A groundbreaking theory of ageing that explains why people can suddenly become frail after reaching their 70s has raised the prospect of new therapies for the decline and diseases of old age.
Researchers in Cambridge discovered a process that drives a “catastrophic” change in the composition of blood in older age, increasing the risk of blood cancers and anaemia, and impairing the effectiveness of white blood cells to fight infection.
The scientists believe similar changes occur in organs throughout the body, from the skin to the brain, potentially underpinning why people often age healthily for decades before experiencing a more rapid decline in their 70s and 80s.
“What’s exciting about this work is there may be a common set of processes at work,” said Dr Peter Campbell, a senior author on the study and head of the cancer, ageing and somatic mutation programme at the Sanger Institute in Cambridge. “Ultimately the goal would be slowing or intervening in the ageing process, but at the very least we see an option to use this to measure biological age.”
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Ageing is a complex process, but many scientists have suspected that the gradual buildup of mutations in cells gradually degrades the body’s ability to function properly.
