British scientists reverse the aging process of human cells

They found a way to put hydrogen sulfide into the mitochondria without causing toxicity.

Many of us have an unrealistic hope that we will live until the time when scientists find a way to improve old people. However, that hope is now being lit up by a new study by the University of Exeter, UK.

In it, scientists seem to have reversed the human cells . This method can be used to develop anti-aging drugs in the future. It will challenge the grim law of "Birth, old age, sickness and death " that philosophy must admit for thousands of years.

Scientists seem to have reversed the aging process of human cells.

What causes aging?

Aging can be defined simply as a decline in body function over time . It is part of the cause of many dangerous chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, dementia . leading to inevitable death for humans as well as every creature.

There are many reasons why our cells and tissues stop working. But one of the biggest hypotheses now shows that aging is actually an accumulation of "old" cells in each tissue and organ.

Old cells are functionally impaired cells and can no longer function normally. Not only do they become useless, but they are also harmful by damaging the function of surrounding cells.

In the past, animal testing has demonstrated that removing old cells from mice can create rejuvenating effects and slow the onset of cataracts. Therefore, working with these cells is a way to solve many aging-related problems.

In fact, scientists still haven't fully understood why cells get old when we're older. It is possible that it is the result of DNA damage accumulation, through many episodes of inflammation, damage to molecules that protect telomeres, and the end of the chromosome are counting down your life.

Recently, scientists found a new answer, explaining that cells get older when the gene loses the ability to "turn on / off" the right functions at the right time. Imagine, it's like a broken garage door switch, making it impossible to open the door when you need to park your car in the house, but it automatically turns on at midnight, when the garage door should be closed.

An old cell.

When the cell gets older

As we age, we gradually lose the ability to control gene expression. That means that gene still exists, but what control it functions in the body, we can't control it anymore.

Every cell in the body contains all the genes needed for life, but different types of cells turn on and off different genes. This is why cardiac cells are different from kidney cells, although they actually contain the same gene.

When a gene is triggered by signals from inside or outside the cell, it creates a molecular message (called RNA) containing all the information needed to make changes in the body. which genes have specified.

Now, we know that more than 95% of genes in the body are able to generate many different types of messages, depending on the needs and protein supply of the cell.

A good comparison to visualize this is wallet genes like a chef. Your need is to eat a chocolate cake. But because you don't have chocolate to offer to the chef, he can only make you a vanilla cake.

The decision about the type of message generated at any time of the gene is limited by a group of materials consisting of about 300 proteins called "coupling elements".

After analyzing isolated blood and white blood cells in different types of tissue in the elderly, the scientists found that the number of coupling factors was reduced.

That means cells are less able to switch or turn on gene expression to adapt to changes in the environment, becoming aging cells that cause aging in the body.

More than 300 proteins called "splicing factors" are responsible for cell aging.

Rejuvenation of cells

British scientists have sought to bring back the elements. In their new study, they treated old cells with a chemical that released a small amount of hydrogen sulfide (H ₂ S). In this way, the cell can increase the concentration of several coupling elements, and thereby rejuvenate and retain more functions.

Hydrogen sulfide is a natural molecule in our body, which has been shown to improve some aging-related diseases in animals.

But this chemical can be toxic at high doses, so scientists can't inject it directly into cells. They need to use a molecular code to orient H ₂ S, only distribute them to the mitochondria, the energy-producing organ in the cell, which produces rejuvenating reactions.

In this way, hydrogen sulfide is used at lower doses and less likely to cause side effects.

Scientists hope their new method of using molecular tools will remove old cells in living people, thereby slowing and reversing the aging process. This is an exciting start for drugs that are capable of improving in the future.