Longevity & AgingDeer Antler Stem Cell Vesicles Reverse Bone Loss and Epigenetic Aging in Mice and Monkeys
Researchers isolated extracellular vesicles (EVs) from antler blastema progenitor cells (ABPCs), a uniquely resilient mesenchymal stem cell found only in regenerating deer antlers. Unlike conventional stem cells that senesce after 10–15 culture cycles, ABPCs maintain robust proliferation past 50 cycles. When injected intravenously into aged mice, ABPC-derived EVs increased femoral bone mineral density, improved physical and cognitive performance, reduced systemic inflammation, and reversed epigenetic age by over 3 months. In aged rhesus macaques, the same treatment improved locomotor function, provided neuroprotection, reduced inflammation, and reversed epigenetic age by more than 2 years. The findings suggest ABPCs represent a practical, scalable, and ethically accessible source of geroprotective EVs with real translational potential.
