Cell reprogramming paid during aging in animals

For the first time scientists were able to reverse the aging process in living animals using cellular reprogramming. Thanks to this method, mice suffering from premature aging, live 30 percent longer compared to the control group.

The method involves the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSK) which allow scientists to reprogram specialized cells to primary, "embrionalnopodobno" state. From iPSK can develop into other cell types in the body. Now scientists showed that the reprogramming of cells is able to rejuvenate living beings.

"In other studies, scientists have completely reprogrammed cells until their original state, which are similar to stem cells" - says Pradiyp Reddy from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

"But we first show that by the expression of these factors in a short period can maintain cell identity, while returning to reverse age-related scars."

The technique iPSK was developed by Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka in 2006, when he discovers that differentiated cells can be transformed back into embrionalnopodobni stem cells, induced the expression of four genes that today are known as "Yamanaka factors."

But although the reprogramming of cells to embrionalnopodobno state sounds like something that can rejuvenate organisms, it leads to dangerous complications. Studies in 2013 and 2014 show that iPSK in living organisms can be fatal: the results are cancers or failure of the authorities because older cells lose their identity.

"Obviously there is logic in it - says specialist epigenetics Wolf Reik of Cambridge, who was not part of the research team.

"In iPSK restart cellular clock back to zero. Returning to zero to embryonic state, is probably not what you need, so ask yourself - how far back you go back? "

Thinking along these lines makes scientists from the Salk Institute to try partial reprogramming. !

Instead of inducing the expression of factors Yamanaka to three weeks - which will lead to pluripotency - inducing genes for two to four days.

This means that the cell retains its differentiation - ie, skin cell stays a skin cell, without going back to stem cell - but actually turns into a younger version of himself.

At least such is the case. Scientists suggest that the partial reprogramming removes the accumulation of so-called. epigenetic marks in cells - wear which accumulates in response to environmental and other external factors.

Over time, these scars become more prominent, which impairs cell efficiency and contributes to what we experience as aging. Scientists mimic the process of manuscript that became difficult to read because of the many edits.

"At the end of life has many markers and difficult for the cell to read them" - says Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, one of the team members.

While it still remains a hypothesis, experiments show that scientists are on the right track.

In mice with progeria - a rare genetic disorder which leads to premature aging - animals which were administered a partial reprogramming lived an average of 24 weeks until the mice with the same disease, which were not treated, have lived only 18 weeks.

"It's hard to say exactly why the animal live longer" - says another team member, Paloma Martinez-Redondo in a press release.

"We know that the expression of these factors induce changes in epigenoma but they cause beneficial effects, both at the cell level and at the level of the body."

In addition to long life and health of the treated animals also improved - improved were functions of the cardiovascular system and other organs.

When the same treatment administered to healthy mice without progeria, they also show better health authorities - but it is too early to draw conclusions about their longevity, since animals are still alive.

Although the results are promising, the research still in its early stages - especially regards the potential application of such methods in humans.

"Obviously, mice are not people, and we know it will be much harder to rejuvenate man" - says Belmonte.

"But this study shows that aging is very dynamic and plastic process and is therefore more amenable to therapeutic interventions than we thought before."

The team now intends to study the development of molecules that are able to mimic factors Yamanaka, with a focus on the rejuvenation of specific tissues and organs.

These drugs will not be available soon, but did not seem particularly far.

"These substances can be applied in the form of creams or injections to rejuvenate the skin, muscles or bones" - says Belmonte.

"We believe that these chemical approaches can be applied in human clinical trials in the next 10 years."

Source: www.euroscientist.com , www.pixabay.com