For years anti-aging cosmetics have promised to prevent the signs of ageing by reducing lines and wrinkles. But is it possible to dive deeper, beyond the superficial, to prevent the body ageing at a cellular level?

The inconvenient reality of ageing is that we increase the risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer as well as a weakened immune system. Therefore, a life beyond our natural age could come with a host of age related disorders.

Scientists may have found a way to extend our lifespans while keeping us in relative health. This discovery has raised the possibility of striking all age related disorders in one holistic and preventative approach and may revolutionize the way medicine is practised.

What causes us to age?

When we are young, our organs are full of cells that are constantly dividing and replacing old or damaged cells. This is the reason we remain mostly healthy. However, our cells will only divide a certain number of times before they die or enter a stage called senescence. Senescence causes the cells to become bigger, flatter and release chemicals into the surrounding area. Scientists have long known that as we age, senescent cells gradually accumulate in every organ. But it is only recent studies that have suggested that these cells have an essential role in ageing. It has been shown that these cells pump out a mixture of chemicals such as proteins into the surroundings causing inflammation. As nearly all age related disorders involve inflammation of some kind, scientists believe this may be the link between ageing and common age disorders.

How does it work?

To prevent the onset of age related conditions scientists have been working to remove these cells from the body. Darren Baker at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota genetically engineered mice so that senescence cells would carry a marker, meaning they could be targeted and destroyed by drugs. After administering the drugs to the mice from 3 weeks old, the team found they had a significantly delayed onset of age related conditions such as cataracts. They were also much stronger and less wrinkly than mice of the same age.

However, despite this working in mice, the same process could not be replicated in humans. One alternate method, as studied by Judith Campisi’s team from the Buck Institute of Aging in Novato California, was to test the effect drugs have on preventing these senescence cells producing the inflammation causing proteins. This is a rapidly developing area of research, with many research teams looking into the best drug treatment with the fewest side effects. However, questions have arisen as to whether it can be justified for an otherwise healthy person to take medication this regularly or if the drug is even safe.

Ethical and Practical Implications  

As well as practical implications to this form of treatment, scientists have questioned whether it is safe to stop the functions of these cells as they have also been found to have other useful functions. Professor Thomas von Zglinicki at Newcastle University has stated that senescence cells play a major role in wound healing and embryo development as well as prevention of cancerous cells developing into tumorous.

However, the main debate among researchers in this field is if helping people live longer is realistic goal. With the population of the planet currently standing at 7 billion people and with over 750 million of those not having access to clean water, we need to ask if it is sustainable for people to exceed their natural lifespan. In addition, how much longer might we live and what will we eventually die of? One clue comes from those with an exceptionally long life span, such as Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper, the oldest person in the history of the Netherlands who reached the impressive age of 115. When her body was analysed it was found she was down to just 2 stem cells, whereas a healthy person would have 1500. As stem cells are essential for regeneration, especially for blood, this shows that eventually she would have ran out of blood cells and died of anaemia. Could this suggest there is an unavoidable limit to our lifespan?

On one hand some would say that this is a good thing and aging should not be treated as an illness but as a way of life. However it is exciting to consider that anti-aging solutions could now become more than skin deep.

 

Amy Cleaver

 

Image: Wikipedia