A team of scientists at Harvard Medical School has made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of aging research, developing a method to reverse the aging process in cells by resetting the epigenetic instructions that determine a cell's identity and function. David Sinclair, used gene therapy involving three genes to reprogram cells and reversed signs of aging in mice, including gray fur, lower body weight, decreased activity and increased weakness.
Getting old is a complex process, which has long been the subject of study and speculation. While scientists have long debated the causes of aging, a new study published in the journal Cell offers a new perspective on the subject. dr. David Sinclair and his team at Harvard Medical School have discovered a new method to reverse the aging process in cells by resetting epigenetic instructions, which determine the identity and function of the cell.
The team used gene therapy involving three genes from Yamanaka's stem cell factors to reprogram the cells and reverse the signs of aging in the mice. The therapy mimics the effects of aging on the epigenome by introducing breaks in the DNA of young mice. This causes the mice to show signs of old age, including gray fur, lower body weight, reduced activity and increased fragility. But when the researchers used gene therapy to reprogram the cells, the mice began to show signs of youth again.
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The team's discovery represents a paradigm shift in how scientists think about aging. A common theory is that they cause aging mutations in DNA, but this study shows that aging is driven by changes in the epigenome. The epigenome is the set of instructions that cells use to determine which genes to turn on or off. Over time, these instructions can become corrupted, resulting in the aging process. By resetting epigenetic instructions, researchers were able to reverse the effects of aging.
This research is still in its early stages and more studies are needed to understand the implications and potential applications of this discovery. The team is currently testing the system in non-human primates and human cells, and is studying potential applications for the treatment of aging-related diseases such as heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
Overall, this new discovery offers hope for a future in which the aging process can be reversed and age-related diseases treated by restoring the proper epigenetic instructions. This is an exciting development in the field of aging research and it will be interesting to see what advances this discovery brings in the future.
source: time.com
