Vitamin C and rejuvenation at the cellular level
Scientists have found confirmation of the "rejuvenating" properties of vitamin CABC Magazine
Vitamin C is one of the legends of the biochemistry of the human body.
It is known for its antioxidant and regenerative properties, it is said about it that it is useful for various diseases from the common cold to cancer and, perhaps, even slows down the aging process. And according to the latest data, vitamin C promotes the degeneration of mature cells into stem embryonic-like cells.
In studies of previous years, it was proved that mature cells can be returned to a state similar in characteristics to embryonic stem cells, up to a set of genes. However, although such reprogrammed cells, called "induced pluripotent stem cells" (iPSCs) have a huge potential for regenerative medicine, the efficiency of the process is extremely low. This is an obstacle to the large-scale use of such cells and raises doubts about the quality of iPSCs, explains one of the authors of the study Duanqing Pei from the South China Institute of Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the Institute of Biomedicine and Health in Guanzhou.
The study found a link between high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and low reprogramming efficiency. It has been hypothesized that it is ROS that prevent mature cells from easily transitioning to the iPSC state. The addition of vitamin C increased the rate of gene expression and increased the efficiency of the transition of mature cells into a stem embryonic-like form. To the surprise of the researchers, other antioxidants did not give such an effect.
The processes studied are very close to the field of research on the mechanisms of aging. Scientists are confident that if they manage to understand the mechanism of action of vitamin C, which has long been on the list of substances that slow down cell aging, it will be a serious step forward in the field of regenerative medicine.
The full text of the article by Miguel Angel Esteban et al. Vitamin C Enhances the Generation of Mouse and Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells can be read in the journal Cell Stem Cell, December 24, 2009.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru30.12.2009