When we’re young, many of us find ourselves wanting to look older.

Whether that’s to reach certain societally-upheld and unrealistic beauty standards, to be able to avoid being ID’d so frequently, or to simply stop well-meaning relatives keep going on about how cute we are, it’s absolutely not uncommon to try to dress or look older than you are.

Then, sometime later (most likely in your thirties) you suddenly change your tune. Looking older is out, and looking younger is in, as we all try to cling onto the benefits of youth for as long as possible.

But aging is something that will happen to us all – though, perhaps counterintuitively, it’s not something that we know much about. However, a new breakthrough from a team at Korea University have started to change that.

In a recent study, published in the journal Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental, Professor Ok Hee Jeon’s team explained for the first time that one particular protein, found in the bloodstream, is fundamental to the aging process.

Known as HMGB1, this protein is key to a variety of cellular activity, with some of its many functions related to DNA, structure, and inflammation.

When in the bloodstream, though, Professor Jeon’s team discovered, the protein travels around the body and causes senescence (the deterioration of aging cells).

But all hope is not lost for those of us who are getting older, with the team also figuring out a way to decelerate this process.

In lab tests, the research team discovered that while mice treated with a form of HMGB1 showed higher levels of senescence as well as muscle deterioration, there was a way to turn that aging process around.

When treated again with anti-HMGB1 antibodies, data showed that the mice were able to regenerate lost muscle function, whilst signs of senescence in their body reduced, as Professor Jeon explained in a statement:

“This study reveals that aging signals are not confined to individual cells but can be systemically transmitted via the blood, with ReHMGB1 acting as a key driver. By blocking this pathway, we were able to restore tissue regenerative capacity, suggesting a promising strategy to treat aging-related diseases.”

Though there’s no sign of a relevant treatment for aging yet, greater understanding of the way in which our body, muscles, and tissues decline offers hope for a healthier life, well into old age.

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