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Could an injection of a "young blood" protein be the "fountain of youth"? According to one study, an enzyme from younger mice would have extended the life of older mice by 16%
- A protein in the blood called eNAMPT plays a role in the production of energy by cells
- Its levels are high when we are young, but they decrease with age
- Older mice that received the protein from the blood of younger mice had improved cognitive function and their lifespan increased by almost 20%.
According to a new study, the injection of a protein into the blood of younger mice could be the key to the "fountain of youth" in older mice.
Scientists say the protein, called eNAMPT, is prolific in young mice and helps keep older rodents healthy and alive longer.
Elderly mice that received protein injections saw their cognitive function improve, had a better quality of sleep, and had an extended life span of nearly 20%.
In humans, this is the equivalent of the extended life expectancy of 79 to 91 years.
The team, from the University of Washington Medical School in St. Louis, Missouri, says the findings indicate that this method could be the secret to avoiding age-related diseases and an anti-aging method for humans.
A new study from the University of Washington's Faculty of Medicine found that injecting an aged mouse with a protein found in younger mice prolongs their lifespan by about 20%, suggesting that it could to be a future anti-aging intervention in humans (image of the file)
Protein is an enzyme called eNAMPT, which plays a role in the production of energy by cells.
However, as the body ages, the cells become less efficient at producing this energy called NAD.
"We believe that the body has so many redundant systems to maintain appropriate NAD levels because it is so important," said Dr. Shin-ichiro Imai, lead author, professor of Developmental Biology at the University from Washington.
"Since we know that NAD inevitably decreases with age … many researchers want to find anti-aging interventions that can maintain NAD levels with aging."
For the study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, the team administered concentrated eNAMPT from younger mice to one group of older mice and gave another group a saline solution.
The mice in the saline group all died in about 2.4 years, whereas the eNAMPT mice died in about 2.8 years.
This means that the lifetime of the mice in the protein group was about 16% longer than that of the control group.
Older mice with higher levels of this blood component also had better sleep quality, improved cognitive function in memory tests, and ran more on their wheels in their cages.
"We have found a totally new path to healthy aging," said Dr. Imai.
"The fact that we can take eNAMPT in the blood of young mice and give it to older mice and find that older mice show significant improvements in their health, including increased physical activity and better sleep – is remarkable."
This path is similar to that of Dr. David Sinclair, a geneticist at Harvard University who says he lives longer by ingesting Elysium, a molecule known to be a NAD stimulant, which improves health and prolongs life. the life of the mice.
Dr. Imai and his team believe that the reason we age more quickly when the rate of protein decline is related to the hypothalamus.
The hypothalamus is the area of the brain known for its importance in social behavior and hormone production and is regulated largely by this protein.
Recently, it has been discovered that the stem cells of the hypothalamus control the aging process of the body.
The researchers believe that the hypothalamus does not work as well, which explains the reduction in the lifespan of this essential protein during aging.
For future research, the team wants to investigate whether low levels of eNAMPT protein are associated with diseases in the elderly and whether it can be used as an anti-aging intervention.
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