It can probably increase life expectancy.
Scientists from Harvard Medical School were able to find the cause of aging of the body and determine a possible mechanism for how this process can be reversed. Tests in mice have shown that aging is caused by epigenetic programming failures that can be reversed by a “system reset” that can also increase lifespan, New Atlas reports.
The human genome contains a complete set of our DNA, which is found in every cell. But this is not the whole picture, there is an additional layer of information above it, which is called the epigenome. It controls which genes are turned on and off in a particular type of cell.
Also read: 70-year-old social media influencers shatter myths about aging – Associated Press
Environmental factors and our lifestyle can alter epigenetic expressions of expression throughout life. And these changes are associated with the rate of biological aging, but it remained unclear whether they caused the symptoms of aging or were themselves a symptom.
To find out, scientists from Harvard conducted experiments on mice. Using a system called induced changes in the epigenome (ICE), a team of scientists sped up the natural process of DNA damage and repair in mice to see if it also sped up the symptoms of aging.
Chromosomes in mammalian cells undergo about a million breaks per minute, and epigenetic factors very quickly correct recovery, after which it returns to normal.
The researchers engineered mice in which DNA breaks occurred three times faster than normal. They later found that epigenetic factors became more abstract and did not return to normal after DNA breaks were repaired, leading to disarray in the epigenome. By six months of age, the mice showed physical signs of aging and were in much worse shape than untreated mice of the same age.
At the next stage, scientists decided to check whether something could be done about it. The team derived a gene therapy cocktail from three genes known as Oct4, Sox2 and Klf4. They are active in stem cells, and in previous work the team found that they could be used to restore vision in mice with age-related glaucoma.
In this case, the mice experienced dramatic declines in biomarkers of aging, and their epigenomes restored tissues and organs. to a younger state.
According to the team, this discovery is very important. By tackling aging itself, many of the diseases that arise from this natural process could be treated more effectively. the main cause, which can be reversed for the treatment or change of age-related conditions with the help of one method of therapy”, – scientists believe.
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Previously scientists from the US National Institutes of Health discovered a connection between drinking water and aging. According to them, those who do not drink enough water are at increased risk of developing chronic diseases and dying at a young age.
