Cell transplants 'could lengthen lives'

Will doctors be able to stave off old age?

Scientists believe that replacing key body cells could help people to live longer.

Researchers in the US have suggested that keeping stem cells healthy could be the secret of a long life.

Stem cells are master cells which have the ability to develop into a multitude of different cell types. They are found in bone marrow and other parts of the body.

We hope to show that by making stem cells more hardy we can extend the life span [of mice]

Gary van Zant, University of Kentucky

Some scientists believe that people age because stem cells are no longer able to replenish other cells, which is vital if organs are to stay healthy and young.

Researchers at the University of Kentucky say they have found evidence to support this theory.

Strong stem cells

They add that making stem cells stronger so that they can repair damaged cells could help people to live longer.

Their theory is based on genetic tests on mice.

The researchers tested bone marrow stem cells from various mice strains to see how good they were at resisting cell damage.

By breeding the mice, they were able to home in on those regions of the mouse genome associated with strong stem cells.

The found that several of these regions had previously been linked to longevity.

They believe that a specific gene in chromosome 11 could explain the overlap.

The researchers are now planning to carry out further tests to strengthen the stem cells of mice to see if it lengthens their lives.

Further study

Gary van Zant, one of the researchers, said: "We hope to show that by making stem cells more hardy we can extend the life span [of mice]."

Jan Vijg of the University of Texas Health Science Center welcomed the findings.

"They have made, for the first time, a formal link between regions controlling stem cell susceptibility and regions thought to be involved in longevity."

However, he added that further work is needed to determine if the link is definitely there, he told New Scientist.