Researchers at the University of Michigan have managed to show that four genes that have previously come under scientific scrutiny as they are believed to help control cancer, also play key roles in the process of aging for humans and in human adult stem cell regulation.
Currently, the biological basis of ageing is not well-understood. There are many theories, each with some evidence supporting it, but no one universally accepted theory of why and how ageing occurs. Diseases which are a product of ageing can also contribute to it, and many of these can be treated with stem cells - for example, there is stem cell therapy for stroke, stem cell therapy for diabetes, and stem cell therapy for Parkinson's disease.
While the role of stem cells in ageing is seen, but not understood, there also exist several other theories. The telemore theory, where telemores at the end of chromosomes shorten with each successive division and then prevent further multiplication, is one. The free radical theory is another popular one, which states that ageing is a result of the effects of free radicals damaging our cells.
However, stem cell research has shown that human adult stem cells certainly play a large part in the process, or prevention, of ageing.
The four genes are known to scientists as Ink4a, Arf, Hmga2 and Iet-7b. They have been shown to suppress tumor formation, and now are known to also regulate the ability of human adult stem cells to replace worn-out tissues, and regulate the way that adult stem cells shut down during ageing.
These four genes switch themselves on and off, coordinating with each other as cells get older to help reduce the risk of cancer. The internal stem cell therapy function in ageing tissue is shut down, reducing its ability to regenerate.
One of the outcomes of stem cell research in conjunction with cancer research has been to show that mutated cells that are allowed to divide may cause cancer - and cells mutate as they age. Stopping mutated cells from reproducing is your body's way of helping stop cancer.
The results are from a three year stem cell research study of moiuse brains, and also explains why human adult stem cells do not match the potency of embryonic stem cells where they are used in stem cell transplants for stroke recovery and injury recovery.
Sean Morrison is the director of the University of Michigan Center for Stem Cell biology, and worked on the stem cell research. He said: "The genes identified in this study work together to reduce the function of adult stem cells as they age. Embryonic stem cells offer the advantage of not aging, not turning on this pathway. If you need to generate large numbers of cells to treat a major public health problem, such as juvenile diabetes this is a big advantage."
It was the same team that showed two years ago that ink4a, already known as a tumor suppressor, increases in activity as ageing progresses and also shuts down stem cell replication in older mice.
The defense against genetic mutations that cause cancer was seen immediately, however the main question after the study related to what caused the gene to turn on as the body ages? The chain of causation led back to Hmga2, and then to Iet-7b. Humans possess the same four genes, and the stem cell research on mice is likely to yield good potential for creating human drugs.
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