“Do we stop aging?”..scientists rejuvenate old mice with the “vampire” technique
Chinese scientists have developed a new technique to revitalize aged mice by surgically connecting their circulatory system with that of young rodents, a progress that sheds more light on the aging process.
The team also worked on developing another technique called heterochronic parabiosis (HP), which takes advantage of the revitalizing power of young blood, according to the research paper cited by RT on the journal Cell Stem Cell.
In the new study, the scientists investigated the effects of this technique in mice at the single-cell level, which led to the creation of a comprehensive atlas of heterogeneous parabiotic (HP) and aging.
They isolated and compared more than 164,000 single cells across seven organs over five years to determine the mechanisms underlying aging and regeneration from this technique. The research revealed cellular and molecular changes in aged and young mice with single-cell precision.
The scientists found that exposure to aged blood can accelerate the aging of various organs, tissues and cell types in a young mouse, while exposure to young blood can rejuvenate aged rodents.
They say the changes occur by targeting undifferentiated stem cells and their niches in aging tissue.
Scientists have shown that adult stem cells constantly self-renew to maintain the body's cells and repair age-related damage, with the support of neighboring or specialized cells.
The team found that hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells (HSPCs), which are stem cells that produce blood and other immune cells, are among the most sensitive cells in young blood.
"Most of the relevant previous studies only showed the phenomenon of regeneration, and did not adequately reveal the underlying mechanisms," lead author of the study Ma Shuai told China's Science and Technology Daily.
It also shed light on the main factors mediating the effects on hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells and their cellular targets.
Scientists say the results of the recent study provide key clues for further research on potential targets and treatments for interfering with aging.
"Our work constitutes a viable resource for mining to advance our understanding of the systemic factors associated with aging and how they can be targeted to mitigate aging," the team wrote in the paper.
The scientists say that in methods such as heterotrophic parasympathetic (HP) regeneration, young blood by itself may not be an effective drug.
But they say these "vampire" methods could shed more light on inhibitors of ancient blood that could be targeted at slowing aging.
In another study published last March, scientists reversed the signs of aging in middle-aged and elderly mice.
In this study, the scientists partially reset the rodents' tissues to more youthful states using a mixture of molecules in aging cells.
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