Scientists Discover The Fountain Of Youth For Mice. Now, What About Us?

A team of scientists at Harvard University have reversed the aging process in lab mice, repairing organ damage and regenerating neurons in their brains.

The researchers bred a group of mice without a key enzyme called telomerase, which slows the degeneration of certain chromosomal caps called telomeres. The shrinking of these caps is directly linked to the deterioration associated with aging. Without this enzyme these mice aged startlingly quickly, but when the telomerase was reintroduced into their systems it caused a drastic restoration of the vitality of their bodies and their brains.

Tests are still being done to determine the viability in humans; currently reactivating this enzyme in humans (it stops being released automatically, once we’ve reached adulthood) would drastically increase our risk of cancer. But theoretically, this is a huge step in understanding the science behind aging.

The Guardian: Harvard Scientists Reverse the Aging Process in Mice –Now for Humans

[via Gawker ]