Forever young - the lab version

Weizmann Institute of Science scientists have shown how aging mice can be restored to the characteristics typical of young people

A significant decrease in the number of senescent cells (blue spots) in the liver and lung tissues of mice following the drug treatment
A significant decrease in the number of senescent cells (blue spots) in the liver and lung tissues of mice following the drug treatment

Who among us does not dream of returning to be younger, healthier, more energetic (provided, of course, that the wisdom of the experience we have gained remains with us, even in the "second round"). This dream may come true in the future, to some extent. This heartwarming hope stems from the results of a study led by Prof. Valery Krizhnovsky and a member of his research group, Dr. Yossi Ovadia, in the Department of Molecular Biology of the Cell at the Weizmann Institute of Science. The results of the study were recently published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

The research started when the scientists wanted to examine how the immune system causes the death of aging cells, the damaged cells in the body whose activity goes awry. This activity of the immune system, which is a kind of "cleaning" of aging cells in the body, is mediated through the expression of a certain gene in the cells of the immune system. The study was carried out in mice that lack this gene. The scientists characterized these mice at the age of two, and discovered that their bodies accumulate much more senescent cells, compared to mice in which the mechanism of "removal" of the senescent cells works properly. As a result, the mice suffer from chronic inflammation and a decrease in the functioning of various systems. They also look older - and die younger.

In the second phase of the study, the scientists gave aging mice a medicinal substance that inhibits the expression of proteins necessary for the survival of aging cells, thus damaging them and contributing to their removal from the body. These drugs were given to mice whose aging was accelerated due to a failure of the immune system, and also to those whose aging was accelerated due to another genetic defect. The result was not long in coming: there was a marked improvement in the condition of the treated mice. Their aging process slowed down significantly, and according to various molecular measures, the state of their tissues returned closer to the state typical of young mice. The amount of aging cells remaining in their bodies decreased, and the intensity of inflammation decreased significantly. In activity tests, the treated mice showed more vigor, and it was obvious that their general condition was better. Finally, their life expectancy (as measured by the median) - increased.

The scientists hope that in the future, new methods will be tested to eliminate aging cells in humans, in particular those based on the activation of the immune system. If these future trials go well, it may be possible to add new meaning to the phrase "anti-aging."

for the scientific article

More of the topic in Hayadan:

5 תגובות

  1. sounds logical.

    It is likely that in the previous millions of years the body was not happy to also get rid of aging cells due to the high cost of replacing them with new cells, but this is a limitation that did not exist in modern man.

  2. Miracles,
    That's exactly the point. People would be happy to completely change their personality, as they are today reshaping their noses, pumping fat from their thighs, shortening their stomachs, injecting botox and plastering their faces.

    Authenticity is overrated (until it comes back into fashion and everyone has to fake one for themselves, that will comply with the rules).

  3. Lorem Ipsum
    Past failures define who we are (not only them of course). Without these memories - you will be a completely different person. I would even say that the failures shape us much more than the successes.

  4. It's very beautiful, but it seems to me that a complementary part would be the injection of young (or "regretted") stem cells.
    In addition to this, an overhaul of the body's main systems will probably be required.
    And apart from that, I don't completely agree with the statement about the "wisdom of experience". People will be happy to edit their memories (including themselves), and start a new life without the burden of past failures and disappointments. As the Comedy Store said at the time: "Retarded but optimistic".

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