Until 30 years, a group of scientists from the University of Cambridge, in England managed to rrejuvenates the skin cells of a 53-year-old woman so that it is equivalent to a 23-year-old woman.
Its main goal is to develop treatments for age-related diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and neurological disorders.
The technology used is based on the tools used to make Dolly, a sheep cloned over 25 years ago.
“We’ve been dreaming of this kind of thing. Many common ailments get worse with age and the thought of helping people in this way is exciting,” Professor Wolf Reik, from the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, told the BBC.
However, Professor Reich emphasized that the work, which was published in the journal eLifeThat’s at a very early stage.
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The researcher explained that there were scientific problems that had to be addressed before he could leave his laboratory and enter the clinic. But he says showing for the first time that cell rejuvenation is possible is an important step.
The technique of making Dolly the sheep
In 1990 researchers at the Roslin Institute, outside Edinburgh, developed a method for converting adult mammary gland cells taken from sheep into embryos.
This led to the creation of Dolly’s, the cloned sheep.
However, the scientists’ goal is not to create clones of sheep or humans, but to use the technique to create so-called human embryonic stem cells.
These, they hope, can be turned into certain tissues, such as muscle, cartilage and nerve cells to replace worn-out body parts.
In 2006, the technique was simplified by Professor Shinya Yamanaka, then at Kyoto University.
IPS is called a new method that involves adding chemicals to adult cells for about 50 days. This results in genetic changes that turn mature cells into stem cells.
Use of IPS method
Professor Reik’s team used the IPS technique on 53-year-old skin cells. But they shortened the chemical bath from 50 days to about 12 days.
“I remember the day I got the results and I couldn’t believe that some cells were 30 years younger than they should be. It was such a great day!” said Dr. Dilgeet Gill.
However, this technique cannot be directly transferred to the clinic because the IPS method increases the risk of cancer.
However, Professor Reik believes that now that it is known that it is possible to rejuvenate cells, his team will be able to find a safer alternative method.
“The long-term goal is to prolong human health, not longevity, so people can age in a healthier way,” he said.
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