Anti-aging cell therapy utilized to reverse cellular aging in mice
Researchers from the Salk Institute (CA, USA) and Genentech (CA, USA) have reversed the aging process of middle-aged and elderly mice, by partially resetting the cells to more youthful states.
The aging process effects every cell in the body, because each cell contains a molecular clock, which records the passage of time. Cells that have been isolated from older individuals have different epigenetic markers when compared to younger individuals.
It has previously been established that adding a mixture of four reprogramming molecules, Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and cMyc – also known as ‘Yamanaka factors’ – to cells from older individuals can reset epigenetic markers to their original pattern.
In 2016, this technique was utilized by the Salk Institute to counteract the signs of aging and increase the lifespan of mice with a premature aging disease. This method has been utilized by other researchers to enhance the function of other tissues, such as the heart, brain and optic nerve.
During the most recent study, the research team gave mice of differing age groups the Yamanaka factors, aiming to deduce if the procedure would be tolerated for a longer time span. The researchers suggested that they did not record any adverse effects.
Compared to control animals, there were no blood cell differences or neurological variations in the mice that had received the Yamanaka factors. The team reported that the skin cells of the mice treated with Yamanaka factors resembled epigenetic features observed in younger animals.
In addition, when injured, the skin cells of the mice that had been given Yamanaka factors were better able to proliferate and less likely to form permanent scars. Furthermore, metabolic molecules in the blood of treated animals did not demonstrate normal age-related changes.
Research will continue with the aim of analyzing how specific molecules and genes are modified by long-term treatment with Yamanaka factors. Pradeep Reddy, co-author of the study and Scientist at the Salk Institute, stated: “we want to bring resilience and function back to older cells so that they are more resistant to stress, injury and disease. This study shows that, at least in mice, there’s a path forward to achieving that.”
Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte – co-corresponding author and Professor at the Salk Institute – suggested that: “in addition to tackling age-related diseases, this approach may provide the biomedical community with a new tool to restore tissue and organismal health by improving cell function and resilience in different disease situations, such as neurodegenerative diseases.”
Source:
Browder KC, Reddy P, Yamamoto M et al. In vivo partial reprogramming alters age-associated molecular changes during physiological aging in mice. Nature Aging https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-022-00183-2 (2022) (Epub ahead of print).