Aging is one of the primary contributors to disease and disability; but is there a way to slow or even reverse its progress?
Scientists have long dreamed of finding a way to reverse aging in humans, and their recent breakthrough could make that dream come true. While their initial findings are promising, more work needs to be done before this dream can become reality.
How it works
Long held belief was that our bodies are genetically programmed to age. However, recent scientific discoveries have demonstrated otherwise; specifically that the rate of aging can be reversed through altering certain genes’ activity rather than mutation – achieved via epigenetics which enables genes to be switched on or off without changing their sequence.
Scientists have utilized their knowledge of aging to both delay and in some instances even reverse its effects. Studies have demonstrated that diets rich in fruits and vegetables can lower blood sugar levels, reduce chronic inflammation and improve many biomarkers associated with growing older. One potential anti-ageing treatment may also include calorie restriction which has been shown to increase mitochondrial efficiency while decreasing cell damage, thus slowing aging down significantly.
Kyoto University scientist Shinya Yamanaka made one of the most revolutionary discoveries in this field when he discovered that four transcription factors can revert adult cells back to an embryonic or pluripotent state – meaning they are capable of developing into any cell type in the body – for regeneration purposes. Sinclair’s team led by Yuancheng Lu selected three Yamanaka factors and genetically integrated them into a harmless virus; then delivered this virus directly into damaged neurons of an aged mouse retina’s retina, where rejuvenation took place – even growing new axons which connected visually with brain connections between eyes and brain connections between retina retina and brain tissue and kidney regeneration was achieved using similar approaches; similar approaches were used successfully by other teams who used similar techniques on mice skeletal muscle regeneration projects and regeneration methods as well.
Nir Barzilai, an Israeli surgeon, is working towards prolonging human lifespan by rejuvenating organs. His project, Altos Labs, boasts Nobel Prize-winners as its board and an annual budget of $3 billion that’s secretly funded by Russian-Israeli billionaire Yuri Milner. Barzilai witnessed first-hand how epigenetics could impact patients by noting a sudden drop in health at age 70 while other patients who looked considerably younger were far more resilient against injury and disease.
How it’s done
Scientists have long attempted to unlock the secret of human aging. Instead of treating age-related diseases individually, scientists hope to combat aging by resetting cells back to a youthful state – thus rejuvenating damaged cells and potentially preventing disease altogether.
Traditional research held that changes to DNA that code for proteins were the cause of aging, yet new evidence shows otherwise. Instead, how genes are expressed plays an even larger role in how rapidly and severely organisms age.
Barzilai was fascinated by this variation in aging as he started his research as a medical resident, witnessing elderly patients with vastly differing outcomes: some appeared much older than they actually were and suffered from various age-related diseases while others remained healthy until very old age. This inspired him to investigate whether human aging could be altered so as to delay age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s.
His lab was the first to demonstrate that it is possible to reverse aging via TERT genes, with specific drugs able to restore youthful levels of TERT to cells once again, helping rejuvenate and become healthy again.
These experiments built upon discoveries by Yamanaka that it is possible to transform adult skin cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), from which all body cells may be regenerated. Barzilai’s team employed this approach to reverse the cellular aging process without mutations or cancer, rejuvenating organs such as eyes, kidneys and muscle in mice.
Next steps involve adapting these results to human aging, but this won’t be easy. Aging is an extremely complex process and it could take decades before any therapy could be tested in people. Even then, it would be wrong to expect immortality or longevity through this technology; nonetheless, this step forward marks rapid advancement within regenerative medicine and should be celebrated!
What’s the future?
Researchers are exploring ways to slow and even reverse aging. Instead of treating diseases and disabilities when they appear, researchers hope to address their causes instead. It would be more cost-effective and quicker to prevent or treat aging rather than treat symptoms when they emerge.
Long held to be inevitable, human deterioration with age was disproved when scientists observed that certain animals lived much longer despite eating the same amount. Scientists believe this discrepancy can be explained by biological age which measures molecular damage over time that ultimately leads to disease and disability.
Scientists have demonstrated that cellular aging in mice can be significantly slowed or reversed by turning off gene expression that indicates older cells, leading them to behave as though they’re younger cells instead.
Sinclair and his team utilized an inducible epigenetic changes (ICE) technique in the lab. This process uses temporary cuts in DNA that rapidly heal, simulating damage caused by chemicals, sunlight or environmental factors associated with aging. When they used this approach to reverse time in mouse cells using ICE technology, they observed they looked and acted much younger than before.
Reversing cellular aging also includes eliminating senescent cells, which accumulate in our tissues and are thought to contribute to diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer. Scientists have developed CAR T-cell therapy specifically targeting these cells for removal from the body. When tested on aged mice, researchers discovered this approach prevented diseases from developing while improving overall health such as metabolic tolerance, energy levels, and mobility.
Researchers are exploring whether plasma from young donors can rejuvenate older brains. This approach could prove especially effective at reversing neurodegeneration; Wyss-Coray has already created Alkahest Inc. for clinical trials on this approach; however it will likely take years until any of these methods become widely accessible; Northwestern’s work forms part of a wider effort that includes senolytics, cell reprogramming techniques, and creating anti-aging drugs similar to caloric restriction or rapamycin for more anti-ageing effects on older brains
How to get involved
Reverse aging research aims not only to extend human lifespan but also increase healthspan so people can enjoy their golden years without debilitating diseases or conditions affecting them.
In 2022, Ichor team received validation project funding to utilize high-throughput genetic screening in order to identify networks of genes associated with aging and develop RNA-based therapies that could make old cells younger again. They have already shown this to work on skin cells; as additional proof-of-concept they will now test this approach on Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs).
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can help slow cellular aging at its core. Discover our customized HBOT protocol and Central Florida anti-aging clinics by scheduling a free phone consultation with one of our experts.
