SFGate reports on telomerase, stem cells and long-haired mice: "a key component of the enzyme, known as telomerase, can switch on stem cells resting in mouse hair follicles. The otherwise ordinary-looking mice promptly became as shaggy as '70s rock stars. ... In ancient Egypt, men smeared their pates with hippopotamus fat in a desperate bid to stave off baldness. Is telomerase the new hippopotamus fat? Probably not ... Stem cells, found in virtually all organs of the body, are the wellsprings of tissue regeneration. Specialized stem cells in the hair follicles cycle between a quiescent and active state. The timing of these cycles helps to regulate hair growth. In the mouse studies, researchers found that [one component of telomerase known as telomerase reverse transcriptase] 'can kick these resting stem cells into action.'"
18
Aug
2005
Activating Stem Cells For Regeneration?
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First Steps
The Causes of Aging
- Accumulating AGEs
- Buildup of Amyloid Between Cells
- The Failing Adaptive Immune System
- The Failing Innate Immune System
- Declining Lysosomal Function
- Mitochondrial DNA Damage
- Nuclear DNA Damage
- Buildup of Senescent Cells
- Other Causes of Aging
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Required Reading
- Calorie Restriction
- The Community, Visualized
- Cryonics
- Engineered Negligible Senescence
- Envisaging a World Without the FDA
- How to Argue for Longevity Science
- Introductory Articles
- The Odds of Human Longevity Mutations
- The Need For Activism and Advocacy
- Stem Cells, Regenerative Medicine
- Twelve Ways to Extend Mouse Life Span
- Transhumanism and Human Longevity
- The Vital Debate in Aging Research
- What is Anti-Aging?
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