Reversing old age?

[John Clark]

Chinese researchers report in the January 15 2025 issue of the journal Cell Metabolism that mice aged between 20 and 25 months, equivalent to humans aged between 60 and 70 years, that were injected with something called "miR-302b", lived on average 4.5 months longer than the control group of mice that were just given injections of saline. Also, compared with the control group, they regrew more hair, maintained a higher body weight, could stay balanced on a rotating rod for longer, had better grip strength for their weight, could go through a water-maze test faster, maintain their mental abilities better and had fewer inflammatory proteins in their blood.

The lead author, Guangju Ji, said: 

 “These results collectively demonstrate that miR-302b treatment not only extended the lifespan of mice but also significantly improved their physical and cognitive functions while reducing markers of ageing,”

They also found that in vitro human embryonic stems cells exposed to miR-302b "reversed senescence by restoring their proliferative capacity";  miR-302b is a very small non-coding RNA fragment that regulates gene expression and had previously been known to be somehow involved in the process of suppressing cancer cells. Apparently it is involved in more than just that.

Exosomal miR-302b rejuvenates aging mice by reversing the proliferative arrest of senescent cells

John K Clark    See what's on my new list at  Extropolis

7qm