Shinya Yamanaka and his team were awarded with part of the Nobel prize for discovering a combination of proteins that can reprogram adult cells to transform into stem cells with diverse abilities, thus reversing aging processes in whole organisms, including mice.
Scientists from the Salk Institute examined genetically engineered mice designed to age quickly, and discovered that introducing Yamanaka’s four genes helped reverse some signs of aging while simultaneously improving brain function, motor coordination and social behaviors.
How it works
Age may only be a number, but its effects are evident on our bodies and can lead to brittle bones, weak muscles, increased risk for cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders. At the Salk Institute they’re using cellular reprogramming technology in an attempt to turn back time. Reprogramming cells is a way to transform them into embryonic stem cells that can turn into any cell in your body, through expressing four genes known as Yamanaka factors. The team began by using skin cells from progeria mice, whose genetic mutation causes premature aging in humans and mice alike. By stimulating these cells with Yamanaka factors for just a short while, they found that multiple hallmarks of aging had been reversed without harming skin cell identity.
Benefits
Scientists have recently discovered that reversing cellular aging can restore normal function to cells and tissues, lengthening their lifespans. To do so, Yamanaka factors must be introduced into cells to make them become younger without leading to uncontrollable cell division or tumorigenesis – sparking great excitement among researchers who could use these findings in developing treatments against age-related diseases.
Yamanaka factors have been shown to rejuvenate neurons, strengthen synaptic connections and stabilize metabolism – as well as improve motor and social behaviors in mice. These results offer hope that reprogramming could one day be used as a treatment option for neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s. Nonetheless, more research needs to be conducted before this method can be implemented on humans.
Studies have demonstrated that Yamanaka factors can reverse cellular aging in vitro and slow down its process in mice. One research project saw scientists injecting these factors directly into aged mouse brains and observed reduced signs of aging than untreated animals.
Izpisua Belmonte and his team have also discovered that cyclic expression of Yamanaka factors helps prevent telomere shortening, delaying natural aging processes in both young and aged mice alike. Furthermore, this therapy was found to extend lifespan for mice suffering from premature aging disease by reprogramming their cells to erase genetic marks associated with premature aging disease.
Researchers have now demonstrated for the first time that reversing cell aging in vivo can significantly extend lifespans. Scientists observed how Yamanaka factors reversed cellular senescence, improving muscle, heart tissue and optic nerve function significantly in mice.
Reversing aging through Yamanaka factors is promising, yet too early to implement in clinics. Additional research must be completed in order to better understand the exact mechanisms of partial reprogramming, its safe expression in vivo timeframe before cancer occurs, and the difference between cyclic and continuous partial reprogramming.
Side effects
Scientists have developed an innovative technique for partially reversing cell aging without turning cancerous, which could pave the way to treatments to extend lifespan and healthspan, as well as treat neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s. Researchers discovered that Yamanaka factors, a cocktail of proteins capable of rejuvenating neurons in mice by increasing synaptic connections and stabilizing metabolism can reprogrammed them into improving motor and social behaviors – evidence suggesting they could also be useful against neurodegenerative disorders in humans.
Discovering Yamanaka factors in adult somatic cells is a significant breakthrough towards reversing human aging. These proteins convert fully differentiated somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by altering epigenetic and genetic programs; thus revolutionizing regenerative medicine with far-reaching implications for medical treatments in the future.
However, using Yamanaka factors to reverse human aging entails risks. One such risk is that cellular reprogramming can lead to unwanted side effects, including mutation accumulation or cell death. To minimize such side effects and limit harm from Yamanaka factors treatment, only rejuvenating cells that require rejuvenation will work best.
Researchers are exploring partial reprogramming techniques that can renew specific tissues without altering the genome or leading to cell death, reducing risks of toxicity and increasing therapeutic applications in human patients. Unfortunately, however, such methods aren’t quite ready for clinical use just yet and need further testing in order to ensure both their safety and efficacy.
Scientists must fully comprehend the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular reprogramming to create clinically relevant partial reprogramming therapies. They need to know what triggers this process, how it can be controlled to avoid undesirable results, and a safe and effective method for reversing aging in vivo – otherwise reverse aging will remain challenging.
Cost
Shinya Yamanaka’s breakthrough discovery in 2006 that four genes could convert adult cells to stem cells gave scientists hope of reverse aging treatments. This breakthrough has led to numerous studies which demonstrate how increasing these proteins’ abundance can rejuvenate cells and restore their youthful functional properties. Unfortunately, gene manipulation techniques used in these studies put this treatment out of reach for many people. Scientists from the Belmonte Lab have developed an effective solution to activate genes for shorter periods, thus avoiding turning cells into stem cells and leading to uncontrollable cell growth. This process, known as partial cellular reprogramming, is much cheaper than gene therapy treatment – and plant-based raw foods offer an affordable natural alternative that could supplement this new technology.
