Gene Tweak Reverses Aging in Mouse Skin Cells

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The gene treatment has to be used cautiously, because NF-kappa-B is involved in so many different processes in the body, he noted.

A question to be asked now is, "What is the long-term effect of blocking the aging process for a while?," Chang said. "Would the tissue age rapidly again after the treatment stopped, or would they take much longer to age? It's important to sort these things out."

Long-term blockage of the gene would raise serious issues in terms of side effects, Chang said, since the gene is involved in so many body processes. Short-term use -- for wound healing, for example -- might sidestep those problems.

More information

There's more on skin aging at the U.S. National Library of Medicine.