Scientists stop the ageing process – in mice
Scientists have stopped the ageing process in an entire organ for the first time, as reported in the online edition of Nature Medicine.
Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in New York City also claim the older organs function as well as they did when the host animal was younger.
The researchers, led by Associate Professor Ana Maria Cuervo, blocked the ageing process in mice livers by stopping the build up of harmful proteins inside the organ’s cells.
As people age, their cells become less efficient at getting rid of damaged protein, resulting in a build up of toxic material that is especially pronounced in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative disorders.
The researchers say the findings suggest that therapies for boosting protein clearance might help stave off some of the declines in function that accompanies old age.
“Our findings are particularly relevant for neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s,” Professor Cuervo says.
“Many of these diseases are due to ‘misbehaving’ or damaged proteins that accumulate in neurons. By preventing this decline in protein clearance, we may be able to keep these people free of symptoms for a longer time.
“If the body’s ability to dispose of cell debris within the cell were enhanced across a wider range of tissues it could extend life as well”.
Associate Professor Cuervo believes maintaining efficient protein clearance may improve longevity and function in all the body’s tissues.
It is also possible that the same kind of “cellular clearance” can be achieved through diet, she says.
