Could Stem Cells Hold the Key to Reversing Aging? Koreans Travel to Japan for Rejuvenation Injections
The OPAL (Older People with Active Lives) generation is emerging. At the center of Korea’s senior population in 2024 are around one million people born in 1958, the Year of the Dog, who are now entering the early stages of older adulthood. This generation is willing to invest generously in maintaining its health, and one of the areas attracting the greatest spending is anti-aging.
In response, the medical and healthcare industries are searching for the “secret keys” that might slow—or even turn back—the biological clock. Among the most closely watched anti-aging keywords are telomeres and stem cells. Could these two areas of research ultimately provide a way to reverse aging?
Modern medicine has paid growing attention to telomeres, often described as “longevity genes” or markers associated with biological aging.
The human body is made up of countless cells, and the nucleus of each cell contains 46 chromosomes arranged in 23 pairs. These chromosomes contain DNA, the genetic blueprint of the body.
Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences located at the ends of chromosomes. Each time a cell divides, its telomeres become slightly shorter. When telomeres reach a point where they can no longer shorten further, the cell stops dividing. In this sense, telomere length acts as a kind of biological clock, reflecting both a cell’s remaining capacity for division and its biological age.
Studies have reported average telomere lengths by age. Telomere length is generally measured in kilobase pairs (kbp). At birth, average telomere length is typically around 8.5–13.5 kbp, and it decreases by approximately 0.03–0.035 kbp per year.
Some studies have reported average telomere lengths of around 6.7 kbp at age 40, 6.1 kbp at age 60, and 5.5 kbp at age 80, showing a clear tendency for telomeres to shorten with age. A telomere length of around 5 kbp is sometimes regarded as approaching the lower limit associated with the end of the human lifespan.
Globally, telomere research is still at a relatively early stage. However, a Korean medical research team reported findings last June suggesting that shorter telomeres in older adults may be associated with a higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia. The study was published in a journal of the Gerontological Society of America.
The research team, led by Prof. Myung-Hoon Han of the Department of Neurosurgery at Hanyang University Guri Hospital, examined 137 relatively healthy adults aged 60 to 79 to investigate the relationship between subjective cognitive complaints, depressive symptoms, and telomere length.
Subjective cognitive complaints refer to a condition in which an individual performs normally on dementia screening tests but personally feels that their cognitive abilities are declining. Telomere length was measured through blood samples.
The researchers found that individuals with relatively longer telomeres reported fewer subjective cognitive complaints and depressive symptoms than those with shorter telomeres. Conversely, people with relatively short telomeres showed higher levels of cognitive concern and depression.
Prof. Han explained, “Telomere length is generally known to range from around 5 to 15 kbp, and having telomeres of 15 kbp does not necessarily guarantee a longer life.”
“However,” he added, “when a person’s telomere length deviates significantly from the average expected for their age, studies suggest that it may be associated with various pathological conditions.”
Telomere length testing is gradually expanding into the field of preventive health screening. In Korea, several hospitals and health examination centers, including Hanyang University Guri Hospital, now offer tests that measure telomere length.
Prof. Myung-Hoon Han said, “Knowing telomere length could be important in identifying older adults at high risk of dementia or depression.” He added, “If elderly individuals with relatively short telomeres undergo selective screening for cognitive impairment or depression, it may be possible to identify high-risk patients earlier and begin preventive treatment before symptoms progress, potentially delaying or preventing dementia and late-life depression.”
Advanced regenerative medicine, led by stem cell therapy, is emerging as another major field with the potential to transform the paradigm of anti-aging treatment.
Advanced regenerative medicine refers to medical interventions in which human tissues or cells—including stem cells and immune cells—are cultured and processed before being administered to patients to regenerate or restore bodily structures or functions, or to treat and prevent disease.
The field is drawing attention not only for its potential applications in general patients but also as a new therapeutic option for chronic, rare, and intractable diseases that cannot be adequately treated with current medical procedures.
Globally, Japan is considered one of the leading countries in this field. In 2014, Japan introduced legislation governing the safety of regenerative medicine and granted physicians greater authority to provide such treatments under an established regulatory framework. Through this proactive legislation, Japan has positioned itself as a major hub for regenerative medicine.
There are now more than 1,000 regenerative medicine institutions in Japan.
Japan also recognizes certain overseas cell-processing facilities. If stem cells are cultured at an overseas cell culture and processing facility approved by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, those cultured cells cannot be administered as treatment in Korea, but they may be transported to Japan and administered there.
As a result, it is estimated that 10,000 to 20,000 Koreans travel to Japan each year to receive stem cell treatments.
Dr. Cho Sung-hoon, director of the Ieum Center at Seoul Yes Hospital and former head of the Integrated Immunology and Stem Cell Center at CHAUM, said, “In Korea, even if stem cells or NK cells are cultured, they cannot be used for therapeutic purposes.”
He added, “Korean patients are having their stem cells cultured at one of the 11 domestic GMP facilities approved by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as cell therapy facilities, as of September 30 last year, and then literally flying to Japan with those cells to receive them as injections. It is an absurd situation.”
This is because, under Korean law, both culturing unapproved stem cells and using cultured stem cells for therapeutic purposes are prohibited.
Dr. Cho said, “Every administration has promised that patients would eventually be able to receive cell therapies in Korea without having to travel to Japan, but it still appears that considerable time will be required to enact or revise the necessary laws.”
He continued, “It is time to view therapies using immune cells from a patient’s own blood and adipose-derived stem cells from their own fat tissue as a form of autologous cell-based therapy using the patient’s own biological material.”
“These are treatments that Korea has the capability to provide. It is frustrating to see patients continue to travel overseas for therapies that could potentially be delivered domestically.”
Against this backdrop, an amendment to Korea’s Act on the Safety of and Support for Advanced Regenerative Medicine and Advanced Biopharmaceuticals, commonly known as the Advanced Regenerative Medicine Act, has gained momentum after passing the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee’s first legislative review subcommittee on the 18th of last month.
However, strong opposition remains.
Patient advocacy organizations including the Korean Cancer Patients’ Rights Council, the Korean Pulmonary Fibrosis Patients Association, and the Korean Multiple Myeloma Patients Association, along with civic groups opposing healthcare privatization, have raised concerns that companies could exploit desperate patients for profit.
Critics have also warned that indiscriminate use of stem cell therapies could lead to an increase in serious adverse events or even deaths.
As a result, significant debate and controversy are expected before stem cell therapies can be more broadly introduced into clinical practice in Korea.
Reporter Jung Sim-kyo
Email: simkyo@mt.co.kr