Scientists have found what’s behind cellular aging and what happens to cells after age 70.
Here is an explanation for aging . Researchers have attested that some DNA anomalies can give a significant reduction in blood generation after the age of 70 . Basically, aging is caused by the accumulation of damage done to cells over time. Furthermore, the accumulation of somatic mutations causes the cells to lose their functional reserve.
For the experimentation, the blood cells of the bone marrow were examined in 10 people (between infants and the elderly). The entire genome was sequenced from 3,579 blood stem cells to determine each somatic mutation in each cell. Thus, the family trees of each person’s blood stem cells could be created. After the age of 70, these family trees have changed significantly.
Our results show that blood stem cell diversity is lost in old age due to the positive selection of faster-growing clones with driver mutations.
Emily Mitchell, Ph.D., Wellcome Sanger Institute student and lead researcher on the study
In adults under the age of 65, 20 to 200,000 stem cells have given equal life to blood cells. On the other hand, blood production was really irregular in people over 70 years of age.
Factors such as chronic inflammation, smoking, infection and chemotherapy cause early growth of clones with cancerous mutations. We predict that these factors also lead to the decline in blood stem cell diversity associated with aging. It is possible that there are also factors that could slow down this process.
Elisa Laurenti, Assistant Professor and researcher of the study
Scientists will now have to understand these changes in the blood of the elderly . One way to minimize the risk of disease and promote healthy aging .
- Scientists Unravel the Secrets of Aging: What Happens to Cells After Turning 70? (greenme.it)