ScienceScienceAlertOld Blood Cells Have Been Transformed Into Brain Stem Cells That Get Younger As They Age
German scientists have successfully converted old blood cells directly into brain stem cells that continued to grow younger as they aged, a potential step toward future brain therapies.
Aging is the price paid for the ability of experiencing existence, one might philosophize.
Researchers at the University of Bonn transformed old blood cell precursors directly into brain stem cells, which then continued to grow younger as they developed.
The team used donor cells from 15 people aged newborn to 101, delivering two transcription factors via a virus to trigger the direct cell conversion, the journal Aging Cell reported.
The scientists say the method bypasses the usual multi-step process and could open new possibilities for regenerative brain therapies, though the research is at an early stage.
The research is still at an early laboratory stage, so ask your doctor before drawing any conclusions about treatments, but the scientists say the findings open new avenues for regenerative medicine.
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