Gene found in centenarians can reverse heart’s biological age by 10 years.
A recent study published in Cardiovascular Research has revealed a potential target for patients with heart failure. Researchers from the University of Bristol and the MultiMedica Group in Italy have found that a healthy mutant gene found in centenarians can reverse the biological age of the heart by 10 years. This gene, which is associated with exceptional longevity, helps protect the heart against age-related diseases.
The study was conducted in test tube human cardiac cells in Italy and in middle-aged and elderly mice. The researchers administered the mutant anti-aging gene to the test tube cells and the mice, and found that it halted the decay of heart function in the mice, and even reversed the age of the heart by the equivalent of more than 10 years in the elderly mice. The gene also restored the pro-angiogenic activity and ribosome biogenesis in the cells from elderly heart failure patients.
The findings from this study suggest that this mutant gene could be used to protect the hearts of unrelated people from age-related diseases, and could potentially be used in clinical trials for patients with heart failure. The researchers have already received funding from the Medical Research Council and the British Heart Foundation to test the gene therapy in Progeria and older and diabetic mice.
The study demonstrates the potential of using healthy genes found in centenarians to protect the hearts of unrelated people. It also provides a potential target for patients with heart failure, and could lead to a new wave of treatments inspired by the genetics of centenarians. This could open up a new avenue of research into treatments for age-related diseases, and could eventually lead to more effective treatments for heart failure.
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