FOREVER YOUNG!
New stem cell procedure erases 30 years
AREVOLUTIONARY process to rejuvenate human cells is being hailed as a potential fountain of youth!
Researchers at the Babraham Institute in England say their lab trial turned back the clock on skin cells harvested from people aged 38 and 53, making them appear younger by as much as 30 years!
According to the scientists, their reprogramming process did not cause any damage and allowed aging cells to regain lost function — like the ability to produce collagen, which provides structure for tissues and helps heal wounds.
This type of regenerative biology builds upon previous research connected to stem cell development.
Back in 2007, Nobel Prize winner Dr. Shinya Yamanaka was the first scientist to turn
normal cells into stem cells, which have the special ability to develop into any cell type. His method exposes cells to four protein transcription factors (TFs) — now also known as Yamanaka factors — for 50 days.
But the Babraham Institute’s new “maturation phase transient reprogramming” utilizes Yamanaka factors for just 13 days, which appeared to reverse some markers of aging as TFs alter how DNA passes along genetic information.
Although the team admits their research is still in preliminary stages, if the technique can be proven safe and effective — and be replicated in other cells and body tissues
— the scientists claim it could be game-changing technology.
“Our results represent a big step forward in our understanding of cell reprogramming,” says Dr. Diljeet Gill.
“The fact that we also saw a reverse of aging indicators in genes associated with diseases is particularly promising for the future of this work.”