Researchers study secrets of aging via stem cells
Third in an occasional series on how Harvard researchers are tackling the problematic issues of aging. “If only,” wrote an ancient Japanese poet, “when one heard that Old Age was coming one could bolt the door….” Science is working on it. Aging is as much about the physical processes of repair and regeneration — and their slow-motion failure — as it is the passage of time. And scientists studying stem cell and regenerative biology are making progress understanding those processes, developing treatments for the many diseases whose risks increase as we get older, while at times seeming to draw close to a broader anti-aging breakthrough. If stem cells offer potential solutions, they’re also part of the problem. Stem cells, which can differentiate into many cell types, are important parts of the body’s repair system, but lose regenerative potency as we age. In addition, their self-renewing ability allows the mutations that affect every cell to...