Dr. Rhonda Patrick
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Podcast Appearances
They're called transcription factors because they can regulate a lot of different genes in our body.
He discovered that if he took four of these transcription factors and took any cell from the body, any old cell from an 80-year-old woman, skin cell, and he put these four transcription factor genes on them, on that old 80-year-old cell, he could revert it into an embryonic stem cell with no sign of aging, right? It's an embryonic stem cell that now can form any cell in the body.
He discovered that if he took four of these transcription factors and took any cell from the body, any old cell from an 80-year-old woman, skin cell, and he put these four transcription factor genes on them, on that old 80-year-old cell, he could revert it into an embryonic stem cell with no sign of aging, right? It's an embryonic stem cell that now can form any cell in the body.
This is a, it's called induced pluripotent stem cell. So it resets the epigenome completely. The cell loses its identity. It doesn't know it's a skin cell anymore. It's an embryonic stem cell. But it can now form any type of cell, right? And so...
This is a, it's called induced pluripotent stem cell. So it resets the epigenome completely. The cell loses its identity. It doesn't know it's a skin cell anymore. It's an embryonic stem cell. But it can now form any type of cell, right? And so...
So, that is also evidence that resetting the epigenome, at least to the very extreme case, right, all the way to the embryonic stem cell state is a way of reprogramming the cell into a very youthful state. And there's some more lines of evidence. Cloning is another one.
So, that is also evidence that resetting the epigenome, at least to the very extreme case, right, all the way to the embryonic stem cell state is a way of reprogramming the cell into a very youthful state. And there's some more lines of evidence. Cloning is another one.
So, you take a nucleus from like an old cell, put it in a young cytoplasm of an egg, and the epigenome is reset and you have a young organism, right? So, there's other lines of evidence of this.
So, you take a nucleus from like an old cell, put it in a young cytoplasm of an egg, and the epigenome is reset and you have a young organism, right? So, there's other lines of evidence of this.
But in the last five-ish years, there's been some research that have been done by a variety of scientists where they've taken those Yamanaka factors, they're called, the four transcription factors, and they've given them to mice, older mice. And they don't want to make all the mice cells become stem cells, right? Like they don't want the cell to lose its identity.
But in the last five-ish years, there's been some research that have been done by a variety of scientists where they've taken those Yamanaka factors, they're called, the four transcription factors, and they've given them to mice, older mice. And they don't want to make all the mice cells become stem cells, right? Like they don't want the cell to lose its identity.
Almost like a big tumor cell or something. Right. What they want is to reset that epigenome in a way to make it, to return it to a more youthful state. And so they've been able to sort of pulse it on. You just kind of like, you got to find the right timing, the right timing. And so they're making progress with this.
Almost like a big tumor cell or something. Right. What they want is to reset that epigenome in a way to make it, to return it to a more youthful state. And so they've been able to sort of pulse it on. You just kind of like, you got to find the right timing, the right timing. And so they're making progress with this.
And there's been some studies that have shown, you know, you kind of, it's called partial cellular reprogramming. So they're not doing the full on reprogram, but they're partially doing it. And it does rejuvenate a lot of aspects of aging in these rodents. There's a lot of hurdles to overcome. And I know that this was the answer you were looking for, but I'm super excited about it.
And there's been some studies that have shown, you know, you kind of, it's called partial cellular reprogramming. So they're not doing the full on reprogram, but they're partially doing it. And it does rejuvenate a lot of aspects of aging in these rodents. There's a lot of hurdles to overcome. And I know that this was the answer you were looking for, but I'm super excited about it.
It's very interesting. I think that... we are very likely going to...I think there's this process of epigenetic reprogramming and Altos Labs, they're doing phenomenal research. They have a lot of the top scientists, Dr. Steve Horvath, Dr. Morgan Levine. I've had both of them on my podcast. They're both really good.
It's very interesting. I think that... we are very likely going to...I think there's this process of epigenetic reprogramming and Altos Labs, they're doing phenomenal research. They have a lot of the top scientists, Dr. Steve Horvath, Dr. Morgan Levine. I've had both of them on my podcast. They're both really good.
I mean, Dr. Steve Horvath is the one who...he's the pioneer of the Horvath clocks, the epigenetic clocks that can identify this biological age, this molecular age that really identifies like how old you are versus your chronological age. But I do think that if they can figure out some of these hurdles, that we might have a tune-up where we go and get rejuvenated.
I mean, Dr. Steve Horvath is the one who...he's the pioneer of the Horvath clocks, the epigenetic clocks that can identify this biological age, this molecular age that really identifies like how old you are versus your chronological age. But I do think that if they can figure out some of these hurdles, that we might have a tune-up where we go and get rejuvenated.
Right. Exactly. Or more.