Researchers reverse ageing process and cure chronic lung condition in rats
Monday, February 5, 2018 @ 10:44 PM
TWO Spanish scientists have managed to cure pulmonary fibrosis in rats – a preliminary stage in extrapolating the methods used to humans.
Typically caused by heart attacks or injuries, pulmonary fibrosis is where the tissue in the lungs becomes scarred and hardens, eventually reducing patients' respiratory capacity and making it harder and harder for them to breathe.
Until now, it had no known cure.
Causes are many and varied and it is more common in those aged over 70, especially if they have been exposed to asbestos or other toxins or have a family history of the condition.
Dr María A. Blasco of the National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) and gene-therapy expert Dr Fàtima Bosch of Barcelona Autonomous University have managed to cure 'idiopathic' pulmonary fibrosis – or a type with an undefined or unknown cause.
They found that all sufferers had shorter telomeres than non-sufferers.
Telomeres are a protein structure which protect cells and are located at the tail end of the chromosomes inside them, and the ageing process is associated with telomeres reducing in size.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com