Breakthrough Discovery: Scientists Turn Back the Clock on Skin Cells by 30 Years

The technology for rejuvenating human cells already exists and involves the creation of induced pluripotent stem cells.

To simplify, this technology makes human cells 'forget' their original functions, allowing them to potentially adopt any program given by scientists. Imagine an adult who has learned a specific profession, like that of a pilot. Scientists can make this person forget all their pilot skills and turn them into a child, who can then learn any other profession.

The developers of the methods for creating induced pluripotent stem cells are scientists Shinya Yamanaka and John Gurdon, who were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 2012 for their achievements. They identified four molecules called Yamanaka factors that play a crucial role in 'erasing cell memory.' The technology exists, but currently, there are significant limitations in transforming these cells into all common cell types.

Another group of scientists decided to trigger the memory erasure process only halfway. Why completely 'reboot' cells if they can be rejuvenated and continue performing their functions well? Full memory erasure takes 50 days, but in this experiment, new scientists accomplished it in just 13 days. They applied this rejuvenation process to fibroblasts, which produce substances that promote healthy-looking skin. After two weeks of partial memory erasure, scientists first examined chemical markers in the fibroblast genome indicating its age. They also highly appreciated how well the cells produced collagen. To their surprise, the 'reprogrammed' cells became 30 years younger! Some of you may have noticed that wounds and even more serious injuries heal significantly faster in young people, often within 2-3 days. However, wound healing in older individuals, even with minor injuries, can take several weeks. If this technology is perfected, even 70-year-olds could have smooth and healthy skin. If other types of cells are rejuvenated, it could prevent most diseases, significantly increasing lifespan worldwide.

Photo by SubtleGuest at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19688924