Human cells rejuvenated during reprogramming in Bonn — News-Medical

Researchers at Bonn University Hospital and the University of Bonn reprogrammed human erythrocyte precursor cells into neural stem cells and recorded a significant reduction in their molecular age. As News-Medical reports, cells from an 80-year-old person had a molecular age of less than 20 years after the procedure.

Reprogramming without an intermediate stage

The scientists used direct reprogramming: they converted blood cells into neural stem cells without first moving them into a pluripotent state. This involves a combination of transcription factors that alter the activity of genetic instructions in the cell and direct its development along a different path.

Neural stem cells can produce neurons. In previous studies, the Bonn group had already shown that nerve cells obtained in this way formed connections with existing neurons after transplantation into the brains of mice.

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Epigenetic age decreased gradually

The age of the cells was assessed using molecular, or epigenetic, clocks. They track DNA changes associated with aging that do not alter the genetic information itself but affect how often it is read.

According to Oliver Brüstle, director of the Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology at Bonn University Hospital, unlike the two-stage method via pluripotent stem cells, rejuvenation during direct conversion occurred gradually. The researchers were able to observe this process for more than 100 days, which, in their view, makes it possible to study factors and active substances that can accelerate or slow the resetting of epigenetic clocks. The results were published in the journal Aging Cell.