In a groundbreaking study published in Aging, researchers from Harvard Medical School, University of Maine, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered a chemical approach to reprogram cells to a younger state. This new approach builds upon the discovery that the expression of specific genes, called Yamanaka factors, could convert adult cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The researchers screened for molecules that could, in combination, reverse cellular aging and rejuvenate human cells. They developed high-throughput cell-based assays to distinguish young cells from old and senescent cells, including transcription-based aging clocks and a real-time nucleocytoplasmic protein compartmentalization (NCC) assay. In an exciting discovery, the team has identified six chemical cocktails that restore NCC and genome-wide transcript profiles to youthful states and rejuvenate human cells.
The discovery of chemical means to reverse cellular aging has far-reaching implications for regenerative medicine and whole-body rejuvenation.