Side Effects Of Chemotherapy Can Be Minimized, According To New Study

It is known that most anti-cancer therapies are harmful to most cells in the body, not just to cancer cells. For this reason patients who are diagnosed with cancer and are treated with chemotherapeutic agents will experience unpleasant side effects like nausea, vomiting, alopecia (hair loss), recurring infections and even increased risk to develop a secondary tumor later in their life. In order to combat these potentially side effects, researchers at Sanford – Burnham Medical Research Institute have implemented a therapeutic technique that delivers the chemotherapeutic agents directly into tumors, which leads to an increased effectiveness and decreased side effects occurance.

The research team, led by Michiko Fukuda published a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, according to which they managed to link a chemotherapeutic agent to IF7, to a protein that has a high affinity for blood vessels that irrigate tumors. They administered IF7 in mice with colon cancer and observed that this small protein transported the chemotherapeutic agent to the tumor, where the drug was able to stop the development of the cancer, at a lower dose than usual.  No side effects were reported. This experiment shows that IF7 is an efficient drug carrier that can be used for treating cancer.

“We can cure terminal stage mice with very large tumors without any side effects simply by giving them this drug coupled with IF7,” said Dr. Fukuda.

Chemotherapy

IF7 is a peptide similar to carbohydrates which can inhibit metastasis. Carbohydrates are found on the surface of every living cell in the body, along with the proteins that bind them.  For this reason they are playing a very important role in all processes that occur at cellular level, even in the formation and metastasis of the cancerous process.  IF7 is a peptide similar to carbohydrates which can inhibit metastasis and its mechanism of action is represented by the fact that IF7 can bind annexin 1, that is a carbohydrate-binding protein found in high levels on the surfaces of the tumoral blood vessels.

The researchers administered to mice with colon cancer, IF7 coupled with a fluorescent substance to highlight the tumors, then they coupled IF7 with SN-38, which is a chemotherapeutic agent. After daily injection of IF7/SN-38 they observed that the tumor began to shrink. The scientists administrated only one-seventh of the total amount of SN-38 necessary for tumor size reduction, reason why the side effects did not develop.

“Although we tested colon tumors in this study, theoretically any tumor that induces expression of annexin 1 in blood vessels would work with this system”it just depends on what kind of drug it’s paired with,” said Minoru Fukuda, Ph.D.

With this study, the researchers concluded that IF7 is a very important carrier for chemotherapeutic agents as it has a very specific tumor activity.

Compunds That Can Lead To A New Generation Of Antimalarial Drugs Discovered By Scientists

In a study published yesterday in Science Express, the online magazine of Science journal, a new antimalarial drug class was proven more effective in treating malaria than any other compound available until now.

Most compounds that are used for treating malaria are active in the blood stage of the diseases and drugs that also target the liver stage of the disease present nasty side effects. The new antimalarial drug class, discovered by scientists proved to be very effective both in the blood and liver stage.

Up until now the research effort mainly focused on the blood stage of the disease, due to more affordable routine screening methods. The new drug class addresses and targets a new gene, fighting malaria in the liver stage. The study was conducted on mice and showed promising results.

Malaria remains one of the leading causes of death in many parts of the world, despite immense efforts to control it. Around 225 million people were living with malaria and 800.000 people lost their lives in 2010 alone.

Parasites are transmitted by mosquitoes bites. The parasites are present in the mosquito saliva and enter the human blood stream. They can also be transmitted during a blood transfusion or from mother to fetus during pregnancy. The most affected geographical areas are Africa, Asia and The Americas. The parasites invade the liver first (the first 30 minutes after the bite) then after around 8 days the parasite leaves the liver and attacks red blood cells, in which it multiplies causing them to rupture.

Malaria Red Blood Cells

When red blood cells are ruptured, harmful toxins are released into the blood leading to fever, chills, other flu-like symptoms, fulminant hepatitis and acute kidney failure in some severe cases. If the sick person is bitten at this point, the parasite will invade the mosquito’s digestive system, which will be able to spread the disease.

In order for scientists to discover new compounds that can act on different stages of the parasite’s life cycle, they screened thousand of potential substances that were already known for acting against the parasite in the blood stage. Only a few compounds seemed to act on the liver stage also, demonstrating the fact that about 75 percent of the drugs used to treat malaria, were not effective in eliminating the disease.

The scientists then isolated the most effective drug class called imidazolopiperazine that was active both in blood and liver stages. The good news is that imidazolopiperazine drug class is not related to any antimalarial class available until now, and parasite resistance is very unlikely. When the new compound was administered to mice it managed to protect the liver and was superior to current available drugs regarding the blood stage of the disease.

Artificial Blood Could Be Available For Transfusions In Just Two Years

Artificial Blood Could Be Available For Transfusions In Just Two YearsIn just two years, patients from the UK could benefit from artificially created blood from stem cells, according to scientists from two prestigious British universities. Researchers argue that this innovation will save thousands of lives while eliminating the problem of insufficient blood stocks in hospitals.

Experts from the Universities of Edinburgh and Bristol have created for the first time, thousands of millions of red blood cells from stem cells that originated from the bone marrow. This amount is not sufficient as regular transfusions are requiring on average, about 2.5 million million red cells.

Researchers hope to succeed in creating artificial blood from human embryos stem cells harvested in the first days of life. Embryonic stem cells can allow them to create more red blood cells , but failed in succeeding so far. Researchers say that, once discovered the best method for obtaining embryonic stem cells, a single embryo could be the source of all blood cells required for transfusions performed in the UK.

Professor Marc Turner from University of Edinburgh intends to create a supply of cells, with Type O negative blood type, as this type of artificial blood will be compatible with 98% of the UK patients. Designing artificial blood could be a solution for developing countries, where thousands of women die each year from  birth haemorrhages.

Artificial Blood

Dr. Turner says that in the next 2-3 years, artificial blood created from stem cells will be tested on healthy volunteers. This will be the first test of its kind in British history. The researcher predicts that in about a decade or two, artificial blood will be widely used in Britain. In about 20 years, production of artificial blood in the UK will rise to 2 million pints ( 1 imperial pint = 568,261 ml), covering all medical needs of the country.

Embryonic stem cells used to create artificial blood will come from 4-5 days-old embryos that remained unused after artificial insemination treatments and donated to research. Critics argue that the use of unborn children is immoral for medical progress. Dr. Turner’s reaction to their complaints is firm: “˜There is a lot of regulatory framework to ensure that the cells are being  treated with the appropriate respect and being used for genuine scientific and medical reasons and not in a trivial fashion.'

However, European courts have recently banned patents on embryonic stem cell-based treatments, which will reduce the number of studies on this cell type in Europe and Dr Turner will probably have to switch to other sources of red blood cells.

Mother’s Pshycological State Can Be Sensed By The Fetus, According To New Study

During growth the fetus is in direct connection with his mother getting constant messages from her. It is not just about hearing her voice and her cardiac activity; the fetus also gets constant hormonal signals through the placenta.

Among these signals , mother mental state is also included according to a new study that was published in the Psychological Science Association journal.

In the last decades, researchers have demonstrated that the mother’s womb environment is a very important factor for the fetus development. Some effects are not such hard to imagine as certain drugs, drinking or smoking can lead to devastating consequences. On the other hand some effects are subtler. Several studies have found that children that were born during the 1944 Dutch famine, had an increased risk for developing health problems like diabetes and obesity. Others are subtler; studies have found that people who were born during the Dutch famine of 1944, most of whom had starving mothers, were likely to have health problems like obesity and diabetes later.

Fetal Life

Scientists Laura Glynn and Elysa P.Davis from California study the effects of mother psychological state on the growing fetus. Pregnant women who were checked for depression after birth and before birth were recruited. Babies were also tested after birth to evaluate development status.

The study results were somehow surprising. The best development was found in babies who either had normal mothers during and after delivery or depressed during and after pregnancy mothers. What was slowing the babies from normal growth and development were changing situations like a mother who was healthy after pregnancy and depressed when pregnant.

The study has significant clinical importance. Doctors should leave a depressed pregnant woman untreated for the child’s well-being. A better approach would be treating woman who present with prenatal depression. The only problem is that depression is not included in any screening program before birth

Neurological and psychiatric disorders are the most feared consequences of long-term depression. In another study the researchers found that older children who had anxious mothers during pregnancy have certain brain structures differences. probably several years will pass until scientists will figure out what exactly happens when a fetus has a depressed mother and what are the exact long-term effects.

The researchers now believe that the fetus is actually an active participant to its development and it is constantly learning about his environment during pregnancy.

Phytoestrogens Can Decrease Ovarian Cancer Risk, According To Study

Ovarian cancer is a frequent gynecological cancer found in practice, but it's causes are not well understood. There are few theories about the etiology of ovarian cancer that include: continuous ovulation, ovarian epithelium overstimulated by gonadotropins (ovulation leads to small injuries of the ovarian epithelium,  that can lead to an increased and abnormal proliferation cell reaction, influenced by hormonal factors) and the inflammation theory( inflammation caused by repeated ovulation can predispose to malignant transformation). Oral contraceptives and higher number of pregnancies are considered protective factors.

Phytoestrogens have the same structure as endogenous estrogens and they are found in plants. They may exert estrogenic and antiestrogenic effects and have numerous beneficial effects as they can reduce osteoporosis risk, cardiovascular disease risk, breast cancer and menopausal symptoms. There is a vast amount of literature evaluating the impact of estrogen and phytoestrogens on breast cancer, but there is few information about the impact of phytoestrogens on ovarian cancer.

Foods relatively rich in phytoestrogens are nuts, oilseeds (flax, sesame), soy products (tofu, tempeh, soy beverages), cereals (whole wheat, barley, oats, rice) and bread, legumes (lentils , beans, sweet potatoes, carrots), fruits (apples, pomegranates), meat products, other processed foods that contain soy, vegetables, fruits, alcoholic drinks (whiskey, beer) or non-alcoholic, and medicinal herbs (fennel, anise , ginseng, hops, red clover).

Phytoestrogens And Ovarian Cancer

One study led by Dr. Bandera E.V. evaluated the influence of dietary phytoestrogens on ovarian cancer by comparing more than 200 cases of women with ovarian cancer to more than 300 control women. Using questionnaires regarding their diet, they estimated the total amount of phytoestrogens intake, isoflavones (daidzein, genistein, formononetin, and glycitein), lignans (matairesinol, lariciresinol, pinoresinol, secoisolariciresinol) and coumestrol, both in ovarian cancer individuals and control subjects. Furthermore, the study considered other variables like: race, age, education, age of menarche, menopausal status, parity, oral contraceptive use, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use.

Findings suggested that total phytoestrogens consumption can decrease the risk for epithelial ovarian cancer. No specific correlations were found between isoflavones, lignans, coumestrol and ovarian cancer.

The protective effect of phytoestrogens against carciogenesis may be explained by the agonist/antagonist action: they execrt an inhibition action over the enzymes that are implicated in the synthesis and the metabolism of estrogen hormones, as they can bind to estrogen receptors, especially beta receptors, implicated in cellular proliferation and differentiation and  they have an inhibition action over angiogenesis in tumors.

This study was performed on a relatively small sample of subjects, and more exact results, analizing larger groups of patients are still to come.

Smart Contact Lenses Could Make Eye Drops Obsolete

A team led by Mark Byrne made up of biomedical and chemical engineers from the Auburn University,  have established a method by which eye drugs can be administered by wearing a new kind of contact lenses.

As long as the patient wears the contact lenses an exact drug dose will be released at no certain interval. The contact lenses release a constant flow of active substance without interfering with vision or can do just that while correcting vision problems. The drug classes that can be stored and released from the new contact lenses are antibiotics, allergy drugs and NSAIDs.

Drug Releasing Contact Lenses

Eye drops can soon be obsolete according to Byrne. Their results show that a constant substance concentration and constant active substance flow is achieved throughout the using period. The result is one hundred time better than a conventional treatment which is based on repeated drug administration via eye drops. These impressive numbers are a real threat to conventional eye drops. The new contact lenses can be used up to one day in the case of daily wear lenses or up to one month for the extended type. On the other hand, eye drops can be useful up to thirty minutes before being washed away by tears, therefore multiple doses are required.

A key difference between other contact lenses technologies and Byrnes’s lenses is controlled release administration process achieved by using a type of drug memory in the lenses structure, preserving in the same time other basic features of the lens.

The paper “Sustained In Vivo Release From Imprindet Therapeutic Contact Lenses”, demonstrates how Bryne’s team managed to administer a specific drug for a prolonged period of time using a molecular imprinted contact lens worn by a laboratory rabbit. This is a world premiere, as it is the first type when an effective dose of a certain drug was found present in tears for the whole period of lens use.

Nowadays eye drops swallow 90% of the market share but they are quite difficult to use and efficiency is poor according to Byrne. The new contact lenses bring increased efficacy, zero missed doses which can lead to better eye health.

Dipstick Urine Test Can Be Used To Screen Patients With Renal Failure Risks

Many people have kidney problems and an impaired kidney function can be easily diagnosed by a simple urine analysis which may reveal the presence of proteinuria ( albuminuria) or microalbuminuria.

But when is proteinuria present? Albuminuria can be transitory, for example after  exposure to cold, emotional and allergic states, vaccinations or after consumption of eggs and certain medications during pregnancy. Permanent and massive albuminuria is frequently found in kidney diseases such as urinary tract infections, glomerulonephropathy, nephrosis, kidney stones, etc. Other diseases that can impair kidney function and are  accompanied by microalbuminuria are hypertension, diabetes, different heart diseases.

Renal Failure Rapid Test

How can proteinuria be detected? It can be easily detected after a “classic” urine analysis or by using a urine dipstick .

In  a study led by Dr. Clark, the usefulness of those two detection methods were compared, and it was discovered that by using a urine dipstick the patient’s risk of rapidly losing renal function can be identified ( more than 5% per year). Rapid decline in kidney function was associated with: old age, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and family history of diabetes.

Collecting data over 1 million patients with kidney disease, has revealed a relationship between the amount of albumin present in urine and renal morbidity risks, including the final stage, the risk of cardiovascular mortality and mortality in general. Also, albuminuria is a prognostic factor for the patient’s long-term evolution.

By using a urine dipstick patients at risk of losing rapidly kidney function can be screened therefore. Advantages of this method are that it can be easily applied, it’s cheaper and it can be used to screen patients that present a high risk for rapid kidney failure. A disadvantage of this method is that it can’t detect minor presence of albuminuria and in that case a classic urine analysis may be desirable.

The most important, if you have a kidney condition or another condition that can impair the kidney function, do no neglect it and visit your physician.

Child Dental Health

Before teaching the little ones how to proper care for their teeth, the mother must first of all, even from pregnancy adopt a balanced diet, nutritious, rich in proteins, vitamins and essential minerals.

At the age of 6 months eruption of the temporary teeth begins (milk teeth or deciduous teeth). Order of eruption is different:

Central incisors ~ 9 months, lateral incisors at the age of 1 year, first molars at the age at 1 year and six months, canines at the age of 2 years, secondary molars at the age of 2 years and six months.

Child Teeth Care

Before teeth eruption, oral hygiene will be done by cleaning the gums after each meal with a gauze soaked in water or chamomile tea. After teeth eruption a special toothbrush with soft hair will be used, as a thimble, placed on the mother’s finger. At this age, hygiene is purely mechanical, not chemical (without toothpaste). Do not use the same cutlery with children because saliva contains bacteria that can lead to teeth decay and gingivitis.

As early as at the age of 3 , the child can brush his own teeth once in the morning and once in the evening, but under supervision checking after each brushing  that the teeth are clean. With the eruption of permanent teeth, around the age of 6 years (also considered “critical age”), the child can be taught to use  mouthwash, but under supervision, ( mouthwash must not be swallowed). The child teeth brush has to be replaced  every 2-3 months.

Changing Tooth Brush

Additional fluoride to strengthen teeth enamel must be provided. Note however, that fluoride can be toxic in large quantities. Dentists encourage fluoridation twice a year using local solutions:  as rinses, gels, or prefabricated trays in the dental office.

Teeth Brushing

Children should be early accustomed with the basic rules of oral hygiene. Brushing teeth helps cleaning the teeth and gums and removes bacteria that can lead to teeth decay. Attention should be focused not on the time devoted to cleaning but the in which is achieved. Only 3 to 5 minutes are needed for a brushing, using light movements while cleaning the gums. Teeth should be brushed using vertical sides, from bottom to top. In addition, circular movements are necessary on occlusal surfaces ( the face with the teeth are biting). The tongue is brushed using inside-out movements, to remove bacteria deposits from its surface. After brushing the mouth must be rinsed thoroughly for better sanitation.

Going To The Dentist

Children should get used to visiting the dentist since the age of one year. Visits should be done regularly. Programming early dentist visits has some advantages. Your baby will get used to the doctor and everything that involves a dental check-up.  This way, your child will not develop dental phobia.

When arriving to the dental office, the child assaults his parents with all sorts of questions. Always answer by telling the child the truth: Explain what maneuvers will be performed using an accessible language easy for him to understand . Talking to children using “their language”, with patience, friendship and without hiding the truth, makes them feel secure.

What Do The Dentists Say

Before being brought to the dental office, parents have a duty to inform their children regarding the doctor’s role, including the instruments used (the doctor will use a small mirror to see your teeth).

The child should be accompanied by a parent, not grandparents or siblings, around which it will become spoiled and will refuse to cooperate. Today, the child no longer has a reason to fear anesthetics, because surface anesthetics and gels that are scented and smell like fruits can be used.

As a method of prevention, bring the child once or twice a year to a regular check-up. As early as the age of 3 years, maxilar or dental abnormalities can occur due to permanent teeth development. After the age of 7 , a orthopantomography is recommended in order to see the presence and degree of mineralization of the dental buds. Child’s diet should be rich in raw vegetables, fruits, vegetables and non acid substances.

Tourette Syndrome

Tourette Syndrome (TS), first described by Gilles from Tourette in 1885, is characterized by polymorphic vocal and motor tics that change frequently. Body tics mainly consist of repetitive involuntary movements individualized for each muscle group. Tourette syndrome is considered to be a  transmitted genetic disorder but the exact cause is yet unknown. Some studies have shown that an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain could play a key role in the determinism of  Tourette syndrome.

Tourette Syndrome Frequency

Full form is found with a frequency of 1 in 2500 while partial forms of expression (chronic motor tics and some forms of obsessive-compulsive disorder) are three times more frequent. Syndrome prevalence is estimated at about 1-3/1000 maximum 10/1000 persons. The tics of Tourette’s syndrome tend to reverse or reduce in older children the prevalence is higher in children than in the adult population. Community studies suggest that over 20% of school-age children have tics and 4% of them were diagnosed with Tourette syndrome.

Tourette syndrome occurs in all races, ethnic and social groups,  boys being 3-4 times more affected than girls. Mild forms are less diagnosed due to reduced presentation to specialized clinics.

Tourette Syndrome Genetic Aspects (Causes)

Genetic studies have shown that in most cases Tourette syndrome is a hereditary disease although the exact mode of transmission is not fully understood. A long period of time Tourette syndrome was considered a dominant autosomal pattern but recent research suggests that this is a model involving multiple additive genes (polygenic multifactorial disorder). In some cases, tics may not be hereditary and tend to appear sporadically (tourettism).

Genetic vulnerability of Tourette syndrome can be transmitted from one generation to another, child inheriting genetic or constitutional basis to develop tics, type and severity of Tourette syndrome varies with each generation although not all those who have inherited this vulnerability will present a clinical expression.

Thus there is a risk of 70% in women carrying the gene to develop Tourette syndrome, and 99% for men. Tourette syndrome also has a variable expression, family members may present different degrees of severity. Sex seems to play a key role in genetic vulnerability expression as men develop tics more often while women are especially affected by obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

Recent studies suggest that a small number of cases of Tourette syndrome can be caused by a defective gene located on chromosome 13, SLITRK1 while other cases of tourettism may be caused by other mutations. Patients with Tourette syndrome may have a genetic risk for developing other disorders such as depression or substance abuse.

Tourette Syndrome Symptoms

Motor tics

1. Simple, fast, sharp, without any reason can be embarrassing or even painful (eg, blinking, grimacing, shoulder raise, contractions of a segment of the body)
2. Complex motor tics, slow, apparently purposes may include virtually any type of normal body movement and ca affect school and work (including copropraxia and echopraxia) (jumping, clapping, touching objects, dystonic positions, rotation movements) Copropraxia is defined as obscene gestures, gestures or movements. Echopraxia = imitating other people.

Vocal tics

1. Simple sounds and noises for no reason (eg, coughing, crying, barking, sounds, syllables).
2. Complex: linguistic expression such as meaningful words and phrases (including coprolalia, echolalia and palilalia). Coprolalia = obscene words and phrases abusive or  social unacceptable, Palilalia = repeats his words or parts of words, Echolalia = repeats sounds, words or parts of others word rituals: repetition of a phrase until it “sounds good” or says something three or more times using atypical speech: speaking very with a fast pace.

Behavioral disorders

1. Hyperkinetic disorder with attention and concentration deficiency – approximately 50% of children
2. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (need to touch objects several times, do the same thing several times until psychical comfort is achieved) emotional lability, irritability, impulsivity, self and heteroaggression (screaming, hitting walls with fists, threatened others, biting)
3. Depression, sleep disturbances, various learning difficulties – approximately 30-40% of children

Symptoms may be classified as mild, moderate or severe depending on the frequency, complexity and degree of harm to patient activity. There is a huge variability of symptoms, frequency and severity based on shorter or longer periods of time.

Tourette Syndrome Diagnosis

To establish the diagnosis of Tourette syndrome, the person must present various types of tics (specifically, multiple motor tics and at least one vocal tic) lasting at least for one year. The onset must occur before age 18 and not caused by direct functional effects of a substance or general medical conditions. There is no specific diagnostic test that can be used for Tourette syndrome. Diagnosis is determined by observation of the patient symptoms, family history (including tics, compulsions, attentional problems) after exclusion of other secondary causes that may induce motor and speech tics.

Investigations used to eliminate other illnesses with similar symptoms:

• Clinical and neurological examination
• EEG: often abnormal but nonspecific
• CT and MRI scan: normal aspect
• Bioassays: electrolytes, calcium, phosphorus, copper, ceruloplasmin, liver tests, TSH levels, urine drug screening tests.
• Genetic counseling
• Genetic counseling for persons with Tourette syndrome should include a complete listing of all potentially hereditary conditions in the family.
• Currently there is no genetic or biochemical test to determine presents Tourette syndrome or it is perfectly healthy.

Prenatal Diagnosis. There is no prenatal test that can be used to determine genetic vulnerability Tourette syndrome.

Tourette Syndrome Evolution And Prognosis

Tourette syndrome persons have a normal life expectancy although symptoms may persist throughout life but the disorder is not degenerative and not life-threatening. The severity of tics diminish in most cases after adolescence and Tourette syndrome is extremely rare in adults. The prognosis is good, only a minority of children have severe symptoms that persist in the adult. To these may be difficulties in obtaining a service or to have a fulfilling social life.

Intelligence is normal in all patients with Tourette syndrome although they may encounter some learning difficulties. Symptoms can improve after disease understanding by the patient, family and friends. Maximum severity of tics is typical between the age of 8-12 years reducing with adolescence. A supportive family environment provides the necessary skills to cope with Tourette syndrome. Tourette syndrome patients can learn to camouflage socially their inappropriate tics or to channel energy from tics to a functional effort.

Children with Tourette syndrome (without ADHD association) perform more accurately  tasks requiring eye orientation and make fewer mistakes than their unaffected colleagues, suggesting compensatory brain changes that result in higher cognitive activity.

French researchers were able to restore the youth of cells taken from people aged over 100 years, reprograming them to stem cells stage, demonstrating that aging is in fact reversible. The research on the possibility to remove traces left by aging cells, published in the Genes & Development journal , marks a new stage in the regenerative medicine field, said Jean-Marc Lemaitre from Fonctionnelle Génomique Institute (INSERM / CNRS / Université de Montpellier), who led the study, informs AFP.

The study contributed to another important achievement: a better understanding of aging and its pathological aspects correction, say scientists at INSERM.

Old cells were reprogrammed to be pluripotent stem cells in vitro – IPSC (Induced pluripotent stem cells), which have the youth and characteristics of embryonic stem cells (hESC). They can differentiate back into cells of all types (neurons, heart cells, epithelial, liver etc) after the “rejuvenation” cure made by French scientists.

Since 2007, scientists have shown that they can reprogram adult cells into pluripotent human stem cells (IPSC), whose properties are similar to those of embryonic stem cells. Those reprogrammed adult cells from avoid the criticisms regarding the use of embryonic stem cells.

Before the great success of French researchers, reprogramming adult cells hit a limit, senescence, cellular aging ultimate point. The team of scientists led by Jean-Marc Lemaitre managed to exceed this limit.

The researchers first multiplied epithelial cells (fibroblasts) from a donor aged 74 years to reach senescence, characterized by cessation of cell multiplication process. The researchers then conducted an in vitro reprogramming of these cells. Since this process was not possible through clasic preparation based on four genetic factors (OCT4, Sox2, Myc and KLF4 C), they added two more (NANOG and LIN28).

With this new “cocktail” of six ingredients, reprogrammed senescent cells have regained the characteristics of pluripotent stem cells embryonic type without any trace of aging to preserve their past. Age markers were deleted from cells and the IPSC (Induced pluripotent stem cells)  that were obtained can produce all type of functional cells, with multiplication capacity and increased longevity.

Researchers then tested the “cocktail” on older cells, aged 92 years, 94 years, 96 years and 101 years, the same success is achieved each time, including for the 101 year old cells.

“Age is certainly not a barrier for cell reprogramming,” concluded the research leader.

This study opens the way for using reprogrammed IPS cells as a source of adult cells ideally tolerated by the immune system to repair damaged organs or tissues in elderly patients.