What a blood transfusion experiment in mice can teach us about aging.

• One of the hallmarks of aging includes senescence, a state in which cells stop growing and dividing.
• A new study shows that receiving a single blood transfusion from old mice caused the aging of tissue in young mice.
• Treatment of older mice with senolytic agents, which are drugs that eliminate senescent cells, before blood transfusions to young mice reduced the levels of senescence markers in young mice.
  • Treatment of older mice with senolytic agents, which are drugs that eliminate senescent cells, before blood transfusions to young mice reduced the levels of senescence markers in young mice.
  • The study shows that senescence can occur not only due to wear and tear associated with aging but also bloodborne factors.

• A recent paper published in Nature MetabolismTrusted Source shows that a single blood transfusion from old mice to young animals can induce senescenceTrusted Source — cellular aging — in young mice.
     

  A recent paper published in Nature MetabolismTrusted Source shows that a single blood transfusion from old mice to young animals can induce senescenceTrusted Source — cellular aging — in young mice.

  The identification of factors in the blood of aged animals that induce aging could help develop therapeutics that slow down aging

  Study author Dr. Irina Conboy, a professor at the University of California Berkeley, told Medical News Today:

  “[Our study shows that] cellular senescence is neither cell intrinsic nor a purely chronological — damage,

  accumulation phenomenon; it can be quickly induced in 2 weeks in young animals. SenolyticsTrusted Source only partially reduce the negative effects of old blood on young cells and tissues, suggesting additional therapeutic avenues.”

  Dr. Conboy added that this study further substantiates the role of factors in old blood in promoting aging.

• Causes of cellular aging

  Cells tend to respond to injury or stress by either undergoing cell death or entering a state where they stop multiplying. This state in which cells stop growing and dividing is known as cellular senescence.

  In addition to external stimuli such as stress, intrinsic factors such as changes in DNA structure with aging can also cause senescence.

  Upon undergoing senescence, cells can send signals to the immune system, facilitating their removalTrusted Source by immune cells.

  A gradual decline in the ability of the immune system to remove these senescent cells occurs with aging, resulting in the accumulation of senescent cells. The accumulation of senescent cells contributes to the aging of organs and is associated with chronic diseases.