A study shows that when a certain protein called Timp is lacking, there is an increase in the number of stem cells of the mammary gland (an organ in the breast), which prevents it from aging, thus reducing one of the risk factors of breast cancer. The study shows great insights into stem cell regulation. However, it has lead to overblown ‘fountain of youth’ claims. Such claims imply anti-aging of the entire body, but this study only looks at a very specific tissue- the mammary gland.

This study has been conducted on mice, and further testing needs to be done on humans in order to determine whether there is any application of this for anti-aging in humans. For instance, are there adverse side effects of removing Timp proteins? In the study, altering Timp proteins in certain ways were lethal in mice. If such an attempt were made in humans, the amount and specific Timps removed would need to be precise. Importantly, the study finds that stem cell expansion in this way does not increase the risk of cancer, as it is otherwise known to, yet this applies to mice, which have a shorter life span than humans. All in all, this study is quite significant in the effects of proteins on altering the amount of stem cells, yet as of now, far from offering a ‘fountain of youth’.

Edited by SITN Waves correspondent Ankita Shastri. Many thanks to Katherine Rogers for her insight into the story. Katherine is a graduate student in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard.

References:
Link to news story
Original scientific article- Jackson, H.W., Waterhouse, P., Sinha, A., Kislinger, T., Berman, H.K., and Khokha, R., Expansion of stem cells counteracts age-related mammary regression in compound Timp1/Timp3 null mice. Nature Cell Biology, 17, 217-227 (2015). doi: 10.1038/ncb3118