UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD, SHEFFIELD, UNITED KINGDOM. A new compound called the prion protein has been recently discovered to supposedly delay stem cell deterioration. In fact, it appears to actually help protect the human organs from age-related wear and tear. It could be safe to say that the fountain of youth is almost within our reach. The best part of it is that we may get a chance to actually experience how it will work for us.

Since the beginning of time, everybody wanted to discover the secret to everlasting youth. We can consider ourselves lucky to be in this generation when science and technology makes the impossible possible. When we grow old, the mesenchymal stem cells in our body ages as well. At the same time, the healing process of our bones starts to slow down. This is because the number of mesenchymal stem cells in our bone marrow decline.

The research team was headed by Ilaria Bellantuono. She worked with her colleagues to test numerous molecules that are most likely to target prion protein on human stem cells. Some of the stem cells that were treated with the prion protein produced 300 times the number of cells over 250 days as compared to the stem cells that were left untreated. Also, the stem cells that were treated with prion protein kept on dividing. The new cells that were being produced appeared to be of higher quality as compared to the ones that are naturally produced without the prion protein treatment.

For now, it may take a while before the new compound may be used effectively to fight cell aging in humans. Although it has been proven at some point to be effective in cell reproduction, there may still be some complications that need to be discovered first. That way, it will be a risk-free solution to fight the natural aging process in the human body.