- Researchers in Houston were investigating progeria, a child ageing disease
- They found they could reverse the ageing of cells by inserting RNA that triggered the production of a certain protein called telomerase
- Experts say this could transform how we understand and treat ageing
Researchers have developed technology to reverse the ageing of cells.
The breakthrough came as a surprise to researchers who were investigating a cure for progeria, a genetic disorder that causes children to age rapidly and die before they reach their late teens.
Experts insist the findings could transform our understanding of – and approach towards – treatment of ageing.
Lead investigator Dr John Cooke, department chair of cardiovascular sciences at Houston Methodist Research Institute, said it was like night and day.
‘We looked at many cellular markers of aging and weren’t expecting to see such a dramatic effect on them. Our approach had a much greater effect on all the markers of cellular aging,’ he said.
Scientists at Houston Method Research Institute found they could reverse the ageing of cells by inserting RNA that triggered the production of a certain protein called telomerase
‘We markedly improved the ability of cells to multiply and reversed the production of inflammatory proteins. Those markers of cell aging we looked at were all reversed with the treatment in our study.’
They focused on progeria since the disease can offer insight into the way all human cells age, but on an accelerated basis.
‘These kids are dying of heart attack and stroke at 13, 14, 15 years old,’ Dr Cooke said.
‘Although current therapies are useful, they only add a year or two, on average, to the child’s life.
‘We wanted to do something that would improve the children’s quality of life and potentially allow them to live longer, so we set about studying their cells and seeing if we could improve the cell function.’
Dr Cooke and his team focused on telomeres, the timekeepers of cells which are crucial for the function of our chromosomes. They are the caps which sit at the end of each chromosome, holding it together. As we get older, the telomere wears down and gets shorter, ticking off the time we have left.
The researchers saw the telomeres were shorter in children with progeria.
It made them wonder if, by restoring the telomere length, they could improve the cell function and its ability to divide and respond to stress.
‘We all have telomere erosion over time, and many of the things that happen to these children at an accelerated pace occur in all of us,’ Dr Cooke said.
‘What we’ve shown is that when we reverse the process of the telomere shortening in the cells from these children and lengthen them, it can reverse a lot of the problems associated with aging.’
To do this, the researchers used a technology called RNA therapeutics. They delivered RNA to the cells that triggers the production of a protein called telomerase.
This gave the cells the information they needed to extend the telomere and let the cells do the rest.
Having that protein expressed in a cell for just a few days was enough to have a substantial and meaningful effect on the lifespan and function of the cells.
Progeria is a childhood disease that causes rapid ageing and premature death. Ashanti was seven years old in 2011 (pictured), but had the physical age of an 80-year-old
Dr Cooke said it was a surprise to have such an effect with one exposure to the RNA telomerase.
‘What was most unexpected about our work was the dramatic effect the telomere-extending technology had on the cells,’ he said.
‘They could function and divide more normally, and we gave them extra lifespan, as well as better function.’
Now, Cooke said, he wants to see this approach turned into something useful and says they’re going to do it quicker than expected within a few years.
‘As a physician, many of the diseases I see are due to aging. It’s a major risk factor for heart and vascular diseases,’ Cooke said.
‘About a third of the people in this country succumb to strokes and heart attacks. If we can fix that, we’ll fix a lot of diseases.’
The study is one of the first to look at how to reverse the ageing of cells in progeria, rather than looking at how gene mutations caused the disease in the first place.
‘When you see these kids, they’re like every other kid. They want to play, they want to dream. They want to grow up and be something great,’ Cooke said.
‘But they can’t do that. They don’t have the chance. That, alone, is reason enough to pursue this approach.’
Dr Cooke says aging is not irreversible, and he insists it is something their work has greatly advanced.
‘We can at least stall or slow down accelerated aging, and that’s what we’re working toward,’ he said.
‘Our next steps are to start moving this therapy toward clinical use. We plan to do so by improving existing cell therapies. I want to develop a therapy for these children. It’s an unmet need.’