Living a normal life, while remaining in good health and avoid chronic diseases associated with aging. Who of us would not put his signature? And although for now there is still a dream, to take a major step in this direction were the British researchers from the universities of Exeter and Brighton, led by Lorna Harries. In fact, in their study, published in the pages of the journal BMC Cell Biology, they just put a new way to rejuvenate in the laboratory some old human cells. And not only that the treated cells have been shown to be able to behave like younger ones. In other words, a few hours after the treatment the older cells began to divide, showing longer telomeres, the ends of chromosomes that usually get shorter as we grow older. "We have observed that cells recapture some of the characteristics of youth. They are able to grow and their telomeres, which are found on the ends of chromosomes and usually get shorter with age - are longer, just like the young ones, "explains the author. "Now you need a lot more research to be able to deal with the degenerative effects of aging."

The discovery builds on previous studies of the same team of researchers, which showed how a class of genes called splicing factors, go out gradually as we grow older. As we get older, our tissues accumulate old cells that are alive, but that do not grow or function as they should (why the tissues and organs become more vulnerable to disease as you get older). When active, the genes instruct the cells to behave in a specific manner, thus determining its function. The splicing factors, therefore, are key to ensuring that genes can properly perform their duties, or to send different messages to the body to perform functions. But, as we age, the splicing factors tend to be less and work less efficiently.

In this study, the researchers found that these splicing factors can be replenished with certain chemicals, thus making old cells young people not only physically, but also capable of behaving again as younger. More precisely, the researchers have applied to analogous compounds cells to resveratrol, the chemical substance that is naturally found in red wine, dark chocolate, red grapes and blueberries, which have proved able to reactivate the splicing factors that were progressively fading.

This discovery, say the researchers, that could lead to the development of new treatments that help people to avoid the degenerative effects of aging, such as some chronic diseases, stroke, heart disease and cancer. "This is a first step in trying to live a normal life to people, but always with good health," says Harries. In addition, the experiments showed that these chemicals have brought changes in the cells at a surprising rate. "When I saw rejuvenate some of the cells in the culture dish could not believe it," says Eva Latorre, who conducted the experiments. "Like magic, the old cells were like the young. I repeated the experiment several times and each time the cells are rejuvenated. We are very excited about the potential applications of this research. "

From Wired