Newcastle scientists unlock secret of ageing

According to the researchers, the study is unlikely to provide an elixir of eternal life in the near future but could give hope for better treatments for age-related illnesses such as diabetes or heart disease.

"Our breakthrough means that we stand a very much better chance of making a successful attack on age-related diseases while at the same time avoiding the risk of unwanted side-effects like cancer," said Prof. Tom Kirkwood, director of Newcastle University's Institute of Ageing and Health.

Agrees Prof. Thomas von Zglinicki of Cellular Gerontology at Newcastle University, who led the research. "For many years scientists around the world have struggled to understand the complex factors that cause cells to stop dividing as they get older," Prof. von Zglinicki said.

"There are some real possibilities for this research. The next stage would be to develop drugs which can be used to target these molecules to help us combat many age-related illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease where cell ageing plays an important part," the professor said, adding, "Now we know the pathway, it becomes feasible to begin to think how it can be modified to improve ageing without increasing the risk of cancer."

To investigate why cells become senescent, a state in which cells stopped dividing and their tissue revealed physical signs of deterioration, from a failing heart to wrinkling skin, the researchers used a comprehensive "systems biology" approach, which involved complex computer modelling and experiments with genetically modified mice and cell cultures.

The results, published by the journal Molecular Systems Biology, reveal that when an ageing cell detects serious DNA damage that could be caused by general wear and tear from life, it sends out internal signals to the brain.

These distress signals trigger the cell's "mitochondria," or its tiny energy-producing power packs, to make "free radical" molecules, which in turn inform the cell to enter into shutdown mode – by either destroying itself or stop dividing – to avoid damaged DNA that can cause cancer.

The research also plays down the role of telomeres, which are the protective tips on the ends of human chromosomes, which gradually become shorter as humans age.

"There has been a huge amount of speculation about how blocking telomere erosion might cure ageing and age-related diseases. The telomere story has over-promised and the biology is more complicated," Prof. Kirkwood said.