Revitalizing Stem Cells for Youthful Rejuvenation
Researchers have identified three key factors that give old muscle stem cells the ability to effectively proliferate and differentiate for a very long time. These factors are LIN28, TERT, and the tumor suppressor p53. When combined to form LTS and given to cells, those cells remained functionally youthful in many key respects. Elderly people with cachexia had some stem cells removed, exposed to LTS factors, and encouraged to divide. After demonstrating that these cells do not form tumors when injected under the skin of mice, the researchers placed populations of these cells directly into the muscles of the animals, as simple under-skin injections do not engraft to muscle.