Aging is inevitable, but scientists at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) may be one step closer to slowing down the aging process.
© UC San Diego
A team of scientists studied aging in yeast, chosen because its cells are easily manipulated, to try to understand if different cells age at the same rate and for the same reason.
What they found was intriguing. Even cells made from the same genetic materials and within the same environment aged in “surprisingly different ways,” according to the scientists, who published their findings in the journal Science.
Scientists learned that about half of yeast cells aged due to a gradual decrease in the nucleolus, a round body located in the nucleus of a cell, by using techniques that include microfluidics and computer modeling.
However, the other half aged due to a dysfunction of the mitochondria, which produce the energy of a cell.
Scientists said cells descend one of two pathways, nuclear or mitochondrial, early in life, and continue the path of aging until they eventually decline and die.
The researchers conducted more tests to understand how the cells behaved.
“To understand how cells make these decisions, we identified the molecular processes underlying each aging pathway and the connections between them, revealing a molecular circuitry that controls cellular aging, analogous to the electrical circuits that control household appliances,” Nan said. Hao, lead author of the study and an associate professor in the molecular biology section of UCSD’s division of biological sciences.
After modeling the “aging landscape,” the team of researchers discovered that they could manipulate and optimize the aging process, using computer simulations to reprogram the master circuit and modify its DNA.
Then they were able to create a “new aging route,” with a dramatically extended shelf life. The researchers believe that this could lead to the possibility of delaying human aging.
“This is an aging route that never existed, but because we understand how it is regulated, we can basically design or regulate a new aging route,” Hao told CNN.
“Our study raises the possibility of rationally designing genetic or chemical therapies to reprogram how human cells age, with the goal of effectively delaying human aging and extending human health,” Hao said in a statement.
The scientists said they plan to test their model on complex cells, organisms, and eventually, humans, as well as test how combinations of therapies and drugs could lead to increased longevity.
“Aging is a fundamental biological issue. We know very little about the aging process,” Hao told CNN. When it comes to medical relevance, he said, “Aging is related to many diseases, so if we can help slow aging or promote longevity, it will be beneficial to society.”
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