Informational Theory of Aging: The Life Extension Method Based on the Bone Marrow Transplantation

Abstract

The method of lifespan extension that is a practical application of the informational theory of aging is proposed. In this theory, the degradation (error accumulation) of the genetic information in cells is considered a main cause of aging. According to it, our method is based on the transplantation of genetically identical (or similar) stem cells with the lower number of genomic errors to the old recipients. For humans and large mammals, this method can be realized by cryopreservation of their own stem cells, taken in a young age, for the later autologous transplantation in old age. To test this method experimentally, we chose laboratory animals of relatively short lifespan (mouse). Because it is difficult to isolate the required amount of the stem cells (e.g., bone marrow) without significant damage for animals, we used the bone marrow transplantation from sacrificed inbred young donors. It is shown that the lifespan extension of recipients depends on level of their genetic similarity (syngeneity) with donors. We have achieved the lifespan increase of the experimental mice by 34% when the transplantation of the bone marrow with high level of genetic similarity was used.

Aging alters the immunological response to ischemic stroke

“…Aged bone marrow also decreased growth factor expression, microglia phagocytosis and led to an anxiety/depressive phenotype in young mice. Recent findings have shown that repeated heterochronic bone marrow transplantation without additional conditioning (i.e., irradiation) can extend lifespan by 34% in syngeneic hosts; however, the effects on inflammation, health span and frailty were not addressed [ 40 , 43 ].…”

Contemporary views on human aging and longevity

“…Probably only human beings realize the inevitable passage of time and the fact of aging and dying. Therefore, since time immemorial people have searched for various life extension methods and rejuvenation strategies which would ensure the longest possible period of youth, fitness, and health (Gavrilov and Gavrilova 1991;Arking 2006;Kwiatkowska and Borysławski 2010;Karnaukhov et al 2015;Kaeberlein and Martin 2016).…”

Extension of Maximal Lifespan and High Bone Marrow Chimerism After Nonmyeloablative Syngeneic Transplantation of Bone Marrow From Young to Old Mice

“…This could explain the effective healing by bone marrow (BM) transplantation of not only blood diseases, but also of systemic diseases such as mucopolysaccharidosis, senile hearing loss, and bullous epidermolysis (Birkenmeier et al, 1991; Iwai et al, 2001; Corti et al, 2004; Willenbring et al, 2004; Wagner et al, 2010). We and other authors have shown earlier that radiation-free BM transplantation slows aging (Kamminga et al, 2005; Li et al, 2010; Shen et al, 2011; Kovina et al, 2013; Karnaukhov et al, 2015). Our approach differs from studies of other researchers by the combination of the following parameters (i) larger amount of transplanted material, (ii) close relation of donors and recipients, and (iii) absence of radiation and chemotherapy toxic to the body.…”

“…These are lesser risks of infections and of graft-vs.-host disease, threatening to ablated patients, while graft rejection by nonablated recipients is less probable in the elderly than at a younger age because of naturally weaker immune system in the elderly. Even in the absence of histocompatibility, when allogeneic BM was used in a nonablative experiment instead of syngeneic BM, no lifespan shortening of the experimental group was observed (Karnaukhov et al, 2015). Obviously, at an old age the immune system is already too passive to reject donor BM, but it still efficiently suppresses infection and graft-vs.-host reaction, which makes it unnecessary and undesirable to use ablative conditioning in the elderly.…”