Scientists may have discovered a "young elixir" that "eliminate wrinkles" and may reflect brain deterioration

 

In this regard, RT spoke with the lead scientist, Professor Quang Hyun-chu, about this stunning breakthrough.

Scientists at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have discovered a way to make skin cells "grow younger". They claim that the original technique can be used to "reverse the aging process, prevent age-related diseases and prolong life."

Speaking to RT from KAIST University, Professor Hyun chu, lead scientist in the study, said seeing the renewed skin in the laboratory was "exciting," adding that the newly discovered technique "applies not only to human skin but also to the whole body."

The results showed that the overall function of skin tissue has been replenished, giving the skin a healthy amount of collagen and elastic fibers, and ridding the tissues of wrinkles. Professor Chu described his newly developed style as "opening the door to a new generation that views ageing as a reversible biological phenomenon". It depends on the use of chemical inhibition and genetic interference to "stop" the molecule that makes cells age. The researchers were able to "activate" skin cells in the laboratory and renew their ability to repair and divide into newer versions of themselves.

Take advantage of young skin

South Korea's burgeoning plastic surgery industry is clearly keen to take advantage of any new drug that promises to make loose jaw lines, age spots and wrinkled foreheads a thing of the past. With an estimated 700 million people over the age of 60, the desire to be young can only grow forever.

The Seoul-based cosmetics company Amorepacific has begun to develop the technology further with the help of scientists from KAIST.

Amorepacific's Director of Research and Development, Park Won Sok, said the joint research allowed the company to know whether the technology has the potential to "reverse the aging process in the skin." He added that his foundation will continue to build on research "to improve the progress iage that was previously thought to be impossible".

Amorepacific is already seeing the benefits of this collaboration as its share price has risen steadily since the announcement in late November.

The world's attachment to external appearances is magnified by our addiction to social media. South Korea could be at the forefront of today's "beauty patient" culture, a term coined by Professor René Engelen, an American psychologist, who described the growing tendency to put beauty at the top of an individual's personal agenda.

The focus on beauty has, above all, reached epidemic rates in South Korea, which particularly affects women, but also an increasing number of younger men.

There has been a rise in demand for plastic surgery throughout the coronary virus pandemic, with many Koreans using their Coved-19 motivational leaflets to get a few tucks. Aesthetic perfectionists take advantage of mandatory face masks and stay at home, seeing them as the perfect opportunity to do some work.

Statistics for 2019 released by the International Society of Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) revealed that South Korea has the highest density of plastic surgeons in the world, with an estimated 60% of females in their twenties undergoing cosmetic surgery.

Since uncontrolled cell division can lead to the formation of malignant tumors, Professor Zhu was asked if there were any concerns that "awakening" old cells could cause cancer. 

Are there any flaws?

He said genetically modified skin cells would be able to regenerate, without becoming cancerous, and his experiments revealed that "cells have safely multiplied at external growth signals." When external growth signals are not received, "cells die due to apoptosis," which occurs naturally when the human body is in its early development. In this way, he says the skin will not contain "aging cells" that can cause inflammation in its surroundings.

There can be a significant cost in transferring the current procedure to the stage where it can be used in surgical procedures. Its new approach could be ready for the market within "five to seven years, depending on the success of future experiments".

However, he claims that by then "he will be able to replace the current plastic surgery to relieve wrinkles". Perhaps the most exciting, with further development, is that the method may "reflect muscle loss and brain deterioration" and can even be used as an "anti-cancer treatment".

However, the cost factor involved may highlight the growing gap between rich and poor, not to mention the blurring of the distinction between young and old.