A team of scientists from Harvard Medical School, the University of Maine, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered a chemical method for reversing cellular aging.
The research builds on the discovery that the expression of specific genes, known as Yamanaka factors, can transform adult cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This breakthrough, which earned a Nobel Prize, prompted scientists to question if cellular aging could be reversed without pushing cells to become too young and potentially cancerous.
The Harvard team used advanced cell-based assays to identify six chemical combinations that could return NCC and genome-wide transcript profiles to youthful states, reversing transcriptomic age in less than a week. The team also showed that these chemical cocktails could rejuvenate cells in mice, improving vision and extending lifespan.
“Until recently, the best we could do was slow aging,” said David A. Sinclair, A.O., Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Genetics and co-Director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research at Harvard Medical School and lead scientist on the project. “New discoveries suggest we can now reverse it.”
The researchers believe that the chemical method for reversing cellular aging could be used to treat a wide range of age-related diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and cancer. The approach could also be used to develop new therapies for injuries and to rejuvenate tissues and organs.
The researchers are now planning human clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of the chemical cocktails.
The sources for this piece include an article in Scitechdaily.
