The prevention or even halting of aging is probably a dream for many. Now, this dream is slowly becoming a reality. A team from BenGurion University in Negev has discovered a way to 'eliminate' harmful cells that accumulate with age and cause damage in tissues, gradually bringing life to a standstill.
Cells named CD4Eomes transform into 'warriors' when they receive aging signals, targeting these harmful tissues.
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A team from BenGurion University in the Negev has discovered a method to eliminate harmful cells that accumulate in our bodies with age, causing damage to tissues and gradually bringing our lives to a standstill. The research team revealed that when biological aging is detected in the body, 'CD4 T' immune cells dispose of these harmful tissues.
These newly identified cells, dubbed CD4Eomes, had been observed before. However, this latest study is the first to unveil the close relationship between CD4 T cells and other harmful cells.
In their published article, the researchers stated, 'Our findings illustrate the fundamental role of CD4Eomes cells in regulating tissue aging and the implications this has on age-related diseases and longevity.'
Senescence cells, which have lost the ability to divide but continue to secrete inflammatory substances in their surroundings, are described as 'zombie cells'. The research team transferred CD4 T cells from young mice to both young and old mice and arrived at two significant conclusions:
The CD4Eomes cells were activated in the presence of aged cells. It was as if the immune system was detecting the impending risk of inflammation and adjusting accordingly.
When the mice were genetically deprived of CD4Eomes cells, an increase in aged cells was observed. This provides direct evidence that CD4Eomes immune cells are keeping aged cells in check.
Scientists are now planning to verify whether these mechanisms also apply to humans.
In the future, it might be possible to slow down biological aging by increasing these cells.