ZME Science
  • CoronavirusNEW
  • News
  • Environment
    • All
    • Animals
    • Climate
    • Eco tips
    • Environmental Issues
    • Green Living
    • Pollution
    • Renewable Energy
    • World Problems
    Huge tanker at risk of collapse in the Caribbean — officials say situation is “stable”

    Huge tanker at risk of collapse in the Caribbean — officials say situation is “stable”

    Electric cars will likely be as cheap as regular ones by 2024

    Electric cars will likely be as cheap as regular ones by 2024

    Scientists resurrect mysterious missing tectonic plate beneath Canada

    Scientists resurrect mysterious missing tectonic plate beneath Canada

    It’s not just a health concern: air pollution is costing European citizens $190 billion per year

    It’s not just a health concern: air pollution is costing European citizens $190 billion per year

    We should expect long-term ice loss even if we stop climate change today, according to a new study

    We should expect long-term ice loss even if we stop climate change today, according to a new study

    World’s largest solar farm will produce 10GW of power in Australia — but most of it will end up in Singapore

    World’s largest solar farm will produce 10GW of power in Australia — but most of it will end up in Singapore

    This white paint cools rooftops below the surrounding temperature, even under direct sunlight

    This white paint cools rooftops below the surrounding temperature, even under direct sunlight

    The Great Plains could be drying down into a new Dust Bowl

    The Great Plains could be drying down into a new Dust Bowl

    This beetle’s armor can survive being run over by a car. Here’s why it’s nearly indestructible

    This beetle’s armor can survive being run over by a car. Here’s why it’s nearly indestructible

    • Climate
    • Animals
    • Renewable Energy
    • Eco tips
    • Environmental Issues
    • Green Living
  • Health
    • All
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Anatomy
    • Diseases
    • Genetics
    • Mind & Brain
    • Nutrition
    The pandemic has messed up our sleep, eating habits, and mental health, a new study reports

    The pandemic has messed up our sleep, eating habits, and mental health, a new study reports

    Electromagnetic fields treat type 2 diabetes in mice

    Electromagnetic fields treat type 2 diabetes in mice

    FDA approves first Ebola treatment

    FDA approves first Ebola treatment

    This protein explains why you get acne — and may offer a new way to cure it

    This protein explains why you get acne — and may offer a new way to cure it

    After scanning canine brains: “Dogs are people, too,” says neuroscientist

    After scanning canine brains: “Dogs are people, too,” says neuroscientist

    Infant feeding bottles may release millions of microplastics during formula preparation

    Infant feeding bottles may release millions of microplastics during formula preparation

    Do you like cheese? You can  thank the Indus Valley Civilization for it

    Do you like cheese? You can thank the Indus Valley Civilization for it

    Men and women are responding differently to the pandemic. Here’s how

    Men and women are responding differently to the pandemic. Here’s how

    Three coffees a day bring headaches your way — stick to one or two and you should be fine

    Three coffees a day bring headaches your way — stick to one or two and you should be fine

    • Alternative Medicine
    • Anatomy
    • Diseases
    • Genetics
    • Mind & Brain
    • Nutrition
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
    Time Travel Without the Paradoxes

    Time Travel Without the Paradoxes

    Sir Roger Penrose has been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in physics for his work revolutionising our theories regarding black holes and reshaping general relativity. (Robert Lea)

    Singularity Minded: The Black Hole Science that Won a Nobel Prize

    The spicy history of how pumpkin spice got so popular

    The spicy history of how pumpkin spice got so popular

    The mental health of PhD students is at stake: scientific journals should take the blame

    The mental health of PhD students is at stake: scientific journals should take the blame

    Why leaves fall down — and why it happens during Autumn

    Why leaves fall down — and why it happens during Autumn

    These are the best drone photos of the year — and they will blow your mind

    These are the best drone photos of the year — and they will blow your mind

    Why do days get shorter and darker with autumn?

    Why do days get shorter and darker with autumn?

    21 experts you should follow if you want to make sense of the pandemic (and a bonus)

    21 experts you should follow if you want to make sense of the pandemic (and a bonus)

    a Representation of the quantum teleport of information from the surface of Earth to space--a sci-fi's fan's dream, almost. ((IMAGE BY CAS))

    Quantum Teleportation: Separating Science Fact from Science Fiction

    • Feature Post
    • Art
    • Great Pics
    • Design
    • Fossil Friday
    • AstroPicture
    • GeoPicture
    • Did you know?
    • Offbeat
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
Home Science Biology

Researchers successfully reverse aging — in a lab dish

The team is "very excited" about the findings.

Alexandru Micu by Alexandru Micu
March 24, 2020
in Biology, Environment, Genetics, Health & Medicine, Science
A A

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have successfully de-aged human cells in a lab dish.

Image via Pixabay.

Carefully exposing human cells to Yamanaka factors, proteins involved in embryonic development that are used to transform adult cells into induced pluripotent stem (or iPS) cells, can reverse cellular aging. The authors report that old human cells in a lab dish treated with these proteins were nearly indistinguishable from fresh cells.

Ageback

“We are very excited about these findings,” said study co-author Thomas Rando, MD, Ph.D., the director of Stanford’s Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging. “My colleagues and I have been pursuing the rejuvenation of tissues since our studies in the early 2000s revealed that systemic factors can make old tissues younger.”

The authors explain that iPS cells produced from adult cells become “youthful” in the process. They wondered whether the process could be stopped mid-way, in order to make the cells more vigorous without causing them to revert back to a stem state. They found that it is possible, but the procedure hinges on carefully controlling the duration of exposure to Yamanaka factors. The team can use their approach to “promote rejuvenation in multiple human cell types,” explains Vittorio Sebastiano, Ph.D. the senior author of the study.

ADVERTISEMENT

The factors gradually wipe a cell’s genetic material clean of the bits that differentiate them — those that make a skin cell and a blood cell different, for example — and revert them back to a younger state over the course of weeks. Instead, the team only allowed exposure to continue for a few days. They then compared the genetic activity of these cells with untreated cells from both elderly adults and younger participants.

The treated cells showed signs of age reversal after four days of exposure, the team explains, and their patterns of gene expression were similar to those seen in cells from younger participants. Treated cells appeared to be about one-and-a-half to three-and-a-half years younger on average than untreated cells from elderly people. The maximum values were three and a half years for skin cells and seven and a half years for cells lining blood vessels (when comparing methylation levels, a hallmark of cell aging).

“We saw a dramatic rejuvenation across all hallmarks but one in all the cell types tested,” Sebastiano said. “But our last and most important experiment was done on muscle stem cells. Although they are naturally endowed with the ability to self-renew, this capacity wanes with age. We wondered, Can we also rejuvenate stem cells and have a long-term effect?”

The team transplanted treated muscle cells back into old mice, and reported that they regained muscle strength comparable to that of younger mice. The process also helped cells from the cartilage of people (with and without osteoarthritis) reduce the secretion of inflammatory molecules, improve cellular function, and the cells’ ability to divide.

“Although much more work needs to be done, we are hopeful that we may one day have the opportunity to reboot entire tissues,” Sebastiano said. “But first we want to make sure that this is rigorously tested in the lab and found to be safe.”

Get more science news like this...

Join the ZME newsletter for amazing science news, features, and exclusive scoops. More than 40,000 subscribers can't be wrong.

   

Tags: agingcellproteinsstem
Alexandru Micu

Alexandru Micu

Stunningly charming pun connoisseur, I have been fascinated by the world around me since I first laid eyes on it. Always curious, I'm just having a little fun with some very serious science.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Coronavirus
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
  • More

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Coronavirus
  • News
  • Environment
    • Climate
    • Animals
    • Renewable Energy
    • Eco tips
    • Environmental Issues
    • Green Living
  • Health
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Anatomy
    • Diseases
    • Genetics
    • Mind & Brain
    • Nutrition
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
    • Feature Post
    • Art
    • Great Pics
    • Design
    • Fossil Friday
    • AstroPicture
    • GeoPicture
    • Did you know?
    • Offbeat
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

This is a demo store for testing purposes — no orders shall be fulfilled. Dismiss

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?