Inah Canabarro Lucas is the oldest person in the world. An organoid was created as a replica of his brain.
Scientists already do so with other centenaries to try to understand the secrets behind their longevity.
Scientists at the University of São Paulo (USP) are developing mini -brains from centenary elderly cells, with the aim of understanding the secrets behind their remarkable longevity and genes that give this “superpower.”
Selected individuals for investigation do not have any kind of neurodegenerative disease and have already exceeded 100 years, as is the case with the nun INAH CANABARRO LUCASrecognized as the oldest living person in the world since December 29, the date of the death of Japanese Tomiko Itooka.
The participation of the oldest person in the world in study is one of the elements that makes a difference. The Brazilian has already completed 116 years And remains completely lucid in the city of Porto Alegre. Recently, its incredible longevity has been recognized worldwide by the Guinness World Records team.
In addition to the case of Inah, other centenary elderly are being recruited for the investigation of the Human Genome Studies Center and Cench Cellas with mini-collars. Among them, the 108 -year -old veterinarian and a 105 -year -old swimmer Laura. In total, 75 individuals have already provided samples for the study.
Supercentnarial mini -crash
In one of the fronts of investigation, the cells present in the blood of the supercentnaries go through a complex laboratory process where they are converted to induced pluripotent stem cells (IPs), which at this stage have the ability to differentiate themselves (“transform”) in any other type of cell in the organism.
As the goal is to create mini -brains, the team reprogram blood cells in nerve cells. “We are developing more complex organoids [do que o habitual]capable of more broadly mimicking what happens in the brain of centenaries, ”explains Mayana Zatz, a scientist and coordinator of CECGH-CEL, to the agency FAPESP.
This “mass” of cells that simulates a human brain is composed of neurons and microglyocytes (cells capable of recognizing and signaling the presence of pathogens in brain tissue, still playing a fundamental role in their development).
“With this complex and more sophisticated experimental model, it is possible to replicate various aspects of brain functions, interactions and organization. It is an ideal model for studying both issues related to brain development and anomalies and neurological disorders [como a doença de Alzheimer]since it mimics cellular architecture and the physiological processes of the human brain, ”says Raiane Ferreira, a CECGH-Cel researcher.
By analyzing these models, the team will be able to gain new knowledge about natural brain protection strategies against Alzheimer’s disease, something potential to benefit thousands of people worldwide.
The genome of those who exceeded 100 years
In another aspect of the study, the USP researchers group sequences the genomes of centenary elderly, allowing the identification of possible protective genes against aging diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, other forms of dementia and loss of muscle mass.
“We know that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is critical to a quality of life aging. However, we also know that, After 90 years, genetics is much more determining than the environment”Explains scientist Zatz.
The genetic diversity found in these individuals “is unspenting in the world, as they have very high genetic variability due to miscegenation [brasileira]. This may allow us to identify a larger number of protective genes [do que outras investigações do género]”, He points out, referring to the importance of the initiative. The first results should be released soon.
Without any connection to Brazilian research, scientists at the Karolinska Institute (KI) in Sweden are conducting a similar experience by collecting the elderly. However, genetic variability in the country is significantly lower, which can compromise the applicability of findings in other populations.
