Scientists reverse hair loss and wrinkling

Are the natural processes of aging reversible?

Every older person knows these problems for sure: as they age, the skin gets wrinkled and in men more and more hair falls. Normally, these events are typical features of aging, but researchers have now successfully reversed these signs.

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham found in their current study that typical signs of aging can be reversed. Thus, age-related hair loss and wrinkled skin will soon no longer be a problem for the elderly. The doctors published the results of their study in the English language journal "Cell Death & Disease."

Researchers reverse the signs of aging in mice

In a mouse model, researchers for the first time succeeded in reversing the signs of aging. When the mice were induced to have a mutation leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, the animals developed wrinkled skin and visible hair loss within a few weeks. However, when the mitochondrial function was restored by physicians by disabling the gene responsible for mitochondrial dysfunction, the smooth skin of the animals returned and the fur repelled. The mouse was then more distinguishable from a healthy mouse of the same age, the scientists explain.

During aging, a decrease in mitochondrial function occurs

Importantly, the mutation takes place in a gene that has mitochondrial function affected. According to experts, many mitochondria in cells produce 90% of the chemical energy that cells need to survive. In humans, a decrease in mitochondrial function occurs during aging. Mitochondrial dysfunction can cause age-related diseases. The depletion of DNA in mitochondria is also badociated with human mitochondrial disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurological disorders related to age and cancer

. Inversion of the mutation leads to smoother growth of the skin and hair

The mouse model was induced by adding doxycycline antibiotic to food or drinking water. This causes depletion of mitochondrial DNA, as the enzyme becomes inactive for DNA replication. After a few weeks, the mice developed gray hair, reduced hair density, hair loss, slow motion and lethargy. These changes were reminiscent of natural aging. Wrinkled skin was observed four to eight weeks after induction of the mutation, and females developed skin folds stronger than male rats. Inversion of the mutation reversed hair loss and wrinkled skin.

What effect has mutation had on animals?

Mouse skin with induced mutation showed increased skin cell counts, abnormal thickening of the skin, dysfunctional hair follicles and increased inflammation, which appear to contribute to cutaneous pathology, physicians say. These effects are similar to what is known as extrinsic aging of the skin in humans. In addition, mice with depleted mitochondrial DNA also exhibited an alteration in the expression of four age-badociated markers in the cells

There were disorders of the cutaneous equilibrium

In addition, the skin exhibited dysregulation between the matrix metalloproteinase enzymes and their tissue-specific inhibitor. – A balance of these two is needed to keep the collagen fibers in the skin, which prevents wrinkles, say the researchers. Mitochondria induced mutated mice had reduced levels of mitochondrial DNA, altered expression of mitochondrial genes and instability of large complexes in mitochondria involved in oxidative phosphorylation.

Mitochondria: Reversible Regulators of Skin Aging and Hair Loss

The mutation restores mitochondrial function as well as cutaneous and capillary pathology. This has shown that mitochondria are reversible regulators of skin aging and hair loss, author of the study Dr. Keshav Singh of the University of Alabama in Birmingham in a press release [19659007] Further research is needed

Further experiments are now needed to determine whether phenotypic changes in other organs can also be reversed by restoring mitochondrial DNA, (As )