Humans have long sought the Fountain of Youth; now that scientists understand how our bodies age, they’re working on ways to turn back time.
Shinya Yamanaka achieved success in rejuvenating old mice using reprogramming factors to reverse epigenetic changes; however, that feat falls far short of reversing the aging process in people.
What Causes Aging?
Gerontologists (people who study aging) generally view aging as an intricate process that depends on many different variables – including genetic makeup, environment and lifestyle factors. Aging also differs across organs.
Signs of aging often include changes to skin and eyes, including wrinkles and spots. There can also be changes to muscles, bones and joints; some changes can be subtle while others more noticeable.
Age can have an adverse impact on brain functioning, leading to forgetfulness and decreased coordination. People may also have difficulty recalling names and details; conversely, some older adults may struggle with finding the appropriate word when speaking aloud.
Other telltale signs of aging can include changes in your digestive system and lungs, where infections become harder to fight off while tissues in your lungs lose some elasticity as you age. Heart and blood vessel changes also become evident over time: thickened walls thicken further with age leading to high blood pressure.
Some individuals begin experiencing these changes as early as their 30s while others don’t experience them until later in life. Most often, however, these changes don’t cause dramatic deterioration to quality of life.
One of the more prevalent theories behind what causes aging involves wear and tear or oxidation, which suggests that small injuries to cells over time cause them to break down faster than expected, while DNA oxidation leads to mutations that impede their ability to repair themselves. Other theories point toward hormones or immunity as potential culprits.
Why Are We Aging?
Over time, our cells age with us. This gradual degradation leads to changes in appearance and age-related diseases; scientists believe aging occurs when genetic material begins to degrade in cells; damaged cells become permanently nondividing or stop reproducing altogether, known as cell senescence.
Scientists believe our bodies’ natural defence mechanisms help slow the aging process and protect us from disease, but as we get older they may become overwhelmed. Therefore, it’s essential to make lifestyle choices which promote longevity such as eating a nutritious diet, sleeping enough hours each night, getting enough exercise physically actively and using sunscreen.
Sinclair and her team at Stanford have been exploring alternative means to reverse aging in the laboratory. They have shown it’s possible to return adult cells back into stem cell states using transcription factors (genes that regulate gene activity). Similar to how embryonic stem cells are generated from regular cells; when these stem cells are injected back into an animal they can help regenerate tissues or organs that have become damaged over time.
Researchers used a virus to administer Yamanaka factors into animals’ tissues and organs. The viruses specifically targeted damaged or aging retinal ganglion cells at the back of eyes; rejuvenating them with Yamanaka factors caused new axon growth as well as restored fire signals into the brain – impressive results but scientists outside this study warn against promises to reverse aging too quickly.
Research also indicates that cellular senescence may be caused by genetic information or epigenetic markers becoming depleted over time, consistent with the “somatic mutation” theory of aging which proposes that our aging is caused by the accumulation of mutations over time. However, other researchers have expressed doubt about this claim, contending instead that mutations cannot explain our ageing process.
What Can We Do About Aging?
One way to help slow the aging process is through diet. Eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and avoiding processed food are excellent strategies, while smoking and alcohol should also be avoided. Regular cardiovascular exercise (cardio exercise in particular) also plays an essential role, increasing blood flow to the brain while eliminating build-ups of toxins that contribute to premature aging.
As it’s important to speak with a healthcare provider if any changes you notice arise, as not all symptoms of aging are normal. Healthcare professionals will be able to advise what’s normal or not and refer you as needed. Some common signs of aging include memory loss, fatigue, skin texture/tone changes and reduced cognitive ability – these may all be caused by different things including stress.
Another thing you can do to slow the degradation of the body is by taking good care of yourself. Proper hygiene, using sunscreen and getting regular checkups are all vital for maintaining good health as you age, as is staying up-to-date with vaccinations and booster shots.
The United Nations has designated 2021-2030 as the Decade of Healthy Aging. This global initiative aims to reduce disease and disability that impacts older people and their families by working across sectors and disciplines towards creating an ageing society where everyone can lead longer, healthier lives.
No one disputes that finding purpose and joy are key elements of successful aging. While as you get older it may become harder to occupy your time with activities that once gave meaning, that doesn’t have to be the end of life – you can always find new interests or undertake challenging activities despite age.
Will We Be Able to Reverse Aging?
Ageing was once seen as inevitable and unstoppable; something you just have to endure as we age. Today however, ageing is responsible for most of the health problems we encounter today, from heart disease and cancer, dementia and sarcopenia through to increased risks of mortality from any cause imaginable – making it so vital that we find ways to halt or reverse its progress.
Scientists have been exploring this for decades and there are now various techniques and drugs that may help reverse aging, from gene therapy to medications that reduce senescent cells. But can this make us live longer lives? For now that remains an open question.
Researchers believe the key to slowing or even reversing aging lies within our genes and how they’re regulated. Current theory states that an accumulation of events within the body causes genes to express themselves differently, leading to damage that cannot be repaired resulting in age-related damage. But researchers are beginning to gain an understanding of this mechanism on a molecular level, offering hope that such knowledge could one day help slow, stop or even reverse aging altogether.
Reprogramming adult cells into embryonic stem cells that can develop into any cell in the body is another approach, something Sinclair and his team have been exploring for some time now; their work has successfully altered mice cells so that they look and behave younger, although clinical trials with humans will likely take decades before becoming available on the market.
Of course, our ultimate aim would be to rewire our cells so they no longer age at all – something still very early stage development – but if scientists succeed in doing this it might be possible to turn back time on biological ageing in our bodies.
