Κοντά στην «Πηγή της Νιότης»; Επιστήμονες «νίκησαν» τη γήρανση σε ανθρώπινες κυτταρικές γραμμές

Κοντά στην «Πηγή της Νιότης»; Επιστήμονες «νίκησαν» τη γήρανση σε ανθρώπινες κυτταρικές γραμμές

Looks Beautiful in Large!Press L to see in Large & BlackPress F to Fave :)Follow me @My Blog | Google+ | Twitter | Facebook | InstagramProject Grandma â This is Kamatchi A.K.A Ammalam Patti A.K.A Viboodhi Paati, my 86 yr old grandmother. I have been wanting to do this project for the past few years but i was unable to do it due to my busy schedule. My grandma suddenly became very weak last week and I finally decided to do this project because I may not get another chance if I leave it for too late. Most of us miss to notice/admire the beauty of our grandparents due to our busy schedules. We all admire them in their younger age photos but miss to capture the beauty of their old age. Only after I took these photos, I myself understood her real self. I was shocked to see how old she has become and these photos made me realize that she is on her way to the lord, but only the Lord knows when.My intention was not to hurt the feelings of my family members but i wanted to show my family that my grandmother has really grown old. My intention was to click some honest portraits of my grandma to show her physical and emotional details which most of us fail to notice everyday. When I showed these pics to my mom and a few of my family people, they burst into tears. I think that is natural and am sorry.My grandmother has seen all the good and bad in her life and is still going on strong. Yes! She wants to live more after all the happiness and suffering she got in this material life. She married my grandfather and gave birth to 9 children. When we all struggle to maintain one or two children, imagine how much pain she would have gone through to bring up all these children especially when few of them were really cranky . My grandfather worked in a shipping company as a caterer and so he would be available only for 6 months in a year to help her. It was my grandma all the way. She was a powerful personality and was a queen at her prime age. She managed to give a decent education to most of her children. She did all she could do to give a good life to her kids.She might have hurt a few and she might have been good to a few but she has been always a loving grandmother in my perspective and I cherish all the moments i had spent with her in my whole life. My mom and I have always been the pet of my grandmother and would love to always be like that. She is going to be with us only for some time so for me, my mom and my family members, now is the time to remember all the good things about her, now is the time to be very supportive to her and now is the time to buy her what she loves â Chocolates & Sweets. Love You Paati!!!I hope these photos will inspire everybody to click many pics of your grandparents and more importantly show lots of love to them. Remember they have shown their unconditional love to us and itâs our turn now. Letâs not be selfish by leaving them behind when they want us the most." data-caption="Looks Beautiful in Large!Press L to see in Large & BlackPress F to Fave :)Follow me @My Blog | Google+ | Twitter | Facebook | InstagramProject Grandma â This is Kamatchi A.K.A Ammalam Patti A.K.A Viboodhi Paati, my 86 yr old grandmother. I have been wanting to do this project for the past few years but i was unable to do it due to my busy schedule. My grandma suddenly became very weak last week and I finally decided to do this project because I may not get another chance if I leave it for too late. Most of us miss to notice/admire the beauty of our grandparents due to our busy schedules. We all admire them in their younger age photos but miss to capture the beauty of their old age. Only after I took these photos, I myself understood her real self. I was shocked to see how old she has become and these photos made me realize that she is on her way to the lord, but only the Lord knows when.My intention was not to hurt the feelings of my family members but i wanted to show my family that my grandmother has really grown old. My intention was to click some honest portraits of my grandma to show her physical and emotional details which most of us fail to notice everyday. When I showed these pics to my mom and a few of my family people, they burst into tears. I think that is natural and am sorry.My grandmother has seen all the good and bad in her life and is still going on strong. Yes! She wants to live more after all the happiness and suffering she got in this material life. She married my grandfather and gave birth to 9 children. When we all struggle to maintain one or two children, imagine how much pain she would have gone through to bring up all these children especially when few of them were really cranky . My grandfather worked in a shipping company as a caterer and so he would be available only for 6 months in a year to help her. It was my grandma all the way. She was a powerful personality and was a queen at her prime age. She managed to give a decent education to most of her children. She did all she could do to give a good life to her kids.She might have hurt a few and she might have been good to a few but she has been always a loving grandmother in my perspective and I cherish all the moments i had spent with her in my whole life. My mom and I have always been the pet of my grandmother and would love to always be like that. She is going to be with us only for some time so for me, my mom and my family members, now is the time to remember all the good things about her, now is the time to be very supportive to her and now is the time to buy her what she loves â Chocolates & Sweets. Love You Paati!!!I hope these photos will inspire everybody to click many pics of your grandparents and more importantly show lots of love to them. Remember they have shown their unconditional love to us and itâs our turn now. Letâs not be selfish by leaving them behind when they want us the most." data-credit="VinothChandar/Flickr">

Το κυνήγι της αιώνιας νιότης αποτελεί μια από τις παλαιότερες «χίμαιρες» της ανθρωπότητας, και αυτό συναντάται στους μύθους, τους θρύλους και τη λογοτεχνία, που περιλαμβάνουν από...συμφωνίες με τον διάβολο μέχρι αναζητήσεις στη ζούγκλα κλπ. Ωστόσο, η επιστημονική έρευνα προς αυτή την κατεύθυνση δεν έπαψε ποτέ να είναι σε εξέλιξη, και μάλιστα σημειώνεται πρόοδος, αν κρίνει κανείς από τη δουλειά ερευνητών στο Πανεπιστήμιο της Τσουκούμπα στην Ιαπωνία, όπου επιδείχθηκε ότι η διαδικασία της γήρανσης μπορεί να επιβραδυνθεί, ακόμα και να αναστραφεί, σε ανθρώπινες κυτταρικές γραμμές.

Επίσης, διαπιστώθηκε ότι ο τρόπος λειτουργίας δύο γονιδίων που σχετίζονται με την παραγωγή γλυκίνης- του μικρότερου και απλούστερου αμινοξέος- οφείλεται εν μέρει για κάποια από τα χαρακτηριστικά της γήρανσης.

Ο καθηγητής Τζουν Ίτσι Χαγιάσι και η ομάδα του έκαναν αυτή την ανακάλυψη κατά τη διάρκεια ερευνών πάνω σε μια δημοφιλή θεωρία περί γήρανσης, σύμφωνα με την οποία (μιτοχονδριακή θεωρία της γήρανσης) μιτοχονδριακά ελαττώματα που σχετίζονται με τη γήρανση ελέγχονται από τη συσσώρευση μεταλλάξεων στο μιτοχονδριακό DNA. Σημειώνεται ότι η μη φυσική μιτοχονδριακή λειτουργία είναι ένα από τα χαρακτηριστικά της γήρανσης σε πολλά είδη.

Ωστόσο, η ομάδα του Πανεπιστημίου της Τσουκούμπα πραγματοποίησε έρευνα που δείχνει ότι αυτά τα ελαττώματα δεν οφείλονται στη συσσώρευση μεταλλάξεων, αλλά σε άλλο είδος γενετικής λειτουργίας. Η έρευνα δημοσιεύθηκε στο Scientific Reports και εξέτασε τη λειτουργία των μιτοχονδρίων στη λειτουργία μιτοχονδρίων σε ανθρώπινες ινοβλαστικές κυτταρικές γραμμές από νέους (από έμβρυα μέχρι παιδιά 12 χρονών) και ηλικιωμένους (80-97).

Προβαίνοντας σε συγκρίσεις, διαπιστώθηκε ότι πρόκειται για μια άλλη μορφή γενετικής «ρύθμισης»/ λειτουργίας- η επιγενετική, που μπορεί να ευθύνεται για αυτές τις μεταβολές.

Η επιγενετική ρύθμιση (epigenetic regulation) αναφέρεται σε αλλαγές όπως η προσθήκη χημικών δομών ή πρωτεϊνών, που μεταβάλλουν τη φυσική δομή του DNA, με αποτέλεσμα τα γονίδια να «ανοίγουν» ή να «κλείνουν». Οι αλλαγές αυτές δεν επηρεάζουν την ίδια την αλληλουχία του DNA. Εάν αυτή η θεωρία ισχύει, τότε ο γενετικός επαναπρογραμματισμός των κυττάρων σε επίπεδο αντίστοιχο εμβρυϊκού βλαστοκυττάρου θα απομάκρυνε επιγενετικές αλλαγές που σχετίζονται με το μιτοχονδριακό DNA.

Για να δοκιμαστεί αυτή η θεωρία, οι ερευνητές «επαναπρογραμμάτισαν» ανθρώπινες ινοβλαστικές γραμμές από νέους και ηλικιωμένους σε τέτοιο επίπεδο και στη συνέχεια εξετάστηκαν οι λειτουργίες τους. Όπως διαπιστώθηκε, τα ελαττώματα που είχαν προκληθεί από τη γήρανση είχαν αναστραφεί. Επίσης, βρέθηκαν δύο γονίδια που ρυθμίζουν την παραγωγή γλυκίνης σε μιτοχόνδρια (CGAT και SHMT2). Οι ερευνητές έδειξαν ότι αλλαγές σε αυτά μπορούσαν να επαναφέρουν την μιτοχονδριακή λειτουργία σε ινοβλαστικές κυτταρικές γραμμές.

Τα ευρήματα αυτά δείχνουν ότι, εν αντιθέσει με τη μιτοχονδριακή θεωρία της γήρανσης, ενδεχομένως να μπορούν επιγενετικές παρεμβάσεις να «ελέγξουν» τη γήρανση. Εάν ισχύει κάτι τέτοιο, τότε ενδεχομένως να σημάνει επανάσταση στην Ιατρική.

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