New Study: Red Blood Cells Could Help Avoid Aging

Varieties

June 29th, 6:05am

Cairo - Hazem Badr

Illustration of red blood cells lookin' fine and healthy. Reuters

A new US study has found that red blood cells could help avoid aging, because they respond to the low-oxygen conditions of high altitudes by increasing the amount of oxygen they deliver to tissues. They do this through increased signaling by a receptor in their membrane, known as the adenosine receptor A2B or ADORA2B, which promotes the release of oxygen by hemoglobin. During the study, researchers at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School documented aging in general, but particularly some neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease associated with reduced activity in the same metabolic pathway. Research in mice found that ADORA2B also appears to stave off some of the effects of aging by increasing oxygen supply to tissues. The research appears in the journal PLOS Biology. The scientists studied mice genetically engineered to lack ADORA2B in the membranes of their red blood cells. These animals appeared to age at a younger age than normal mice. They also experienced steeper declines in their spatial learning, memory, and hearing abilities. On a cellular level, the rodents showed signs of inflammation, including increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, or signaling molecules that encourage inflammation. However, they showed some improvement when they were treated with ADORA2B receptors. In a report by the Medical News Today website, Dr. Yang Xia, who led the study, said: "Our findings reveal that the red blood cell ADORA2B signaling cascade combats early onset of age-related decline in cognition, memory and hearing by promoting oxygen delivery in mice. We plan to validate our mouse finding in humans in the near future." One of the limitations of studying aging by conducting experiments in animals such as mice and fruit flies is that their life spans are so much shorter than ours. "Humans are already evolutionarily adapted to live longer than these creatures, so the potential for any further gains in healthy life spans may be more limited. But, we have to try," he added.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3052946/new-study-red-blood-cells-could-help-avoid-aging