Scientists have been experimenting with rat brains, and they have managed to reverse the aging process inside them. It has been revealed that aging caused brain stem decay. These experiments have demonstrated that aging stem cells could be shifter to their original state.
This has resulted in far-reaching implications that affect how humans understand the aging process as well as how science might use this newfound perception to treat a series of brain diseases that come with aging.
Degradation of the brain
It is a well known and inescapable fact the body suffers degradation as the years go by. The stiffness of the muscles and joints, together with the rise in bone sensitivity, makes the human body weaker.
As with the body’s increasing difficulty to function correctly, so too does the brain have an increased difficulty in performing optimally. The stiffness of the brain is most evident at a stem cell level.
Rats were experimented on, as both young and old individuals were selected to have their brains functions analyzed. This was done to understand better how aging affects the brain on a cellular level. The main interest of the study were oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs).
Scientists reversed the aging process in the rat brain
Progenitor cells are a special kind of brain stem that is responsible for the proper maintenance of brain functions. The cells are also responsible for myelin regeneration. This is the fatty tissue that surrounds the nerves. Multiple sclerosis or MS is a significant cause of the degradation of this tissue.
Researchers introduced the younger OPCs into the brains of the older individuals to see if the brain stem could be revitalized. After the transplant, extremely positive results were witnessed, as the cells began to behave optimally.
More efforts will be conducted into researching the properties and behavior of OPCs. The hope is that this research could be primarily used to combat or actually prevent the effects of MS in humans.
