Many people are afraid of aging fast, but researchers have developed a new way of destroying old cells from tissues to delay aging.
A Good News Network report specified that such a new method to destroy old cells could help delay the process of aging.
No one knows the reason some people age worse than others and develop illnesses like type-2 diabetes, fibrosis, Alzheimer's disease, or certain types of cancers, all linked to the aging process.
One explanation for this could be the level of efficiency of reach response of the organism to the damage of its cells during its life, which is eventually causing them to age.
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Researchers developed a new method to destroy old cells that could help delay the process of aging.
The Antibody Acting as a 'Smart Bomb'
The said explanation is why the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya and the University of Leicester scientists have embarked on this new study.
Specifically, they developed an antibody acting as a "smart bomb" that can identify certain proteins on the surface of these senescent and aged cells.
Then, it attaches itself to them and releases the drug that eliminates them without affecting the rest, minimizing any probable side effects.
The findings of this study have opened the door to the development of effective therapeutics to delay the development of age-related illnesses, and even the process of aging itself. The study aims to increase the lifespan and improve the quality of people's lives at this stage.
Cellular Senescence
According to this study's leader, Salvador Macip, an antibody-based drug can be used to delay cellular senescence in humans for the first time.
Macip, a doctor and researcher at the UOC and the University of Leicester, added that they based this work on present cancer treatments that aim at specific proteins that exist on the cancer cell's surface and then have them applied to the senescent cells.
All living organisms comprise a mechanism identified as "cellular senescence," as described in Phys.org that stops the split of damaged cells and eliminates them to prevent them from reproducing.
Such a mechanism helps in the slowing down of the development of cance and helps model tissue at the embryo development stage.
'Senolytics' Drug
Despite being quite an advantageous biological mechanism, it's contributing to the development of illnesses when the organism gets old.
It appears that the immune system cannot efficiently eliminate such senescent cells anymore, which gradually build up in tissues, not to mention adversely impacting their functioning.
Lab experiments previously performed with animal models found that removing the cells with drugs successfully slowed down the progress of the disease and the drop linked to age itself.
It was carried out through the use of senolytics, a new type of drug. Nonetheless, they are missing out on specificity and have side effects, deterring their use in humans.
Recognizing Old Cells
Designed by Macip and his team, the drug is a second-generation senolytic with strong specificity and remote-controlled delivery.
In this work published in Scientific Reports, the study authors used a monoclonal antibody taught to determine senescent cells and attach the antibodies to them.
The researcher, who heads the University of Leicester's Mechanisms of Cancer and Aging Lab said, just like the "antibodies recognizing germs and protecting us from them," these antibodies are designed to recognize old cells.
As indicated in this report, treatment could begin to be provided as soon as the initial symptoms of the illness, like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, arthritis, Parkinson's disease, type-2 diabetes, and tumors, among others, appear. In the long run, the study authors believe it could even be used to attain healthier aging in certain circumstances.
Related information about cellular senescence is shown on Periapsis Cream's YouTube video below:
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Check out more news and information on Aging in Science Times.
