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The University of California, Berkeley team was able to adjust biochemical signals in old mice to increase the ability of the rodents' stem cells to repair damaged muscle tissue almost as well as it occurs in young mice.
The findings appear in the journal Nature.
"We are one step closer to having a point of intervention where we can rejuvenate the body's own stem cells so we don't have to suffer from some of the debilitating diseases associated with ageing," said researcher Dr Morgan Carlson, BBC News reported.
The key is to find the right balance between the biochemical pathway that promotes healing and that which promotes ageing, said lead researcher Dr Irina Conboy.
"We need to find out what the levels of these chemicals are in the young so we can calibrate the system when we're older. If we can do that, we could rejuvenate tissue repair for a very long time," Conboy said. – (HealthDay News)
Read more:
How your body will age
June 2008
