Blood Cells From an 80-Year-Old Transformed into Young Brain Cells
This new technique could be a huge leap forward for age-related brain research The post Blood Cells From an 80-Year-Old Transformed into Young Brain Cells appeared first on Nautilus .
Blood cells from an 80-year-old individual have been transformed into young brain cells by researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany. This groundbreaking technique could greatly advance age-related brain research. As individuals develop, their cells multiply and specialize, following a path with inevitable turning points where cells must commit to a specific function, though not without assistance.
Scientists can reverse this differentiation process using a mix of transcription factors, converting specialized cells back into pluripotent stem cells, which can then develop into almost any cell type. This process also resets the cells' epigenetic clocks, restoring a youthful molecular profile. In a new study published in Aging Cell, researchers managed to transform blood cell progenitors from an 80-year-old donor directly into neural stem cells, bypassing the intermediate pluripotent stem cell stage entirely.
Remarkably, these brain cells exhibited an epigenetic age under 20 years old. Study author Oliver Brüstle explained that the gradual, prolonged rejuvenation of the cells over 100 days provides an ideal experimental model to investigate factors that accelerate or decelerate the rejuvenation process. This method could reveal insights into age-related neural diseases, as aging is the most significant risk factor for conditions like Alzheimer's.
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