Scientists from Harvard Medical School were able to find the cause of aging in the body and identify a possible mechanism for how this process can be reversed.. Tests on mice have shown that aging is caused by epigenetic “software failures”, which can be reversed by “rebooting the system”, which can also increase life expectancy, according to New Atlas.

The human genome contains a complete set of our DNA, which is found in every cell.. But this is not the whole picture, above it is an additional layer of information called the epigenome.. It controls which genes turn on and off in which cell type..

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Environmental factors and our lifestyle can change epigenetic expressions throughout life. And these changes are associated with the rate of biological aging, but it remained unclear whether they caused the symptoms of aging or were themselves a symptom..

To find out, scientists from Harvard conducted experiments on mice.. Using a system called inducible changes in the epigenome (ICE), the team sped up the natural process of DNA damage and repair in mice to see if it also accelerates symptoms of aging..

Chromosomes in mammalian cells undergo up to a million breaks per minute, and epigenetic factors very quickly correct the repair, after which they return to normal..

Researchers engineer mice that break DNA at three times the rate of normal. Over time, they found that epigenetic factors became more " By six months of age, the mice showed physical signs of aging and were in much worse condition compared to untreated mice of the same age..

At the next stage, the scientists decided to test whether something could be done about it.. The team developed a gene therapy cocktail of three genes known as Oct4, Sox2 and Klf4. They are active in stem cells, and in previous work, the team found they could be used to restore vision in mice with age-related glaucoma..

In this case, the mice showed a dramatic decrease in aging biomarkers, and their epigenomes returned tissues and organs to a younger state..

According to the team, this discovery is very important.. By combating aging itself, many of the diseases that result from this natural process could be treated more effectively..

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Previously, scientists from the US National Institutes of Health have identified a link between drinking water and aging.. According to them, those who do not drink enough water are at an increased risk of developing chronic diseases and dying at a young age..