Scientists may have uncovered 'fountain of youth' while researching breast cancer

Researchers recently stumbled upon the “fountain of youth” while conducting the breast cancer research. It was found in the mammary glands of genetically modified mice; a research team led by Professor Rama Khokha has found that when two factors that control tissue development are removed, subjects could avoid the impact of aging.

Think of tissue as a building that was constantly under renovation. The contractors would be “metalloproteinases,” which are constantly working to demolish and reconstruct the tissue. The architects in this case, who are trying to rein in and direct the contractors, are known as “tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases,” or TIMPs. When the architect and the contractors don’t communicate well, a building could fall down. In the case of tissue, the result could be cancer.

In the normal course of aging, your tissue loses its ability to develop and repair as fast as it did when you were young. That’s because stem cells, which are abundant in your youth, diminish in quantity with the passage of time. The University of Toronto team found that with the TIMP1 and TIMP3 architects missing, the pool of stem cells expanded and remained functional throughout the lifetime of the mice subjects.

The team also found that despite the large number of stem cells, there was no increased risk of cancer.