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- Measuring healthy ageing: current and future toolsPublication . Silva, Nádia; Rajado, Ana Teresa; Esteves, Filipa; Brito, David V.C.; Apolónio, Joana; Roberto, Vânia; Binnie, Alexandra; Araújo, Inês Maria; Nóbrega, Clévio; Bragança, José; Castelo-Branco, PedroHuman ageing is a complex, multifactorial process characterised by physiological damage, increased risk of age-related diseases and inevitable functional deterioration. As the population of the world grows older, placing significant strain on social and healthcare resources, there is a growing need to identify reliable and easy-to-employ markers of healthy ageing for early detection of ageing trajectories and disease risk. Such markers would allow for the targeted implementation of strategies or treatments that can lessen suffering, disability, and dependence in old age. In this review, we summarise the healthy ageing scores reported in the literature, with a focus on the past 5 years, and compare and contrast the variables employed. The use of approaches to determine biological age, molecular biomarkers, ageing trajectories, and multi-omics ageing scores are reviewed. We conclude that the ideal healthy ageing score is multisystemic and able to encompass all of the potential alterations associated with ageing. It should also be longitudinal and able to accurately predict ageing complications at an early stage in order to maximize the chances of successful early intervention.
- Human stem cells for cardiac disease modeling and preclinical and clinical applications—are we on the road to success?Publication . Correia, Cátia; Ferreira, Anita; Fernandes, Mónica T.; Silva, Bárbara M.; Esteves, Filipa; Leitao, Helena; Bragança, José; Calado, SofiaCardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are pointed out by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the leading cause of death, contributing to a significant and growing global health and economic burden. Despite advancements in clinical approaches, there is a critical need for innovative cardiovascular treatments to improve patient outcomes. Therapies based on adult stem cells (ASCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have emerged as promising strategies to regenerate damaged cardiac tissue and restore cardiac function. Moreover, the generation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from somatic cells has opened new avenues for disease modeling, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine applications, with fewer ethical concerns than those associated with ESCs. Herein, we provide a state-of-the-art review on the application of human pluripotent stem cells in CVD research and clinics. We describe the types and sources of stem cells that have been tested in preclinical and clinical trials for the treatment of CVDs as well as the applications of pluripotent stem-cell-derived in vitro systems to mimic disease phenotypes. How human stem-cell-based in vitro systems can overcome the limitations of current toxicological studies is also discussed. Finally, the current state of clinical trials involving stem-cell-based approaches to treat CVDs are presented, and the strengths and weaknesses are critically discussed to assess whether researchers and clinicians are getting closer to success.