Scientists close to 'elixir of life' and learn how to reprogramme immune cells

28 January 2024 , 11:21

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Scientists have found a way to reprogramme a type of white blood cell called a T-cell (Image: Getty Images)

Scientists have moved one step closer in discovering an "elixir of life" - and it could work after just one treatment.

Boffins have found a way to reprogramme a type of white blood cell, named a T-cell, which normally helps the immune system fight off diseases. And as well as contributing to lower body weight and improved metabolism, these T-cells also attack 'senescent cells' - which are responsible for many of the diseases we grapple with later in life. As we age, senescent cells stop replicating and build up in our bodies - which can result in harmful inflammation.

Now, a team from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, have genetically modified T-cells into CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T cells, to attack senescent cells. The researchers used the treatment on mice - and we left astounded by the results. According to the study, published in the journal Nature Aging, the mice lived healthier lives and showed signs of lower body weight, improved metabolism and glucose tolerance, while they increased physical activity.

The CAR T cells have previously been used to treat a variety of blood cancers and were approved for purpose in 2017. However, the latest study is one of the first to push the treatment's limits beyond that. Assistant Professor Corina Amor Vegas said: “If we give it to aged mice, they rejuvenate. If we give it to young mice, they age slower. No other therapy right now can do this.”

CAR T cells have been used to treat a variety of blood cancers and were first approved in 2017 (Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF)

Unlike drugs which need to be taken daily, CAR T cells were found to have extreme longevity - and just one dose at a young age was found provide enough cells to have lifelong effects. Researchers also said a single treatment can also protect against conditions that commonly occur later in life, like obesity and diabetes.

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Dr Amor Vegas added: “T cells have the ability to develop memory and persist in your body for really long periods, which is very different from a chemical drug. With CAR T cells, you have the potential of getting this one treatment, and then that’s it. For chronic pathologies, that’s a huge advantage. Think about patients who need treatment multiple times per day versus you get an infusion, and then you’re good to go for multiple years.”

Dr Amor's lab team is now investigating whether CAR T cells let mice live not only healthier but also longer. If so, society will be one mouse step closer to the coveted fountain of youth.

Joseph Gamp