A leap in time. Although it is inevitable, the aging process can be influenced. To counter the pangs of time, science is relying more and more on regenerative medicine, which aims to repair, replace or regenerate faulty genes, cells or organs. Its main purpose is to restore the impaired functions of the human body, so it also has the potential to reverse age-related changes.
Recently, researchers from the Babraham Institute, a scientific organization in Cambridgehave developed a technique for reprogramming skin cells. Their tests, conducted on mice, allowed these cells to behave as if they were much younger, and therefore more efficient. Their results were published in the journal eLife (source 1).
A big step forward in understanding cell reprogramming
As part of their experiments, the researchers wanted to find a way toimproving the ability of aged mice to repair their skin lesions. The “reprogrammed” cells of the selected mice were able to produce more collagen, which allowed faster healing of the sorescompared to mice whose cells had not undergone the reprogramming process.
Moreover, the state of the kidneys and the skin of these old and genetically modified mice were identical to that of the younger mice. The scientists also did not observe age-related metabolic changes, which can usually be identified in the blood.
“Our understanding of aging at the molecular level has advanced over the past decade. […] This new experience represents a big step forward in our understanding of cell reprogramming“, said Dr Diljeet Gill, researcher at the Babraham Institute, in a press release published on April 8 (source 2).
And to conclude: “We have proven that cells can be rejuvenated without losing their function and that rejuvenation seeks to restore certain functions of old cells. The fact that we have also observed a reversal of indicators of aging in genes associated with diseases is particularly promising for the future of this work.”
