Have you noticed that people get sick more often as they age? American scientists have taken a step towards understanding why this happens, and may have found a way to fix it. They have discovered a special protein that acts as a “manager” for our hematopoietic system, and its return can literally rejuvenate the immune system. The results of the work are published in the journal Blood.
The “manager” who disappears with age
In our bone marrow, there are “master cells” (stem cells) that create all blood cells. In youth, a protein called PF4 oversees their work. It’s as if it tells them, “Take it easy, don’t overwork, rest.” This allows the cells to work efficiently and without errors.
The problem is that over the years this “manager” becomes less and less. Without his control, the “master cells” begin to work chaotically and without stopping. They quickly become exhausted, accumulate errors (mutations) and cease to produce strong enough “soldiers” for our immunity. As a result, we become more vulnerable to infections, inflammations and even blood cancer.
A hopeful experiment
Scientists decided to see if everything could be fixed by bringing this “manager” back. They injected the PF4 protein into old mice, and the results were amazing: in just a month, their stem cells “rejuvenated”! The immune system regained its strength and even began to fight leukemia more effectively, and blood tests became similar to those of young animals.
Importantly, the researchers confirmed that in humans, PF4 levels also decline with age, and laboratory experiments with human cells showed that this protein plays the same key regulatory role.
Not an elixir of youth, but the key to healthy aging
The authors of the study emphasize: PF4 is not a magic bullet for anti-aging. However, it could become the basis for a therapy that will “repair” our blood and immunity in old age. This will help people stay stronger, healthier and more protected from age-related diseases.
