Erasing the Signs of Aging in Human Cells Is Now a Reality

Scientists have now found a way to reprogram elderly donor cells (aged over 100) to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and to rejuvenated and human embryonic stem cells (hESC). With hESCs, all human cells can be differentiated.

Human embryonic stem cells are undifferentiated multiple-function cells. They can divide and form all the various differentiated adult cells in the body. Past research has only been able to rejuvenate old cells into iPSCs, which have slightly less potential than hESCs. The new research makes it possible to rejuvenate all human cell types without ethical violations from embryonic stem cells.

The research group, Inserm's AVENIR "Genomic plasticity and aging" team demonstrated that senescence was the obstacle blocking the use of techniques for rejuvenation up till now. They discovered that a special "cocktail" of six genetic factors will erase signs of aging and thus rejuvenate the cell. They then proved that the resulting iPSC cells had the characteristics of "young" cells and the capacity to differentiate.

The team first multiplied skin cells (fibroblasts) from a 74 year-old donor to obtain the senescence characterized by the end of cellular proliferation. They then introduced 4 factors (OCT4, SOX2, C MYC and KLF4) that are traditionally used that yielded no positive results. they added two additional factors (NANOG and LIN28) that finally achieved the reprogramming to functional iPSC cells.

They also discovered that the cells did not have memory of previous aging, achieved through the reverse process. The team differentiated the cells to adult cells and compared to the original old cells, as well as to those obtained using human embryonic pluripotent stem cells (hESC). Signs of aging had been erased. This provides cells of any type with increased proliferation capacity and most importantly, longevity.

The results obtained from the first patient led the team to test on even older hosts. They found that the process even worked on cells taken from donors in their 100s.

I found this article interesting to share because this method allows researchers to create iPSCs from old cells rather than from human embryos. Also, the prospect of reversing aging may impact the lifetime of the human in a major way if the technology is used correctly.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103120605.htm

http://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/25/21/2248.full.pdf