In a recently published paper, a team of investigators have pointed to evidence that suggests ageing may be closely linked to the presence of a small number of key stem cells in the hypothalamus region of the brain. Initial findings seem to indicate that the natural loss of these cells with age speeds up the ageing process elsewhere in the body.
When researchers noticed that certain stem cells in the hypothalamus of a mouse began to die as it reached the age of ten months, they hypothesised that, by replacing these cells, they might be able to delay the ageing process. By injecting the stem cells from younger mice into the hypothalamus of middle-aged mice, the team was able to significantly slow down the effects of ageing, reducing the decline of memory, learning and muscle function. Conversely, when the scientists removed the same cells from middle-aged mice, they observed a significant increase in the speed of ageing. The researchers believe that the stem cells emit hormonal signals that affect gene expression. They are now attempting to isolate the particular signals with anti-ageing properties as an initial step towards the use of a potentially similar process to treat age-related diseases in humans.