Scientists now know that over time, our cells accumulate damage in their DNA. Some cells successfully repair the damage caused, while others self-destruct. And still others - retire - stop growing or dividing and enter the state we call aging. As we age, the number of these cells in the body increases, and along the way, they become involved in the health problems that accompany the aging process. In a paper published in the journal Nature, the researchers cleansed the body of mice of old cells, which significantly improved the health of the rodents and even prolonged the life of some.
Aging cells of the body - the cause of poor health at age
Researchers from the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine (USA) have come to an amazing discovery - they managed to slow down aging and significantly improve the condition of the kidneys, heart and adipose tissue in rodents. After cleansing the body of old cells, the animals were healthier, and in some cases lived longer. According to The Atlantic, the work may be the most important discovery in the study of aging in history. But how did scientists do it?
In 2004, the study authors accidentally discovered that disabling a gene called BubR1 - which they originally thought was associated with cancer - actually accelerated the aging process. The mice developed cataracts, heart disease, and weight loss. As a result, all rodents that had the BubR1 gene disabled died much earlier than mice that did not have the gene disabled. Subsequently, the researchers found that much more senescent cells accumulated in their bodies. By 2011, the team had developed a way to isolate and remove these cells from mice that had the BubR1 gene disabled. The results were impressive: when the senescent cells disappeared, the rodents' health improved significantly. The next step for the researchers was to remove old cells from the body of normal mice.
The state of health of mice that have undergone the procedure of cleansing from old cells has improved significantly.
Healthy middle-aged mice, whose genome had not been edited, were cleansed of senescent cells twice a week. This time, the researchers managed to increase the average lifespan of rodents by a quarter. As the mice got older, they lost less fat, the heart and kidneys were in good condition, and the development of cataracts was markedly reduced. Moreover, all rodents have become more active. To double-check the results, the researchers tested a large number of mice of both sexes, with different genetic characteristics and differences in nutrition - and the results were always the same.
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Will there be a cure for aging?
The main reason for the negative health effects of aging is that aging cells release molecules that cause inflammation and enzymes that destroy connective tissue. During the study, scientists have identified 50 to 60 different molecules that these cells produce. Each of these molecules can cause significant damage to body tissues. Thus, the accumulation of damage in DNA can potentially lead to cancer. The molecules that release aging cells prompt the immune system to clear them out. But with age, the immune system weakens and senescent cells accumulate. As a result, molecules become not a solution but a problem.
Old cells gradually destroy the body.
The fact that cleansing the body of old cells has a positive effect on the health of rodents is striking and in some ways quite logical, given the weak immune system in old age. But will such a procedure be safe for humans? Chances are, any attempt to cleanse aging cells in humans will have serious side effects as well as obvious benefits. Anyway, further research is needed. At this stage, scientists intend to use the results obtained in the treatment of diseases caused by senescent cells and localized in certain parts of the body. But in any case, these are truly revolutionary results. It is possible that in the future there will be a drug that slows down the aging process.
Lyubov Sokovikova