Scientists have found that certain cells in the brain can help in determining how fast the body ages.
The study was conducted on an animal model and could help in identifying new strategies for delaying and preventing age-related diseases as well as increasing the lifespan.
The researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine made this unique finding in which it is postulated that there are cells in the hypothalamus that control ageing. They are a very small group of adult neural stem cells, which were known to be responsible for forming new brain neurons.
The study shows that the number of hypothalamic neural stem cells naturally declines over the life of the animal, and this decline accelerates ageing.
It was also concluded that effects of this loss are not irreversible. This means that by replenishing these stem cells or the anti-ageing molecules they produce, it is possible to slow and even reverse various aspects of ageing throughout the body.
The researchers are now trying to identify the specific portions of microRNAs and other factors secreted by these stem cells that are responsible for these anti-aging effects. This could be the first step toward possibly slowing the ageing process and treating age-related diseases.
Source: Nature Journal