Scientists discover "unprecedented" reversal of wrinkles and hair loss

A new study found a way to undo wrinkles and hair loss from aging – at least in mice.

At the University of Alabama in Birmingham, scientists looked for a way to reverse the visible aging process. Posted Friday in Cell Death & Disease the team revealed its process to disable the mutation that causes aging symptoms in mice.

In cells, 90% of energy cells used to survive are created by mitochondria. As humans age, their mitochondrial function decreases. This can cause many symptoms to age, such as wrinkles and hair loss. When mitochondrial DNA is lost, scientists believe that it can cause diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and neurological disorders that go back to age.

Scientists activated a mutation in mice that lowered their mitochondrial function. in humans when they get older. In just four weeks, the mice began to lose their hair, showing gray hair and became lethargic. Between four and eight weeks, the mice developed wrinkled skin. Female mice had more severe wrinkles than male mice. Wrinkles were similar to intrinsic aging, or the natural process of aging, as well as to extrinsic aging, such as smoking or sun exposure.

The team was able to tell mice that wrinkles were similar to extrinsic human aging because the outer layer of the skin was thickened, the number of skin cells increased, there was inflammation and hair follicles that were dysfunctional, just like humans when they experience this type of aging. For intrinsic aging, four markers in mitochondrial DNA also depleted.

ERIC GAILLARD / REUTERS

When scientists turned off the mutation, wrinkled skin and hair loss were reversed. Mice returned to their original appearance and mitochondrial function returned

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"To our knowledge, this observation is unprecedented", Keshav Singh, a professor of genetics at the University of Alabama at the Birmingham School of Medicine and author on paper, said in a statement. However, the other aging organs did not reverse when the mutation stopped. This could mean that mitochondria play a more important role in the health of the skin than in the internal organs.

This research shows that not only mitochondria are a key component of aging symptoms, but also the symptoms that mitochondria can reverse. by reviving the mitochondria to their original function. While humans are still far from having access to this, it lays the foundation for potential therapeutic and preventative drugs down the line.

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