"This bank is really exciting," says Chiara Herzog, who studies epigenetics and ageing at Kings College London. "It will be a very useful resource for the field," says Vadim Gladyshev, an ageing researcher at Harvard Medical School in Boston. The creation of a bank of cells from centenarians not only represents a significant tool for research but also potentially paves the way for breakthroughs in understanding aging, diseases, and longevity.
Scientists in Boston, Massachusetts have made reprogrammed stem cells from the blood of centenarians. They plan to share the cells with other researchers to better understand the factors that contribute to a long and healthy life. But testing that idea is a challenge. People of that age are rare, which makes blood and skin samples from them a precious resource for research.
Centenarians offer an opportunity to study longevity. People who've lived to 100 have an amazing ability to bounce back from insult and injury, says George Murphy, a stem-cell biologist at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. One centenarian he knows recovered from the 1912 Spanish flu and COVID-19, twice.
Finding centenarians... Many were happy to participate 'because they know how special they are', says Perls. Participants were assessed for their cognitive and physical abilities, and had samples of their blood collected. Many were cognitively healthy and capable of providing valuable insights into the aging process.
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