A stem cell therapy improved mobility in older adults with age-related frailty after nine months in a phase 2b trial, compared with placebo.

Frailty is a condition in which older people become less able to cope with everyday or sudden stress, leaving them more vulnerable to illness, injury and poor outcomes after surgery.

The study tested laromestrocel, an intravenous therapy derived from donor bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

A total of 148 ambulatory adults with frailty took part, with researchers assessing physical performance and patient-reported outcomes.

Participants receiving the therapy walked further in the six-minute walk test, a standard measure of physical capacity.

After nine months, the treatment group walked an average of 63.4 metres more than those given placebo, a result described as clinically meaningful. At six months, the improvement was 41.3 metres but did not reach statistical significance.

The trial was conducted by Longeveron, a Miami-based clinical stage biotechnology company developing regenerative cell therapies for rare paediatric and chronic age-related conditions.

Joshua M. Hare, chief science officer at Longeveron, said: “We are highly encouraged by these Phase 2b results that demonstrate the potential of stem cell therapy to improve the condition of patients with ageing-related frailty.

“Those with Ageing Frailty are disproportionately compromised in their ability to cope with every day and acute stressors, are at high vulnerability to disease and injury, and are at increased risk for poor outcomes and death after surgery.

“This development area is at the core of Longeveron’s mission advancing stem cell therapies addressing life threatening conditions in the most vulnerable populations children and the elderly.”

Researchers also identified a potential biomarker, meaning a measurable biological indicator, linked to treatment response.

Higher doses of laromestrocel were associated with reductions in soluble TIE-2, a protein involved in blood vessel signalling.

Laromestrocel is being evaluated across several conditions.

The company said the findings point to a possible stem cell therapy approach for managing reduced mobility and other features of age-related frailty.

Global market to hit US$740bn in 2026, longevity needs lifts? ‘little brain’s’ big role, ageing ethics questioned…and more

IRISH insight and analysis company Research and Markets estimates the global ageing economy will surpass US$740bn this year.

These projections by the company, which is based next to the Guinness Brewery in Dublin, come in its latest paper, entitled: Longevity Market Report 2026-2036.

It takes a holistic view of the ageing economy encompassing consumer wellness, institutional healthcare, technology and regenerative medicine.

In a press release, accompanying the launch Research And Markets, say: “The longevity market is undergoing a structural shift, moving beyond predominantly consumer-driven wellness offerings toward institutionally funded healthcare solutions.

“Insurers, employers, health systems and pharmaceutical companies are increasingly integrating longevity-focused strategies to address the challenges of ageing populations, rising chronic disease burden and long-term cost sustainability.

“This evolution is accelerating demand for integrated platforms that enable early risk identification, targeted prevention and ongoing clinical engagement across the life course.”

Canadian researchers at McGill University say they have found a direct link between age‑related declines in the ‘little brain’ and worsening motor skills.

‘Little brain’ levers

Lead research author Eviatar Fields, a McGill doctoral student in the Integrated Program in Neuroscience, highlights how diminishing neuron activity in the cerebellum – at the base of the skull and known as the little brain – can impact gait, balance and agility.

The research pinpointed how changes in Purkinje cells – a key type of cerebellar neuron – drive this decline and translate into measurable changes in behaviour and physical function.

“By demonstrating how the changes that happen to Purkinje cells in age are causally linked to changes in gait, motor co-ordination and balance, our work provides new avenues for therapies that may prevent or delay motor aging.”

“This provides new hope for extending health span and ultimately improving quality of life and independence in elderly people,” said Mr Fields.

German lift company TK Elevator, is projecting a surge in demand as the global population ages and people find it increasingly difficult to use the stairs.

“As populations age – and that’s happening in Europe, it’s going to happen in China, everywhere else – there’s a need to put in elevators,” said Uday Yadav, its chief executive, speaking to the FT.

Longevity lifts

There are 22 million lifts worldwide, of which 30 per cent are more than 20 years old and potentially ripe to be refitted, he added.

TK Elevator, which was sold by German industrial conglomerate Thyssenkrupp to private equity firms Advent and Cinven for €17.2bn in 2020, is said to be looking at a potential €25bn market listing. Its revenues topped €9bn last year.

Researchers funded by the American Heart Association say the amino acid Taurine increased the life expectancy of mice, and monkeys by up to 25%.

Taurine is one of the most abundant amino acids within our bodies. It is secreted naturally and can be found in foods such as turkey, chicken, shellfish, and dairy.

It has the ability to lower blood pressure, act as an anti-inflammatory agent, and support cardiovascular health, but the concentration within human blood decreases as we age.

As well as longevity, the mice that were fed taurine exhibited improved bone density, muscle mass, pancreas function, and gut health.

Ethical questions

British GP and Medical Director Rammya Mathew has questioned the ethics of longevity highlighting how patients are being charged hefty sums of money ‘for investigations that are often unnecessary, of uncertain benefit, or unsupported by robust evidence’.

She added: “This is framed as empowering patients with knowledge, but it risks crossing the line into over-medicalisation of healthy people.”

The article published in the British Medical Journal continues: “I have watched this field with growing interest, particularly as an increasing number of high profile clinicians, some of whom have held senior roles in the NHS, move into private longevity medicine.

“Practising privately is not unethical in itself. But it does place doctors in an environment where the evidence base is often less clear, commercial pressures are more explicit, and the temptation to conflate innovation with benefit is real.”

Levels of the Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) – a vital coenzyme found in every human cell – are the target of new research by the Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences.

The research published in the Nature Metabolism Journal indicates that certain NAD+ precursors can boost cellular energy levels and influence gut microbiome activity.

The study discovered that NAD+ precursors – nicotinamide riboside (NR), nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) increased circulating NAD+ concentrations.

NAD+ levels decline with age in multiple tissues – muscle, liver, brain and skin – by as much 65% from young adulthood to old age.

This contributes to hallmarks of aging like mitochondrial dysfunction, reduced energy production, impaired DNA repair, increased inflammation, and cellular senescence.

Ongoing research has shown that restoring NAD+ (via precursors) improves mitochondrial function, metabolic health, and resilience.

Sleep apnoea costs the UK and US economies more than £137bn a year, with researchers calling for workplace screening and earlier treatment.

The condition causes repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. People often snore loudly, wake gasping for air and experience severe daytime tiredness. If untreated, it raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Sleep apnoea is estimated to affect around one billion people worldwide, including about eight million in the UK, though up to 85 per cent of cases are thought to be undiagnosed.

The study was led by researchers at University College London, who surveyed more than 4,000 adults in the UK and US.

They found that around one in five respondents reported frequent breathing pauses during sleep alongside excessive daytime sleepiness, both key indicators of the condition.

The economic impact was assessed through lost working days and reduced productivity.

The researchers estimated that obstructive sleep apnoea costs the US economy US$180bn (£133bn) a year and the UK economy £4.2bn. They said this is likely to be an underestimate, as healthcare costs and the impact of road and workplace accidents were not included.

“Given the significant yet often overlooked burden of obstructive sleep apnoea and its economic impact, we urge policymakers to allocate resources towards developing an effective screening strategy and implementing targeted public health campaigns and policies,” the authors wrote.

“Early identification and treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea, along with proactive early follow-up, could result in substantial savings, potentially amounting to billions annually in productivity costs.”

Maintaining treatment can be difficult.

Nearly two-thirds of patients stop using continuous positive airway pressure therapy, the standard treatment that keeps airways open by delivering a steady flow of air through a mask during sleep.

Alternatives such as weight loss drugs, mouth guards and hypoglossal nerve stimulation implants are not suitable for all patients.

Researchers noted that newer low-cost diagnostic tools and screening algorithms could improve detection, but warned that some workers may fear negative consequences if they disclose the condition.

The trade union Unite, which represents many road haulage and passenger transport drivers, said it supports screening only if workers are properly protected.

Adrian Jones, national officer at Unite, said: “Professional drivers often hide issues of sleep apnoea out of fear of losing their jobs.

“Before introducing screening, employers must be fully educated that sleep apnoea can be effectively managed.

“Workers must have the confidence that they will be supported, not dismissed, if a problem is identified.”