New 'key to immortality' discovered in the human body

Researchers from McMaster University (Canada) have identified a protein that could bring humans closer to the dream of immortality.

According to News-Medical, a research team from McMaster University said they have discovered the cell protection function, bringing "immortality" of a previously unknown protein, called MANF .

MANF protein may be the "key to immortality" that humanity is looking for - (AI illustration: ANH THU).

Writing in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the authors explain that our cells make proteins and remove them after they have done their job.

This constant, efficient maintenance process is called cellular homeostasis . However, as we age, this ability declines, leaving cells more susceptible to making the wrong proteins, and the resulting cleanup process also becomes faulty or overloaded.

As a result, the "junk" proteins can clump together, leading to harmful buildup.

"If the problem cannot be fixed, the cells will die, eventually leading to neuronal degeneration and then neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's," said Professor Bhagwati Gupta, who supervised the study.

Some previous experiments have shown that the MANF protein appears to help reduce cellular stress in this case.

Therefore, the authors took a closer look at the activity of this protein in the roundworm C. elegans, since they also have MANF like humans and other animals.

These transparent animals have helped scientists get a better look at how MANF is expressed in different tissues.

In these tissues, MANF is present in lysosome structures involved in protein longevity and aggregation.

MANF plays an important role in the cell's "garbage collection" process by helping to break down accumulated proteins, keeping cells healthier and free of disorder.

Increasing MANF levels also activates the cells' natural cleaning systems, helping them function better for longer.

'The main idea of ​​aging research is basically can we make processes better and more efficient,' explains Professor Gupta.

According to him, by understanding how MANF works and targeting its function, we can develop new treatments for age-related diseases, through keeping the body's functioning at the cellular level "young".