Further Investigations of Partial, Transient Cellular Reprogramming

Reprogramming cells from old tissues into induced pluripotent stem cells has the effect of reversing many of the epigenetic changes that are characteristic of age, thus restoring mitochondrial function and other aspect of cell behavior. This is a limited rejuvenation: it can't do much about DNA damage, and nor can it make cells clear persistent molecular waste that even youthful cells struggle with. Nonetheless, applying reprogramming to living mice has produced benefits to health, suggesting that if the process can be sufficiently controlled, then it may be a useful basis for therapy - perhaps globally forcing cells to behave more as though they are in young tissues. Groups such as Turn.bio are investigating the use of partial and transient reprogramming, in search of a balance point at which cells are rejuvenated without losing their cell type or radically changing their behavior. Here, another groups reports on early results from their analogous efforts to develop a methodology of safe transient reprogramming. Ageing is the gradual decline in organismal fitness that occurs over time leading to tissue dysfunction and disease. At the cellular level, ageing is associated with reduced function, altered gene expression and a perturbed epigenome. Somatic cell reprogramming, the process of converting somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), can reverse these age-associated changes. However, during iPSC reprogramming somatic cell identity is lost, and can ...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs