400,000 in the US, and 100,000 in the UK.

It is more than twice as common in women as it is in men. A person is usually diagnosed in their 20s and 30s.

The condition is more commonly diagnosed in people of European ancestry. 

The cause isn't clear. There may be genes associated with it, but it is not directly hereditary. Smoking and low vitamin D levels are also linked to MS. 

Symptoms include fatigue, difficulty walking, vision problems, bladder problems, numbness or tingling, muscle stiffness and spasms, problems with balance and co-ordination, and problems with thinking, learning and planning.

The majority of sufferers will have episodes of symptoms which go away and come back, while some have ones which get gradually worse over time.

Symptoms can be managed with medication and therapy.

The condition shortens the average life expectancy by around five to 10 years.

Metformin is a go-to type 2 diabetes drug. It lowers blood sugar levels by improving the way the body responds to insulin. 

To test its effect in MS, the scientists gave the drug to rats, which were later induced to have a form of the disease.

Compared to the animals that did not receive metformin, the treated rodents had a near complete recovery of their myelin, the scientists reported.

'It is utterly unambiguous and very spectacular,' study author Professor Robin Franklin told The Guardian.

In a second part of the experiment, some of the rats went without food on alternate days for six months. They experienced the same positive effect.

Both fasting and metformin are thought to rejuvenate stem cells in the brain to become more 'youthful'. 

The experts said this may enable stem cells to develop into myelin-producing cells called oligodendrocytes. 

'It’s always a leap in the dark when you go from lab experiments to humans,' said Professor Franklin.

'But the data is as strong and as compelling as it is ever likely to get. I am very optimistic this is going to work.' 

The scientists believe patients with relapsing remitting MS (RRMS) that is about to become secondary will benefit most.

RRMS makes up around 85 per cent of new MS diagnoses in the UK. It occurs when symptoms flare-up for a period of time and then ease.

Secondary progressive MS comes after RRMS. It causes a sufferer's disability to get steadily worse, with no periods of relief.

Anna Williams, a professor of regenerative neurology at the University of Edinburgh, believes metformin could be 'really helpful' in 'avoiding disability' in patients with neurological diseases.

She adds the drug is 'relatively simple, cheap and available'.

This article: Type 2 diabetes drug could offer hope for multiple sclerosis after a study on rats

Read more:

• Diabetes drug offers hope of new treatment for multiple sclerosis | Science | The Guardian
• 
  
• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7536823/Type-2-diabetes-drug-offer-hope-multiple-sclerosis-study-rats.html

Statins: Heart disease drug speeds up ageing process, warns new research

STATINS make regular users become older faster, leaving them open to long-term mental and physical decline, according to disturbing new research.

By LUCY JOHNSTON

PUBLISHED: 00:01, Sun, Sep 27, 2015

GETTY

Fears are growing over the side effects of cholesterol-lowering pills

Scientists have found the heart disease drug badly affects our stem cells, the internal medical system which repairs damage to our bodies and protects us from muscle and joint pain as well as memory loss. 

Last night experts warned patients to “think very carefully” before taking statins as a preventative medicine. 

A GP expert in the field said: “They just make many patients feel years older. Side effects mimic the ageing process.” 

The new research by scientists at Tulane University in New Orleans has reignited the debate about statin side effects which many doctors say have been played down. 

They include memory loss, muscle pain, diabetes, cataracts, liver dysfunction, diabetes, fatigue and memory loss. 

GETTY

Millions of Britons currently take statins to combat the risks of heart attacks

Professor Reza Izadpanah, a stem cell biologist and lead author of the research published in the American Journal of Physiology, said: “Our study shows statins may speed up the ageing process. 

“People who use statins as a preventative medicine for heath should think again as our research shows they may have general unwanted effects on the body which could include muscle pain, nerve problems and joint problems.” 

This research reinforces what has long been suspected. The side effects of statins mimic the ageing process

Dr Malcolm Kendrick, GP

The scientists who treated stem cells with statins under laboratory conditions found that after a few weeks the cholesterol-busting treatment had a dramatic effect. 

Statins prevented stem cells from performing their main functions, to reproduce and replicate other cells in the body to carry out repairs. 

The researchers found the statins prevented stem cells from generating new bone and cartilage. 

They also found they increased ageing. 

Professor Izadpanah said: “People at high risk of heart disease can reduce this risk by taking statins. However, considering the adverse effects of these drugs and their association with so many side effects, it is crucial people are fully aware of the risks before they take the treatment.” 

Dr Malcolm Kendrick, a GP in Macclesfield, Cheshire, who has studied heart health and statins, said: “Statins just make many patients feel years older. This research reinforces what has long been suspected. The side effects of statins mimic the ageing process.

“I observe patients on statins slowing down. Some are not affected, for some it is a relatively subtle process, but for many it is a serious side effect and one which disturbingly helps us confirm what we have long suspected.” 

Millions of Britons currently take statins to combat the risks of heart attacks, but a 10-year NHS plan has already been introduced to prescribe the drug to low-risk patients with only a 10 per cent chance of a heart attack within a decade. 

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence claims this could save thousands of lives. 

But critics say much of the trials data has never been made public and more work is needed to ensure routine use is not harmful.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/608210/statins-age-you-faster-new-research-suggests-long-term-use-warning

New breakthrough in search for cancer cure

The search for a cure for blood cancers has received a boost with new research by Singapore scientists shedding light on how stem cells can be more effectively used to treat diseases such as leukaemia.

Wednesday, 23 May 2018

The five researchers are from the National Cancer Centre Singapore, the National University of Singapore (NUS), Duke-NUS Medical School, and the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

At a media briefing on Monday, the team said it discovered a laboratory-synthesised chemical substance that can be used to increase the number of stem cells harvested from umbilical cords.

It said this will help overcome a current challenge of cell levels being too low to help patients recover quickly.

This need for a quick recovery is to minimise the risk of bacterial, fungi or viral infections, said Associate Professor William Hwang, medical director of the National Cancer Centre Singapore, one of the researchers involved.

In general, stem cells are “elastic” cells. They are capable of regenerating and differentiating into various cell types in a person’s body.

This potential of stem cells, which can last the lifetime of a patient, to form new cells that can replace degenerated ones has made stem cell therapy the subject of intense medical research.

But there are many different types of stem cells in the body, some more “elastic” than others. When stem cells differentiate, they become progenitor cells, which are more specialised and have a shorter lifespan.

Such intermediary cells include those found in the bone marrow or peripheral blood. They are considered haematopoietic (blood-forming) progenitor cells.

These haematopoietic progenitor cells are slightly more specific, in that they regenerate to form cells that constitute blood – red blood cells, platelets and cells of the immune system. They also last for a shorter period of time. — The Straits Times/Asia News Network

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/regional/2018/05/23/new-breakthrough-in-search-for-cancer-cure/

Stem cell transplant 'game changer' for MS patients

Doctors say a stem cell transplant could be a "game changer" for many patients with multiple sclerosis.

Results from an international trial show that it was able to stop the disease and improve symptoms.

Fergus WalshMedical correspondent@BBCFergusWalshon Twitter

• 18 March 2018
 

It involves wiping out a patient's immune system using cancer drugs and then rebooting it with a stem cell transplant.

Louise Willetts, 36, from Rotherham, is now symptom-free and told me: "It feels like a miracle."

A total of 100,000 people in the UK have MS, which attacks nerves in the brain and spinal cord.

Just over 100 patients took part in the trial, in hospitals in Chicago, Sheffield, Uppsala in Sweden and Sao Paulo in Brazil.

They all had relapsing remitting MS - where attacks or relapses are followed by periods of remission.

The interim results were released at the annual meeting of the European Society for Bone and Marrow Transplantation in Lisbon.

Image copyrightTHINKSTOCK

Image captionNerve connections become damaged in people with MS

The patients received either haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) or drug treatment.

After one year, only one relapse occurred among the stem cell group compared with 39 in the drug group.

After an average follow-up of three years, the transplants had failed in three out of 52 patients (6%), compared with 30 of 50 (60%) in the control group.

Those in the transplant group experienced a reduction in disability, whereas symptoms worsened in the drug group.

Prof Richard Burt, lead investigator, Northwestern University Chicago, told me: "The data is stunningly in favour of transplant against the best available drugs - the neurological community has been sceptical about this treatment, but these results will change that."

---

Multiple sclerosis

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition which can affect the brain and/or spinal cord
• It can cause problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance
• Average life expectancy is slightly reduced
• It is estimated that there are more than 100,000 people diagnosed with MS in the UK

Source: NHS

---

The treatment uses chemotherapy to destroy the faulty immune system.

Stem cells taken from the patient's blood and bone marrow are then re-infused.

These are unaffected by MS and they rebuild the immune system.

Prof John Snowden, haematologist and director of blood and bone marrow transplantation at Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire Hospital, told me: "We are thrilled with the results - they are a game changer for patients with drug resistant and disabling multiple sclerosis".

Prof Basil Sharrack, neurologist and director of MS research at Royal Hallamshire Hospital, told me: "This is interim analysis, but with that caveat, this is the best result I have seen in any trial for multiple sclerosis."

'Lived in fear'

Louise was diagnosed with MS in 2010 when she was only 28.

She told me: "MS ruled my life and I lived in fear of the next relapse.

"The worst time was not being able to get out of bed because I had no stability in my body - I struggled to walk and even spent time in a wheelchair.

"It also affected my cognition - it was like a brain fog and I misread words and struggled to keep up with conversations."

The BBC's Panorama filmed her undergoing her transplant in October 2015 and she is now back to full health.

She got married to her partner Steve, on the first anniversary of her transplant, and their baby daughter Joy is now a month old.

"I feel like my diagnosis was just a bad dream. I live every day as I want to, rather than planning my life around my MS."

The transplant costs around £30,000, about the same as the annual price of some MS drugs.

Doctors stress it is not suitable for all MS patients and the process can be gruelling, involving chemotherapy and a few weeks in isolation in hospital.

Dr Susan Kohlhaas, director of research at the MS Society, said the stem cell transplant HSCT "will soon be recognised as an established treatment in England - and when that happens our priority will be making sure those who could benefit can actually get it".

She added: "We've seen life-changing results for some people and having that opportunity can't depend on your postcode."

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-43435868#

More on this story

• Cancer treatment for MS patients gives 'remarkable' results

  18 January 2016
• Risky treatment can stop multiple sclerosis for years

  20 February 2017

Are stem cells really the fountain of youth?

There are many claims that stem cells possess anti-ageing properties and other secrets to youth and regeneration. However, there has not been much scientific proof demonstrating these touted abilities.

August 27, 2017 

By tasnim syakirah

Human ESCs being generated by transferring cells from a preimplantation-stage embryo into a plastic laboratory culture dish that contains a nutrient broth known as culture medium. Photo: AFP

Dr Paul Lucas, an assistant professor of orthopaedics and pathology from the New York Medical College in the United States, notes that the words “stem cells” are thrown around far too casually, and that many people assume that they are a single type of cell.

“The definition of ‘stem cell’ is an operational definition.

“That is, it describes what the cell can do, and not any particular protein or other marker it can make,” he says.

According to him, a stem cell is a cell that can:

• Differentiate into at least one phenotype (cell type), and

• Has the ability to divide, with at least one daughter cell remaining a stem cell.

What are your views on stem cells being used commercially for anti-ageing purposes? For example, there are many pills and creams made up of stem cells that are said to “reverse the ageing process”. Do you think that these are legitimate?

Lots of hype, very little biology. I have written several answers on the website Quora that address this.

Pills and creams are not legit.

The skin has a barrier called the stratum corneum that prevents bacteria from getting inside the body.

The stratum corneum will also block stem cells, which are much, much larger than bacteria, in the form of a cream.

Any stem cell will not survive in a pill with no water. And of course, any cell will not survive the hydrochloric acid in the stomach.

So there is no way “stem cells” in either a pill or a cream can get inside the body.

Even if a stem cell could get inside the body, there is very little data that any stem cell will be anti-ageing – it’s a way to separate people from their money.

There are several reasons stem cells do not counter ageing.

Stem cells are not magic. They are not magic pixie dust you can sprinkle on everything and make it be perfect.

Ageing has many causes. One of them is DNA and cellular damage.

It is thought that the various adult stem cells are the cells of origin of cancer. The data is very solid for at least hepatomas and leukaemias.

That means that stem cells can suffer mutations that alter cellular function – degrading it in some cases, and causing it to go haywire and be cancer in others.

Also, how are stem cells to be “injected”? Into each tissue? Every muscle, organ, tendon, ligament, etc?

Or are the stem cells to be injected into a vein and travel to all parts of the body?

There are two technical problems with this:

• Injecting into a vein means that most of the cells are going to be trapped in the lungs before they go out to the rest of the body, as our veins all lead first to our heart, then our lungs.

• Blood vessels are sealed tubes. Think pipes.

Just how are the stem cells supposed to exit the pipes?

This is especially true for reversing ageing in the most important organ – the brain.

The neural tissue in the brain is separated from the blood vessels by another layer of tissue called the blood-brain barrier.

Even if stem cells got out of the blood vessels in the brain, they are not going to get to the neural tissue, which is the tissue that needs to rejuvenate.

There is no way any injected stem cells are just going to magically replace all the aged cells in the body.

Stem cells are a class of undifferentiated cells that are able to differentiate into specialised cell types. Photo: 123rf.com

I read that when products use stem cells from plants, they are only using growth factors. Can you explain what this means?

Plants are very different from us. No cell from a plant is going to be able to incorporate into our tissues and act like a stem cell.

Many mammalian stem cells – particularly mesenchymal stem cells– synthesise and secrete several proteins.

Some of these proteins are “growth factors” in that they cause other cells to divide.

The claim seems to be that plant growth factors will have the same effect on human cells as they do on plant cells.

That is false.

Even some of the skincare people admit this. The following quote is from the website of a US-based skincare company that uses both human and plant stem cells: “That said, unlike human stem cells, the growth factors, cytokines and other proteins, which are the products of plant stem cells, do not have the ability to act in the same way in humans, as in plants.

“Plant stem cells communicate in a different biochemical ‘language’ that human cells do not recognise.”

What is the biggest difference between placental stem cells (PSCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs)?

First is the source.

ESCs are the inner cell mass of a five to seven-day-old blastocyst, which is formed after the sperm successfully fertilises the egg.

PSCs come either from the tissue of the placenta itself or from the Wharton’s jelly of the umbilical cord.

Secondly, ESCs are pluripotent, meaning they are able to differentiate into every tissue of the body. They can also form tumours in our body.

PSCs are essentially adult stem cells that have limited proliferation potential, i.e. the cell has a fixed number of times it can divide before it dies. They are multipotent, meaning that they have the ability to form more than one cell type, and do not form tumours.

Finally, stem cell injections for sports injuries (such as knee tendonitis) are common, but expensive, in Malaysia. Do you advocate this treatment over surgery and do you think this type of treatment will be less costly in the future?

Probably less costly, but no more effective.

The treatment uses mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).

The discoverer of MSCs – Prof Dr Arnold Caplan – says they should be called “mesenchymal secreting cells”. Notice that he does not consider them stem cells!

MSCs secrete a large number of cytokines that reduce inflammation. It is inflammation that causes pain.

Aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen also reduce inflammation.

A “stem cell” injection with MSCs is essentially putting little aspirin factories at the site of injury.

They reduce the pain, but do little or nothing to regenerate the tissue.

For young athletes, reducing inflammation will allow the body’s healing process to work better, and thus, improve outcome.

For older patients? There is less capacity for healing.

http://www.star2.com/health/wellness/2017/08/27/are-stem-cells-really-the-fountain-of-youth/

What you should know about stem cells

The mention of stem cell research might bring to mind images of embryos in a lab used to create products meant for the skin anti-ageing business.

September 18, 2016 Living, Viewpoints

By Datuk Dr Nor Ashikin Mokhtar

The mountain flower called Edelweiss contains leontopodic acids, chlorogenic acid and other ingredients that may promote younger-looking skin.

For most of us, it seems unnatural, perhaps even unholy, to even think of using such a controversial method of defying age.

But stem cells from embryos are not the full picture, as there is more than one kind of stem cell.

Here is a breakdown of the science behind these mysterious skincare products to help you navigate this brave new world of beauty.

Human stem cells

Human stem cells are a powerful tool in science. They are unique because they have the potential to become a specialised cell, and can divide and renew themselves.

In research labs, embryonic stem cells are preferred, as they are more flexible than adult stem cells.

They usually come from four- to five-day-old embryos left over from in-vitro fertilization.

The controversy occurs because obtaining these stem cells requires the destruction of the embryo.

As it contains a potential human life, many have questioned the ethics of using embryos.

Plant stem cells

On the other hand, plant stem cells offer the same ability to self-renew and replace specific plant cells in need of repair, just like human cells.

Plant stem cells used in beauty products are cultured in pollution- and pesticide-free labs.

This technology enables scientists to have more control over the quality and quantity of anti-ageing substances the plant produces; without toxins or chemicals sneaking in from an outside source, purer ingredients are created.

Stem cells, or more precisely, the messaging molecules that are harvested from stem cells, can offer these benefits in skincare products:

• Provide antioxidant protection

• Protect skin from photo-damage by ultraviolet (UV) radiation

• Protect skin from other types of oxidative damage

• Provide anti-inflammatory benefits

• Provide stimulation to epidermal stem cells

• Increase the longevity of skin cells

Edelweiss, a mountain flower made popular by The Sound of Music, contains leontopodic acids, chlorogenic acid and other ingredients that may promote younger-looking skin.

It is said to have anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective (cell-protecting) properties. It may also prevent collagen breakdown.

Centella asiatica (also known as gotu kola, daun pegaga, Asian pennywort, pang dai woon) is native to the swamps of Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

It has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years and supposedly has anti-ageing benefits, among other uses.

Centella asiatica (also known as Gotu kola, Daun Pegaga, Asian Pennywort, Pang Dai Woon) has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years and supposedly has anti-ageing benefits, among other uses.

It has also been found to increase collagen in the face.

Uttwiler Spätlauber is a rare Swiss apple that supposedly has “magical” anti-ageing capabilities. However, there is not enough information about this endangered fruit to be sure of its properties.

Raspberry cell cultures are said to moisturise and lock in hydration.

Other popular sources of plant stem cells harvested for ingredients for skin care products include lilac, algae and grape seed.

The key to stem cells

Stem cells release cytokines, a type of protein, as a way to communicate with each other. This is called cell signalling.

One type of cytokine is known as growth factor, which promotes cell growth, healing and differentiation. It is important to know about cytokines because the stem cells of humans and plants do not share the same chemical make-up. Attempting to regenerate new skin cells in humans by using plant stem cells is physiologically impossible and an exercise in futility.

What can be done, however, is harvesting plant stem cells for their growth factors. Adding growth factors to stem cell products can stimulate protein production.

Stem cells are broken up when harvested, preserving the signalling molecules while discarding the rest.

So, when a product claims to contain stem cells, what it actually means is that the product contains growth factors and signalling molecules that have been extracted from the stem cells.

Whole stem cells would not be able to get through your skin because they are too large to penetrate the skin barrier.

Even individual ingredients like molecules often have difficulty getting into your skin and entering the deeper layers.

Why so expensive?

Creams and serums with stem cell-derived ingredients are also more expensive to produce, compared to going out to a field and picking some plants.

Youthful-looking skin comes at a price. The higher-end creams with stem cell-derived ingredients can set you back a few hundred, perhaps thousands of ringgit. A lot of what you pay for is really the research and development.

Other popular sources of plant stem cells harvested for ingredients for
skin care products include lilac, algae and grape seed.

Another possible reason that these serums contain hefty price tags is that they are “a novelty”. In 20 years’ time, it is possible that you may find them at your local pharmacy.

Cutting-edge skin care ingredients are exciting, but one should remain wary of the claims made about stem cell products.

This is because the evidence behind those claims is still limited, and we are just at the beginning of much more to come.

My advice is, if you can afford to experiment without a guarantee it will work, then by all means go ahead and try stem cell products.

But if you have a limited budget, wait a bit for the industry to advance and focus your attention instead on ingredients that are already proven to deliver results to your skin, like peptides, retinoids, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients.

There is a lot of promise when it comes to stem cell poducts, but some of the advertising is a bit overstated. The best advice to follow is if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is – buyers, beware.

http://www.star2.com/living/viewpoints/2016/09/18/what-you-should-know-about-stem-cells/