Scientists hailed a new anti-aging study as a breakthrough, saying it could have vast implications in the struggle to remain youthful and vigorous well into old age. Mayo Clinic researchers found evidence that "senescent cells" — those cells that have stopped dividing but haven't died — contribute to aging. Getting rid of them in mice got rid of many of the problems of old age, they say.
The Mayo scientists devised a way to purge the senescent cells, which make up about 10 to 15 percent of all cells in the elderly, while leaving normal cells alone. Senescent cells produce chemicals that damage healthy cells and trigger harmful inflammation.
After the old cells are eliminated, the onset of age-related disorders is delayed, including cataracts, muscle loss, and weakness.
The Mayo research made big headlines in the last week, and rightfully so says Dr. Russell Blaylock, Newsmax Health contributor and editor of The Blaylock Wellness Report. Down the road, the senescent cell study could help us all, he says, although much work needs to be done.
"The dramatic improvement in muscle function was quite impressive," he says.
"The study is very interesting. They genetically altered mice so they would age quickly and produce senescent cells quickly. They gave mice a drug that would kill senescent cells, and it did.
"But they only looked at three types of tissue — adipose or fat tissue, muscle cells, and eye tissue. They didn't look at brain tissue.
"When the mice got the drug early in life, there was a dramatic reduction in cataracts, their muscles were much stronger, and they had an increased ability to move and run. They appeared to be healthier, but they died quickly because the drug had no affect on their heart or arteries. Then researchers tried to reverse the aging process by giving the drug to older mice that already had cataracts. It didn't reverse anything, but it stopped the progression — the mice didn't get any worse.
"This drug is a long way from being used clinically," he said.
"They didn't do any studies on brain function," Dr. Blaylock emphasizes. "It may cause serious brain dysfunction. Almost all of the cells in the brain eventually become senescent. If you kill all of them, even if they're not functioning at full capacity, you still need them."
Discovering the effect of killing senescent cells in the brain is difficult, says Dr. Blaylock. "It's hard to tell in a mouse because of the complexity of human thought. They run mice through mazes. In comparison to complex thought, it's a crude brain function. We don't know what would happen to higher brain function."
Dr. Blaylock warns that even if inflammation-producing senescent cells are destroyed it still won't solve the problem of inflammation, which many experts believe is at the heart of aging.
"We know that inflammation in the body increases as we age, and there are many more causes of inflammation in the body other than senescent cells," he says. "Neurotoxic metals such as cadmium, mercury, and aluminum, as well as pesticides, herbicides, viruses, infections, and immune dysfunction all cause inflammation. Killing senescent cells isn't going to affect those causes."
"You can accomplish the same thing with nutrition — not killing senescent cells but keeping them healthy so they don't produce the inflammatory chemicals," says Dr. Blaylock. "Flavonoids, for example, block the signaling between cells that produces inflammation, so you can dramatically reduce the effects of aging without actually killing the senescent cells.
"Just follow a good, healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet," he says. "Eat lots of fruits and vegetables rich in flavonoids, olive oil, omega-3 fats," he said. "Exercise regularly, and avoid environmental toxins," he says. These steps will reduce inflammation in your body naturally."
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