Study reveals how red blood cells may help stave off aging

On a cellular level, the rodents showed signs of inflammaging, including increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, or signaling molecules that encourage inflammation.“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 and immediately highlight multiple new rejuvenating targets,” says Dr. Xia.However, more research is needed to determine whether ADORA2B levels decline with age in normal mice, and whether drugs that activate the ADORA2B pathway can slow down age-related loss of hearing and cognition.Studies in humans may also be on the cards.“We plan to validate our mouse finding in humans in the near future,” Dr. Xia told MNT.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.In this Special Feature, we cover how the immune system changes as we age.