Vitamin stops the aging process
of organs
We were always told to eat certain food
because it contains a lot of Vitamins. But, the
Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a very interesting
vitamin. Not only it iseffective in boosting
metabolism, but also “a team of researchers at
EPFL's Laboratory of Integrated Systems
Physiology (LISP), headed by Johan Auwerx, has
unveiled even more of its secrets. An article
written by Hongbo Zhang, a PhD student on the
team, was published today in Science and
describes the positive effects of NR on the
functioning of stem cells. These effects can only
be described as restorative.”, according to
ScienceNews. This is why the researchers wanted to
"revitalize" stem cells in the muscles of elderly
mice. And they did so by precisely targeting the
molecules that help the mitochondria to
function properly. "We gave nicotinamide
riboside to 2-year-old mice, which is an
advanced age for them," said the researcher.
"This substance, which is close to vitamin B3, is
a precursor of NAD+, a molecule that plays a
key role in mitochondrial activity. And our
results are extremely promising: muscular
regeneration is much better in mice that
received NR, and they lived longer than the
mice that didn't get it."
“As mice, like all mammals, age, the
regenerative capacity of certain organs (such as
the liver and kidneys) and muscles (including
the heart) diminishes. Their ability to repair
them following an injury is also affected. This
leads to many of the disorders typical of aging.” A breakthrough for regenerative medicine
Mitochondria: also useful in stem cells
“Hongbo Zhang wanted to understand how the
regeneration process deteriorated with age. To
do so, he teamed up with colleagues from ETH
Zurich, the University of Zurich and universities
in Canada and Brazil. Through the use of several
markers, he was able to identify the molecular
chain that regulates how mitochondria -- the
"powerhouse" of the cell -- function and how
they change with age. The role that
mitochondria play in metabolism has already
been amply demonstrated, "but we were able
to show for the first time that their ability to
function properly was important for stem cells,"
said Auwerx.
Under normal conditions, these stem cells,
reacting to signals sent by the body, regenerate
damaged organs by producing new specific
cells. At least in young bodies. "We
demonstrated that fatigue in stem cells was one
of the main causes of poor regeneration or
even degeneration in certain tissues or organs,"
said Hongbo Zhang.
Parallel studies have revealed a comparable
effect on stem cells of the brain and skin. "This
work could have very important implications in
the field of regenerative medicine," said
Auwerx. "We are not talking about introducing
foreign substances into the body but rather
restoring the body's ability to repair itself with a
product that can be taken with food." This work
on the aging process also has potential for
treating diseases that can affect -- and be fatal -
- in young people, like muscular dystrophy
(myopathy).
So far, no negative side effects have been
observed following the use of NR, even at high
doses. But caution remains the byword when it
comes to this elixir of youth: it appears to boost
the functioning of all cells, which could include
pathological ones. Further in-depth studies are
required.”