To add to the many efforts to extend human lifespan and slow aging, scientists were able to develop a "biosynthetic" clock that may hamper cells from achieving normal deterioration levels linked to aging.
Biosynthetic 'Clock' To Slow Aging
Science Daily reports that, three years ago, a team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego, were able to decipher the vital mechanisms that take place as part of the aging process. They were able to identify two unique directions that cells abide by as they age and were able to genetically modify such processes in order to extend cell lifespan.
The Medical News Today reports, more specifically, that in order to control cell aging, they modified two conserved transcriptional regulator expressions. When one regulator becomes expressed and active, it hampers the expression of the other.
Their study was described in the Science journal. More specifically, the researchers made use of synthetic biology to engineer a "synthetic gene oscillator" in order to manipulate the mechanism. Science Daily notes that they were able to come up with a "negative feedback loop" for the aging process to be stalled.
The main component that they carried out their procedures on was yeast. They specifically looked into Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells that served as models of aging in human cells.
By coming up with sustained oscillation between two different types of cell degeneration across single cells, they were able to stop the cells from following either direction. As a result, cell lifespan dramatically increased. In fact, it hit a new record for lifespan extension via chemical or genetic interventions, as noted by Science Daily.
Engineering Principles For Lifespan Extension
Professor Nan Hao, the study's senior author and a cod-rector of the Synthetic Biology Institute at the University of California, San Diego, notes how this is the first time for "computationally guided synthetic biology and engineering principles" to be used for such purposes specifically. He adds that their project is a proof-of-concept that demonstrates that the same engineering for fixing or enhancing cars, which enables them to last longer, can also be applied to manipulate and boost cells to make humans live longer.
Many years ago, the multidisciplinary team started looking into the mechanisms of cell aging. They found out that cells go through various molecular changes throughout their entire lifespan. This takes place until they end up decaying and dying.
Around half of cells go through a slow decline in DNA stability, where information is kept. The other half ages on a path that is linked to mitochondrial decline.
Science Daily notes that this novel synthetic biology feat may reconfigure scientific ways of approaching life extension and age delay. The researchers also mention that their results show a link between cellular longevity and gene network architecture.
At present, the team is extending their research to look into the aging of various human cell types, including neurons and stem cells.
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