'Fountain of youth' gene is discovered - and scientists say it could help heal wounds



The gene, Lin28a, is highly active in unborn children, but does less with age



Harvard researchers now hope that waking the gene up in adults could speed healing of wounds after operations



They say it may also be possible to create a drug that works in the same way



A ‘fountain of youth gene’ has been identified by scientists.

Experts have long been puzzled as to why young animals recover from injuries more quickly than adults.



The gene, Lin28a, is highly active in unborn children, but does less and less with age.

A 'fountain of youth gene' has been identified by scientists and helps explain why young people recover more quickly from injuries than adults

In tests on mice, it quickened the healing of wounds and sped up regrowth after a patch of fur was shaved.

It also helped repair tissues in the ear after they were injured.

Lin28a achieved all of these effects by increasing the production of several metabolic enzymes and enhancing metabolic processes that are normally more active in embryos.



The Harvard Medical School scientists hope that waking the gene up in the adult body could speed up the healing of wounds after operations.

Researcher George Daley said it may be possible to produce a drug that has the same effect as the gene.

The gene, Lin28a, is highly active in unborn children, but does less and less with age

He added: ‘It sounds like science fiction but Lin28a could be part of a healing cocktail that gives adults the superior tissue repair seen in juvenile animals.’

He said: ‘Why some animals can fully regenerate organs when others cannot is a longstanding mystery of biology.

‘Our studies support the concept that mammalian tissue repair can be substantially improved by engineering the reactivation of genes that regulate juvenile developmental stages.’

