Heat shock, or stress, is a cell stress factor well known in medicine. However, that heat stress can «reverberate» in the human body far beyond its immediate impact requires much more profound study. According to research results, heat shock impact is particularly strong on cells in their early synthesis phase, causing not only a short-lived halt in DNA replication but also far more serious consequences.
«We have found that acute heat stress causes ageing in healthy and tumorous human cells in their early S-phase of development cycle," said Dr. Sergei Razin, the head of a molecular biology lab at the Moscow Lomonosov State University (MSU) and a lab at the Institute of Gene Biology.
Based on their discovery, the scientists are seeking a two-pronged strategy of helping the good and disposing of the bad. On the one hand, they want to prevent the ageing of healthy cells by «arming» those with ways of protecting themselves against stress, thus staying fully functional for as long as possible. On the other hand, the study into the molecular mechanisms of stress-induced cell ageing is expected to help develop new methods of fighting cancer; with cell ageing under control, and unleashed at will, stopping rapid multiplication of cancerous cells becomes feasible.
Source:
http://marchmontnews.com/Technology-Innovation/Central-regions/21615-Russian-research-aims-hold-up-a...
