Researchers say they didn't just stop aging, they turned the biological clock back.
Scientists have successfully reversed aging in mice using a cellular rejuvenation technique. The aging process has been reversed in middle-aged and elderly mice ;. For this, four molecules, commonly known as Yamanaka transcription factors, were used.
After injecting the molecules into mice of different ages, their kidneys and skin showed clear signs of rejuvenation. Researchers believe this safe treatment could one day help people reverse their biological clock, reducing their risk of heart disease and cancer.
Rejuvenation, according to scientists, will require a course of treatment lasting from 7 to 10 months.
«This method is safe and effective in mice. In addition to combating age-related problems, this approach will provide the biomedical community with a new tool for tissue and body repair as a whole. Such a process can be triggered by improving cell function and resistance to neurodegenerative diseases», says study co-author and professor at the Salk Institute in San Diego Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte.
«Yamanaka Factors» were first discovered by Nobel Prize-winning Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka about 15 years ago.
He discovered that if you take four proteins that regulate genes and add them to cells, they can «reprogramme&# 187;. The cells can return to their younger and more adaptive form, the so-called «embryonic stem cells».
Back in 2016, Izpisua Belmonte's lab at the Salk Institute claimed it was able to use Yamanaka factors to fight aging in mice and also increase their lifespan.
«However, the long-term effects of this reprogramming remained unknown», the study authors say.
To study them, the team tested cellular rejuvenation in healthy mice as they age over time. One group of mice received regular doses of Yamanaka factors between 15 months and 22 months of age, equivalent to a human age of 50 to 70 years.
The second group of mice received treatment between 12 and 22 months ( from 35 to 70 years in humans), and the third group took the drug for only one month at the age of 25 months (about 80 years in humans).
«During this experiment, we wanted to find out whether such treatment is really safe for a long time. We did not see any negative health effects in these animals,” said study author Pradeep Reddy of the Salk Institute.
The experiment showed that mice treated with Yamanaka factors did not change blood cells and did not develop neurological changes. There were also no cases of cancer in either group.
In general, after treatment, the mice resembled younger mice. Their kidneys and skin matched the patterns of young rodents. The scientists also found that the treatment helps to reduce fibrosis (scarring) of tissues.
No age-related changes were found in the blood molecules of treated mice either.
Rejuvenation was observed in animals that underwent the course lasting from 7 to 10 months. Treatment for one month did not give any result.
Scientists note that the positive effects were not too obvious during treatment. This suggests that the treatment is not just stopping aging, but reversing it, although more research is needed to separate the two.