Scientists Can Now Make Mice Live 25% Longer And Humans Could Be Next
A breakthrough study has found that killing off ageing cells in mice radically expands their life span, and a biotech company thinks that it can also work for humans.
The groundbreaking research from Mayo Clinic found that mice lived 25 per cent longer if stagnant cells - those that can no longer reproduce - were cleared out from their bodies.
Not only could the findings help to treat human diseases associated with ageing, such as glaucoma and arthritis, they could potentially even prolong human life.
Importantly, the study didn’t just prolong the lives of the mice, it actually made them stay healthier for longer, too.
Stagnant - or senescent - cells have long been associated with the ageing process but until now it wasn’t clear what affect they actually had on the body.
Using modern genetic engineering techniques to remove the cells, the scientists were able to prove that the cells have a negative effect.
The only downside of removing the senescent cells from mice was that wounds took longer to heal - not surprising, as the cells are known to play an important role in the formation of scar tissue.
Newly launched biotech firm Unity Biotechnology hopes to use the breakthrough to develop drugs that slow the ageing process in humans.
The research was published in the journal Nature.
Image credit: Jochen Tack / imageBROKER/REX Shutterstock
