However, researchers are skeptical about the therapy’s effectiveness.
John Cleese revealed that she has spent £17,000 a year on stem cell therapy for the past 20 years to try to combat the effects of ageing. The founder of the Monty Python group said he “doesn’t look bad” for his age after receiving stem cells in Switzerland.
Stem cells can act as the body’s repair system and are sometimes used in regenerative therapies for long-term conditions such as Crohn’s disease. Potential benefits of stem cells as an antiaging treatment include cellular rejuvenation, reduced risk of aging-related diseases, and improved organ function.
In an interview with Saga magazine, the 84-year-old comedian said: “These cells travel around the body and when they find an area that needs repair, they transform into the cells that you want to repair, so they might become chondrocytes or liver cells.”
The Guardian notes that stem cells have become a popular miracle treatment for the rich and famous: Kim Kardashian is said to be a fan of stem cell facials, Cristiano Ronaldo and resorted to stem cell injections after a hamstring injury. However, the paper adds that although stem cell therapy is widely used in medicine, some private clinics fall into a regulatory “gray zone” because these therapies use patients’ own cells, rather than drugs that need to be licensed. Experts interviewed by the newspaper also doubt whether the therapy really has the effects that Cleese talked about.
Paul Knoepfler professor, a stem cell expert at the University of California, Davis, said:
I love John Cleese, but I worry that his stem cell anti-aging experiments may be doing more harm than good. First, the stem cells you receive regularly may pose health risks for you. It is not clear that any type of stem cell is safe or effective unless it has undergone extensive clinical trials. In addition, its anti-aging claims are unproven. Another thing is that celebrities’ exaggerated claims about what stem cells can do for them can encourage ordinary people to follow their lead, with potential health and financial risks.
