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<\/div>A team of scientists has restored the eyesight of elderly mice by effectively reversing the process of aging at a molecular level<\/a>.<\/p> The cohort of Harvard Medical School researchers removed thousands of chemical markers that accumulate over time from the mice’s DNA, essentially resetting their cells to a younger state. Shortly thereafter, mice with age-related vision loss or nerve damage in their retinas regained their ability to see, Nature<\/a><\/em> reports<\/a>.<\/p> Though there’s not yet any indication that the same technique will work on people, it’s a striking hint that genetic trickery can turn back the clock on at least some consequences of natural biological aging.<\/p> They don’t quite understand what it is about cellular mechanics that gives these cells the ability to preserve a more youthful state. But the study<\/a>, published Wednesday in the academic journal Nature<\/em>, appears to demonstrate that it’s possible to “reverse” aging in at least some limited domains.<\/p> Specifically, the team exploited and undid specific epigenetic changes<\/a> — alterations to the mice’s gene expression rather than the genes themselves — that occurred over time.<\/p> “We set out with a question: if epigenetic changes are a driver of ageing, can you reset the epigenome?” study coauthor and Harvard Medical School geneticist David Sinclair said to Nature<\/em>. “Can you reverse the clock?”<\/p> Most shocking is that the mice who lost eyesight due to nerve damage were able to sprout new nerves after the treatment — something mammals typically lose the ability to do<\/a> very early in life.<\/p> “It was like a jellyfish growing out through the injury site,” study coauthor Yuancheng Lu told Nature<\/em>. “It was breathtaking.”<\/p> The post Harvard Scientists Claim to Reverse Mouse Aging at Cellular Level<\/a> appeared first on Futurism<\/a>.<\/p> Go here to see the original: A team of scientists has restored the eyesight of elderly mice by effectively reversing the process of aging at a molecular level . The cohort of Harvard Medical School researchers removed thousands of chemical markers that accumulate over time from the mice\u2019s DNA, essentially resetting their cells to a younger state. Shortly thereafter, mice with age-related vision loss or nerve damage in their retinas regained their ability to see, Nature reports Continue reading
Harvard Scientists Claim to Reverse Mouse Aging at Cellular Level<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"