Scientists claim they have edited the genes of mice to double their lifespan

Researchers from an American company Anti-aging organic They just published an article claiming to have extended lifespan mice older age and reverse age-related changes through gene therapy, which consists in the introduction of three genes of those known as Yamanaka factors or OSKs are especially active in embryonic cells.

Results that have not yet been reviewed by other experts (validated by peer review) may demonstrate that this type of therapeutic intervention will benefit an increasingly aging world population.

anti aging

aging it is a complex process best characterized as a chronic dysregulation of cellular processes leading to tissue and organ dysfunction. While aging cannot currently be prevented, its impact on the longevity and health of older people can potentially be minimized through interventions to return these cellular processes to optimal function.

administered systemically to mice 124 weeks of age (equivalent to 77 human years), doubling life expectancy, an increase of 7 percent in absolute terms. In addition, they observed a significant improvement in fragility scores, indicating that lifespan could be improved and extended. In addition, in human keratinocytes expressing exogenous OSK, they found significant epigenetic markers of age change, indicating a possible reregulation of gene networks to a younger and potentially healthier state.

Aging is associated with increased susceptibility to adverse health outcomes, which clinicians can capture using the Frailty Index (FI), where individuals are ranked based on a subset of age-related health impairments. High composite scores reflect poor condition and increased susceptibility to adverse health outcomes.

A similar index in mice can be used to assess aging and the effects of interventions aimed at aging. The researchers observed a significant decrease in IF by 7.5 points for mice control group treated with doxycycline at 6 points for mice TRE-OSK, suggesting that an increase in lifespan is correlated with an improvement in the overall health of the animals.

A discovery that won’t have an immediate effect

Collectively, data from mice and keratinocytes suggest that OSK’s AAV-mediated gene therapy increases lifespan in mice with improved health parameters and changes the biomarkers of aging in human cells.

“The result is very striking and seems to confirm the anti-aging potential of this strategy. Despite this, the real application of this discovery is very far away and should only be done as another step in research in this area,” he told SMC Spain. Manuel Collado, Director of the Cellular Aging, Cancer and Aging Laboratory of the Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS).

In his opinion, “it is also necessary to consider that the work was carried out by a biotechnology company with a clear economic interest in this area of ​​research, and we know that this often determines the validity of the results. In this case, moreover, given the huge competition that has driven several companies chasing this same promise of rejuvenation into the race, it seems that the drive to be the first to achieve this did not allow for sufficiently thorough experiments and analysis. (AFP)

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