For years, scientists have found that the hypothalamus in our brain is responsible for controlling growth, metabolism, and reproduction. However, recent research discovered that the hypothalamus also has an important function to regulate aging. Furthermore, with the right treatment, we can slow down and even reverse the aging process.

This finding is a big leap in combating age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, hypertension, and Alzheimer’s disease. A team of scientists from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine discovered that neural stem cells in the hypothalamus are the cells that directly affect aging.

The hypothalamus in our brain regulates our nervous system and controls major body functions, including metabolism, reproduction, and growth hormones. Unfortunately, when we grow older, the neural stem cells in the hypothalamus slowly disappear. As a result, we suffer a decline in our memory capacity, cognitive function, strength, endurance, and muscle coordination. During their research, scientists tried to find a way to rejuvenate neural stem cells in the hypothalamus.

The scientists injected hypothalamus stem cells from the brain of infant mice into the brain of old mice in the select group and study the result. They found the old mice that were injected with stem cells experienced a significant slowdown in aging. Within four months, the mice in the group had better cognitive and muscular function than the other mice of the same age.

An MRI result of a brain scanning [Image by Sudok1/iStock Image]

The research was published in the journal Nature this month. Dongsheng Cai, the lead author of the study, is a professor of Molecular Pharmacology at the Einstein. He further explained that despite the loss of neural stem cells in the hypothalamus having an irreversible effect, the cells can be renewed to slow down the aging process. In the future, Cai believes scientists will be able to reverse the aging process.

“It’s possible to slow and even reverse various aspects of aging throughout the body.”

Human brain Image by Cosmin4000/iStock Image]

Scientists hope to use the results of this research to combat age-related diseases. The study also confirmed that stem-cell therapies can slow down the aging process. Going forward, scientists hope to find a connection between stem-cell therapies and physiological mechanism of the aging process. Therefore, we will be able to completely slow down the effect of the aging process and even reverse it. In order to further understand why the human body ages, watch the video below.

[Featured Image by Jirsak/iStock Image]