Source: imherald.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The research was carried out at University of Southern California and focuses on a kind of cell known as a senescent cell. Much aging-related research focuses on these, as they are key players in how humans grow old. Essentially, these are cells that have ceased the ability to divide and are therefore thought to be a key driver in age-related decline, along with conditions such as arthritis and heart disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSenescent cells are effectively the opposite of stem cells, which have an unlimited potential for self-renewal or division,\u201d says lead author Alireza Delfarah. \u201cSenescent cells can never divide again. It\u2019s an irreversible state of cell cycle arrest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While this is a well-established function of senescent cells, the biological processes underpinning this behavior aren\u2019t so well understood. To investigate this, the team performed an analysis of the metabolic pathways in epithelial cells that had become senescent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This led the researchers to discover that the cells had stopped producing a class of chemical compounds called nucleotides. These are the building blocks of DNA, and the researchers found through further experiments that when they intervened to stop the cells producing nucleotides, they indeed went on to become senescent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis means that the production of nucleotides is essential to keep cells young,\u201d Delfarah says. \u201cIt also means that if we could prevent cells from losing nucleotide synthesis, the cells might age more slowly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is easier said than done, but the discovery marks an important step in this direction. If we understand how and why cells become senescent, then we may be able to design drugs that target those particular machinations. But equally important, identifying what makes these cells unique will make it easier to design drugs that selectively target them and not other healthy ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These medications are part of a class of drugs called senolytics, which focus on eliminating senescent cells for healthier aging. Last year, scientists made a breakthrough in this area, demonstrating a new type of senolytic compound that could\u00a0slow down\u00a0the deterioration of aging mice with just three days of treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The thinking with this kind of research isn\u2019t necessarily to stop aging altogether, but to make aging in humans a more palatable experience by keeping us fitter and healthier for longer. Senescent cells are implicated in a range of age-related conditions, so new methods of clearing them away or preventing their buildup in the first place could open up some exciting possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo drink from the fountain of youth, you have to figure out where the fountain of youth is, and understand what the fountain of youth is doing,\u201d says study author Nick Graham. \u201cWe\u2019re doing the opposite; we\u2019re trying to study the reasons cells age, so that we might be able to design treatments for better aging.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Source: imherald.com A cure for aging? The research was carried out at University of Southern California and focuses on a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1169,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[199,452,1375,260,1374,81,810,1376],"class_list":["post-1168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-anti-aging","tag-anti-aging-2","tag-california","tag-compound","tag-natural","tag-pinpoint","tag-research","tag-scientists","tag-university-of-southern"],"yoast_head":"\n