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Scientists are making advances to better understand and possibly reverse biological aging

March 3, 2021

Study after study, scientists are making advances to find a cure for aging.
In work published on Cell Press and supported by the National Institutes of Health, researchers answered the question ‘when does aging really begin?’
Cellular reprogramming and other methods have been proposed as interventions to lower biological aging and increase lifespan.

Aging – just like gravity — is a fundamental force of nature. It can never really be overturned. But scientists are working hard to de-puzzle and even get ahead of this process. One question that needs to be answered is; when does biological aging really begin? Unlike chronological age – which is calculated based on your date of birth – biological age assesses how old your tissues are. It may be higher or lower than chronological age based on lifestyle habits, genetics, and other habits. People with younger biological age (compared to their chronological age) are at a lower risk of suffering age-related diseases and mortality. A study published in the Cell Press Scientific Journal tested whether the early embryogenesis process could be regarded as the ground zero of biological aging. The researchers established that at the time of conception, reproductive cells (which are descended from older cells) had already been metabolically active for at least two decades. This meant these life-forming cells must have accumulated damage from metabolic by-products, modified proteins, and genetic mutations. The direct implication is that the zygote (formed from the egg and sperm) has already stockpiled signs of aging and is thus not the ground zero of biological aging. The accumulated damage must be removed and biological age decreased to the level of descendant cells for the new life to begin in the same young state as the previous generations. This rejuvenation takes place naturally in the earliest stages after conception. The zygote undergoes a series of changes to remove epigenetic marks, dilute molecular damage, and reset the structure of DNA chromosomes. Scientists argue that this early rejuvenation takes place over the first four weeks after fertilization. Minimum biological age is thought to correspond to the phase of development immediately after this four-week duration, which has been proposed as the ground zero of biological aging. But can the biological age be lowered to increase both lifespan and healthspan? Researchers have fronted two ideas for doing this. First, the duration of early rejuvenation can be extended by bisecting embryos so they go through further stages of development before they reach ground zero. Secondly, human intervention may be used to remove genetic mutation. The average human being has six ultra-rare, highly damaging gene mutations. This burden decreases healthspan and eliminates up to 3 years from one’s lifespan. Genome editing technologies can fix these mutations. An additional – but related – approach to reduce biological age and increase longevity entails editing somatic (non-reproductive) cells in the body. A study completed in 2006 by Dr. Shinya Yamanaka identified four genes that could convert somatic cells into a cell version that is flexible enough to turn into different types of cells. This discovery fueled a new era of regenerative medicine that aims to regrow, repair, or replace damaged or deceased cells through cellular reprogramming. Scientists have already used cellular reprogramming to restore vision in aged mice and could employ the same approach could to reverse biological age in humans. Up to now, cellular reprogramming is among the most advanced interventions to try and delay the aging process. As researchers continue to probe the underlying biochemical mechanisms that underpin cellular rejuvenation, there is increased hope of a breakthrough that could be applied to clinical practice.

References: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pp17E4E-O8 https://www.cell.com/trends/molecular-medicine/fulltext/S1471-4914(20)30217-3#b0005

Scientists are making advances to better understand and possibly reverse biological aging

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