Scientists Turn Mice’s Adult Cells Into Stem Cells, Reversing the Aging Process

At a lab at Harvard Medical School a molecular biologist by the name of David Sinclair has been working on reversing the aging process by turning adult cells in mice back into stem cells. One of the potential consequences of this work is to prevent diseases like dementia and heart disease which tend to occur as we age and may be a consequence of aging.

In one experiment the scientists programmed a virus to alter the test mice’s retina cells in their eyes to make them young again which was met with success. The mice were able to see better as if their eyes came from a young mouse.

In another experiment the scientists targeted the brains of mice to reduce dementia and aging related issues such as poorer memory. Sinclair’s lab also have been able to treat old muscles in the mice and make them younger and stronger like young mice. Now Sinclair’s lab is working on rejuvenating all organs in mice hoping it will lead to a “fountain of youth” for humans.

The virus does not permanently end aging. Treated mice grew younger again and then aged like normal and would need to be “reset” with additional viral treatments when they showed signs of being elderly.

We already know of some ways to slow the aging process, eat a plant based diet, calorie restriction, getting enough sleep, get cardiovascular exercise.

However, the potential to reset our biological clocks through the use of viruses to rejuvenate old adult cells into young cells is exciting. Maybe one day aging will be a thing of the past.