Scientists have identified premature aging of blood stem cells
Hematopoietic stem cells of children and young people with sickle cell disease show signs of premature aging and produce other blood cells worse. This was reported on July 22 in the journal Science.
Sickle cell disease is a group of hereditary blood diseases caused by genetic changes in hemoglobin. Because of them, red blood cells become rigid and take on the shape of a sickle. Such cells break down faster and can clog small blood vessels, causing anemia, bouts of severe pain, infections, strokes, and damage to internal organs.
To compensate for the disorder, hematopoietic stem cells have to produce more red blood cells. According to the researchers, such constant stress causes chronic stress and can accelerate cellular aging.
The specialists studied the hematopoietic stem cells of children and young people with sickle cell disease aged six to 23 years. The analysis revealed many signs of cellular aging, usually characteristic of a more mature age.
"We have seen that hematopoietic stem cells, even in young patients with sickle cell disease, have many markers of aging," said the senior author of the study, an employee of the Department of Hematology at St. John's Children's Research Hospital. Jude Shannon McKinney-Freeman.
According to her, as they age, such cells lose their ability to fully produce other blood components, including oxygen-carrying red blood cells. This may be one of the reasons why patients with sickle cell disease are more likely to experience disorders of the hematopoietic system and certain types of blood cancer.
To test whether the identified changes could be reversed, the scientists transplanted patient cells into mice and purposefully affected the mechanism of cellular aging. After the removal of damaged cells, the number of corresponding markers decreased, and the intensity of hematopoiesis reached the levels of the control group of animals without sickle cell disease.
The discovery may have implications for the development of gene therapy. To perform the procedure, the patient must obtain a sufficient number of viable stem cells, change their DNA, and then return the cells to the body. However, premature aging of cellular material can complicate its collection and affect long-term treatment outcomes.
The authors of the work believe that the preliminary elimination of aged cells and the selection of young functional cells can improve the quality of the material for gene therapy. However, studies have so far been conducted in model systems, so the effectiveness and safety of this approach for patients has yet to be confirmed in clinical trials.
Igor Zolotukhin, MD, Professor of the Department of Faculty Surgery No. 1 at Pirogov University, said on June 23 that within the next month from the moment of thrombosis, there is a 6% risk that the blood clot will break off, enter the pulmonary artery and lead to death. With timely access to a specialist and the start of taking anticoagulants, the likelihood of death decreases dramatically.
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