Is it possible to overcome aging? Today and tomorrow cell therapy. Leonid Yu. Prokhorov

      © Prokhorov L. Yu., 2017

      © Prokhorov L. Yu., 2021

      © Design: “Publishing solutions”, Ltd, 2021

      INTRODUCTION

      One of the main urgent problems of humanity is old age and related problems: senile diseases, deterioration of appearance, atherosclerosis, dementia, carcinogenesis, ischemic disease, myocardial infarction, etc. What should we do? The answer is very simple: you must always stay young, periodically rejuvenate the aging body and then there will be no problems listed above. For most people, this is fantastic, but now there are methods that allow you to rejuvenate the skin. The next step is to rejuvenate other tissues and organs. It was found that the number of living, working and capable of dividing cells is constantly decreasing with age (Strehler, 1964). Dead cells are replaced by connective tissue. Connective tissue plays an important role in the aging process. In some aging organs, dead specialized cells are replaced with connective tissue cells that are unable to perform the functions of this organ. For example, cardiomyocytes (muscle cells of the heart) when they die as a result of a heart attack can be replaced by fibroblasts, forming a scar that is deprived of the ability to contract.

      Therefore, it is important to replace old or dead cells with young, fully functioning ones.

      Another task is to eliminate the old connective tissue and replace it with a young one. The use of both methods in combination can give the maximum effect.

      A particular task that is already being solved today is skin rejuvenation. To rejuvenate the skin, eliminate wrinkles, scars after surgery, and acne, methods have already been developed that give an unambiguously positive result. This and some other topics related to the rejuvenation of human tissues and organs will be discussed in this publication.

      EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL MANIFESTATIONS OF HUMAN AGING

      With age, changes are occurring in the overall size, shape and composition of the body, soft parts of the face and skin, changes the bone system.

      ► Skin changes usually begin after 40 years, especially noticeable for the structure of the upper (epidermal) layer, which is thinned and flattened. By the age of 80 its thickness is 25% less than at the age of 30. The relief of the skin pattern on the palms, soles and fingers of hands and feet is smoothed. The changes affect the papillary layer of skin proper (dermis), which also becomes thinner. Gradually atrophy occurs in subcutaneous fat, which in long-livers may eventually disappear completely. Brown pigment spots appearing on the skin are characteristic for the back of the hands, shoulders, chest, etc. (Khrisanfova, 1999).

      According to other data, the visible aging of the skin take place from the age of 25 years, when subcutaneous fat tissue begins to becom thin, and the elasticity of collagen structures decreases (Guide to gerontology, 2005).

      Due to the decrease in the number of sweat and sebaceous glands the skin becomes drier, its elasticity is lost. In men, the decrease in sebum occurs later than in women. The most obvious signs of aging are wrinkles. With age, there are multiple wrinkles on the skin, especially in open areas, such as the face, for example, the so-called «crow’s feet» at the outer corner of the eye. For fig.1 shows a picture of an elderly European woman, and in fig.2, for comparison, – photo of a young woman. The face ages faster than other parts of the body (Khrisanfova, 1999). This is explained by the fact that the person is more exposed to atmospheric influences, including sunlight, compared to other parts of the body. Aging under the influence of sunlight is called photo aging, since sunlight accelerates skin aging. Especially this process is affected by ultraviolet radiation, as part of the solar spectrum (Molochkov et al., 2005). The exposure to wind, dust, dryness, the action of microorganisms, detergent components, etc. accelerate skin aging.

      The skin temperature decreases, especially among long-livers. This is due to a general decrease in metabolic processes, but partly due to the deterioration of blood supply and changes in sweat glands. Due to the decrease in their number, the excretory function of the skin is weakened (Khrisanfova, 1999).

      ► Significant changes are happening to the hair. Starting from the age of 30, the density of hair on the skin decreases (the density is a number of hair on a surface unit), they turn gray, that is, they cease to be colored with pigment. One of the reasons for graying is that the cells of the hair follicles (melanocytes) lose the ability to form a dye pigment. However, it is expected that another, more important reason is violation of a process of pigment transfer from melanocytes to the growing hair (Prokhorov, 2015b). Although hair growth is declining, older women often have facial hair (on the upper lip and chin). At the same time, hair on the body, limbs and eyebrows may disappear after 60 years.

      ► The bone system worsens, the curvature of the spine increases; intervertebral discs and cartilage of the articular surfaces of the bones flatten. A permanent sign of aging over the age of 45—50 years is bone thinning – osteoporosis.

      ► With age, there occur changes the overall size, shape and body composition, soft parts of the face.

      ► The height of a person decreases. According to some data, after 60 years, the height of men and women decreases by an average of 0.5—1.0 cm over

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