Prolonged strenuous exercise expands the population of developmentally early stem cells in bone marrow and mobilizes them into peripheral blood – novel evidence that strongly supports a positive effect of physical activity on extension of lifespan at the level of stem cells

Researchers have demonstrated through a mouse model study that the beneficial effect of exercise on lifespan may be specifically related to the increase of a certain type of primitive stem cell believed to play an important role in tissue and organ regeneration.

Established research cites the benefit of exercise in reducing the risk of disease and managing chronic conditions, and studies have already shown that physical activity helps to mobilize stem cells, or move them from the bone marrow into the bloodstream.

Taking this one step further, researchers focused their study on investigating the activity of the primitive stem cells (known as very small embryonic-like stem cells or VSELs) to directly assess whether strenuous exercise could increase the presence of a pool of developmentally early and highly potent stem cells in the blood stream.

They hypothesized that the increased presence of these stem cells in the blood stream may enhance the rejuvenation of organs and tissues and potentially extend the lifespan.

To test their hypothesis, the team exposed the mice to various periods of strenuous exercise on rotating wheels (short-term at 1 day, mid-term at 14 days, and long-term at 6 months).

The length of exercise was positively correlated to the counts of these primitive cells in their bone marrow and circulating blood, with the greatest increase in overall counts being in the group with the longest exercise exposure.

The team also found similar correlations between the rates of exercise and the active function of genes that assist in organ and tissue regeneration.

The data show that prolonged, strenuous exercise in mice is associated with the increased quantity of these important primitive stem cells in the bone marrow and their movement into the bloodstream.

“These data makes a compelling argument that exercise may not only prevent health issues that tend to emerge as people age, but may also help improve the body’s ability to heal damaged tissue and organs,” said Mariusz Ratajczak, MD, PhD, senior author and Director of the Stem Cell Institute at the James Graham Brown Cancer Center of the University of Louisville in Kentucky. “Additional studies need to be conducted to better define the role of these early stem cells in healing tissue damage, extending the lifespan, and maintaining health during the aging process, as well as to understand how we might be able to harness them for further therapeutic benefit.”

Source: ASH