When Old Human Cells Become Youthful Once More

It would seem that we can “turn back time” on already old cells as researchers from Stanford University of Medicine found out that old cells can go back to a more youthful state when they are “induced to briefly express a panel of proteins involved in embryonic development.” This method could also potentially give us back our youthful strength. At least, that’s what happened in elderly mice.

The researchers also found that elderly mice regained youthful strength after their existing muscle stem cells were subjected to the rejuvenating protein treatment and transplanted back into their bodies.

The proteins, known as Yamanaka factors, are commonly used to transform an adult cell into what are known as induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells can become nearly any type of cell in the body, regardless of the cell from which they originated. They've become important in regenerative medicine and drug discovery.

The study found that inducing old human cells in a lab dish to briefly express these proteins rewinds many of the molecular hallmarks of aging and renders the treated cells nearly indistinguishable from their younger counterparts.

More details about this amazing study over at Science Daily.

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