Researchers have created chemical substances that can be used to successfully fight degenerative diseases of the nervous system and other diseases related to old age
Scientific breakthrough: a team of researchers, led by Prof. Esther Friel from Ben-Gurion University, created new chemical substances with which it is possible to successfully fight not only degenerative diseases of the nervous system, but also other diseases related to old age.
In the laboratory of Prof. Friel, from the Sharga Segal Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Ben-Gurion University, new chemical substances were created, in collaboration with her research colleagues, Dr. Aviv Gazit (formerly from the Hebrew University) and Prof. Shimon Salvin (also formerly from the Hebrew University and is currently the head of the Institute for Genetic Therapy in Tel Aviv).
The researchers, under the leadership of Prof. Friel, and together with her PhD students (Erez Eitan and Ilon High School), showed that these substances increase the expression of an important protein (called telomerase) in human cells, such as stem cells and in mice. This enzyme is associated with prolonging life and protecting against damage, and in 2009 the scientists Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Shostak received a Nobel Prize for its discovery.
In the current study, published these days in the prestigious Embo Molecular Medicine newspaper, the researchers show that one of the substances they created can reach the brain and the spine, increasing the expression of the telomerase protein in the cells of the brain and spine. Prof. Friel: "We show that by injecting this substance into mice that develop ALS (an incurable disease, manifested in the degeneration of the motor nerves and muscle atrophy), we succeed in slowing down the development of the disease and prolonging the lives of the mice."
BG Negev Technologies, the commercialization company of Ben-Gurion University, signed a development and license agreement with a private American investment fund, which will invest over one million dollars in the next two years in the expansion of the research.
"This is a scientific breakthrough, since these substances have great potential not only in dealing with degenerative diseases of the nervous system, but also in other diseases related to old age," says the researcher. Prof. Friel heads the School of Medical Laboratory Sciences at Ben-Gurion University.
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The shortening of the telomeres is also a defense mechanism of the body against cancer in that it causes the planned death of a cell whose DNA has been damaged and the body must "sacrifice" it in order not to receive a mutational protein. I wonder what the consequences of the research will be in this context...
What about a cold, flu, runny nose, sore throat, headache
All or most people suffer from this
dozens and hundreds of times during their lives
Amazing, this is equivalent to scientists at the Technion developing a new generation of smartphone.
It seems that in the field of pharmaceuticals the giant companies with replica budgets are underperforming.
I don't understand something. Does it mean "fountain of youth"? A few months ago, a study by Professor Ronald de Pinho was published that succeeded in rejuvenating old mice by activating the telomerase enzyme. Is there any effect of depressing using these chemicals on naturally aging mice? I would love to get answers…