[LUM#4] Aging, no big deal

[LUM Magazine] - Published on January 17, 2017 in Science-Society

Live longer and healthier? It's possible! While we still don't know how to stop the effects of time, researchers now know how to delay them.

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At 100 years old, she was still riding her bike. She lived at home until she was 110 and passed away at the ripe old age of 122 years, 5 months, and 14 days. What if we could all soon enjoy Jeanne Calment's exceptional longevity? "Not only her longevity, but also her vitality," replies Jean-Marc Lemaître. The researcher atthe Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Biotherapy (IRMB) is convinced that we will live longer and in better health. "For a very long time, research focused mainly on age-related diseases without seeking to understand aging itself, its causes and its consequences, "explains the specialist."Now the scientific community has realized that by treating aging, we will also treat the pathologies associated with it."

Understanding Aging

Over the past 15 years, the fight against aging has taken a considerable leap forward, thanks in particular to research on "senescent" cells. "When subjected to stress, cells can enter senescence, a state in which they no longer proliferate but do not die either, "explains Jean-Marc Lemaître. The problem is that these cells secrete substances that cause chronic inflammation, which is often associated with age-related diseases. "In young individuals, senescent cells are eliminated by the immune system, but after the age of 50, this process becomes less effective and senescent cells accumulate in the body, with all the negative effects that entails."

What if we could slow down aging by targeting these famous cells? That's what American researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota did when they successfully eliminated senescent cells in mice. The result: the rodents' life expectancy was extended by 30%. "Not only did these mice live much longer, but they also aged better," says the aging specialist. The mice treated in this way had fewer age-related conditions such as cataracts and muscle wasting.

Anti-aging pill

This is great news for mice, but what about humans? "We can imagine applying these resultsto humans," says the specialist. A 30% increase in longevity? We could all live to be 100. And ingoodshape:"Eliminating senescent cells can prolong healthy life,"insists Jean-Marc Lemaître. What was considered science fiction not so long ago will soon become reality. "We have already identified molecules such as rapamycin, an immunosuppressant, and metformin, a substance used to treat diabetes, which delay senescence in humans and are good candidates for an anti-aging cocktail. All that remains is to find small molecules that will selectively destroy senescent cells." When will we see the arrival of a "long healthy life" pill? "Within fifteen years," says Jean-Marc Lemaître.

It should be noted that, alongside research into senescent cells, research into regenerative medicine is also advancing rapidly. "The idea is to be able to repair tissue and organs damaged by aging or disease," explains Jean-Marc Lemaître. How? By replacing defective cells with healthy ones. With cell therapy, researchers can create cells à la carte. "We reprogram simple cells such as blood cells into stem cells," explains the reprogramming specialist. This "reset" then allows these cells to differentiate into various cell types in the body: liver cells can regenerate the liver, while heart cells can repair the heart. "By treating age-related diseases in this way, we can significantly increase healthy life expectancy," says Jean-Marc Lemaître.

Unlimited longevity?

What's more, regenerative medicine doesn't just treat diseases, it aims to create human "bio-organs" to replace a tired pancreas or a worn-out kidney. "Within 5 to 10 years, we should see the first bio-artificial kidney," says the specialist.

Slowing down aging, swapping out old cells for fresh ones, replacing failing organs with brand new machinery... The fountain of youth could be just a test tube away. "If these scientific advances are accompanied by a genuine societal will, everyone will be able to live to 120 in good health,"imagines Jean-Marc Lemaître. And why not even longer? This is a thorny question for researchers. "In fact, we don't really know what the limit of longevity might be"...