What if the our aging process is actually the result of zombie cells inside your body?
According to a new article from Popular Mechanics, that might just be the case.
As we age, our bodies fill up with a type of dysfunctional cell that permanently stops dividing, called a “senescent cell.” They don’t function like normal healthy cells, nor do they die off. Instead, these so-called “zombie cells” linger in our tissues, emit inflammatory signals, and increase the risk of age-related diseases. And just like zombies that spread their living-dead condition through a bite or scratch, senescent cells can also convert their healthy counterparts through chemicals they emit.
Columbia University researcher Matt Yousefzadeh explains that ridding the body of zombie senescent cells would not just ward off old age, but it could also have a major impact on the variety of diseases it brings with it.
“Instead of treating one disease at a time and dealing with the complications of being on multiple medicines, we can treat aging and improve multiple conditions at once,” says Yousefzadeh.
Read the full article here.