Scientists say they have reversed more than 60 years of cellular aging by reprogramming human blood cells in a laboratory setting. In the reported work, blood cells taken from an 80-year-old are transformed into neural stem cells carrying a “molecular age” signature of less than 20.
The studies are described as offering a new tool for examining how cells lose youth over time, and for probing the biological processes behind age-related conditions. One outlet emphasizes the scope of the reversal and frames the potential impact around understanding diseases such as Alzheimer’s, while another focuses on the method and pathway the cells follow: immature red blood cells are reprogrammed into neural stem cells that can develop into brain cells. Both accounts point to publication in the journal Aging Cell and describe the finding as a cellular rejuvenation approach rather than a whole-body treatment.
