Dr Dilgeet Gill was astonished to find that the cells had not turned into embryonic stem cells - but had rejuvenated into skin cells that looked and behaved as if they came from a year old. He said: "I remember the day I got the results back and I didn't quite believe that some of the cells were 30 years younger than they were supposed to be.

It was a very exciting day! The technique cannot immediately be translated to the clinic because the IPS method increases the risk of cancers. But Prof Reik was confident that now it was known that it is possible to rejuvenate cells, his team could find an alternative, safer method.

Prof Reik says some of the first applications could be to develop medicines to rejuvenate skin in older people in parts of the body where they have been cut or burned - as a way to speed up healing. The researchers have demonstrated that this is possible in principle by showing that their rejuvenated skin cells move more quickly in experiments simulating a wound.

The next step is to see if the technology will work on other tissues such as muscle, liver and blood cells. Prof Melanie Welham, who is the executive chairman of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, which part-funded the research that led to Dolly the sheep, told BBC News that the long-stalled clinical benefits of the technology may not be that far away.

The big question is whether research efforts in this area would lead to a method of whole-body regeneration, an elixir of youth or an anti-ageing pill. Prof Reik said this idea was not completely far-fetched. One study showed signs of a rejuvenated pancreas, which is interesting for its potential to tackle diabetes.

But Prof Robin Lovell-Badge, of the Crick Institute in London, believes that the scientific hurdles between Prof Reik's result in the lab and even the simplest clinical applications are considerable. Nor does he think it will be a trivial process to translate the rejuvenation process to other types of tissue or indeed an anti-ageing pill.

So it is ambitious to think you are going to find these chemicals easily and that they are going to be safer. And whether you could do it with the whole body safely would be such a long way off, that I would think it would be pure speculation.

Follow Pallab on Twitter. Image source, Fátima Santos. This magnified skin cell is from a year old woman but it looks and behaves like one that is 30 years younger. By Pallab Ghosh. Dolly the sheep was created, using cloning, to find cures for the diseases of ageing. Image source, Science Photo Library.

Cell-replacement treatments using cloning technology have still to be developed. Over time, some of our genes will either turn on or off, the collection of which is known as the transcriptome.

Gill and his team found that the epigenetic clock and transcriptome profiles of the partially reprogrammed cells matched the profiles of skin cells that belonged to people who were 30 years younger.

And when placed onto an artificial wound, the reprogrammed cells moved to close the gap much quicker than the older ones did. The key advance in this study is that we are now able to substantially rejuvenate cells without changing their identity or functionality, says Reik.

The technique may one day be useful in treating skin conditions, such as burns and ulcers. eLife DOI: Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox!

We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers. Explore the latest news, articles and features. Close Advertisement. Subscribe now. Read more: We may now know why young blood can have rejuvenating effects.

More from New Scientist Explore the latest news, articles and features. Health Fresh ideas about the causes of acne are bringing new treatments. Features Subscriber-only. Health Human kidneys have been partially grown in pigs for the first time.

News Free. Health People with eczema may have high levels of some bacteria on their skin.

It indicates the ability to send an email. Email Twitter icon A stylized bird with an open mouth, tweeting. Twitter LinkedIn icon The word "in". LinkedIn Link icon An image of a chain link. It symobilizes a website link url. Copy Link. Redeem now. Babraham Institute in Cambridge announced on Thursday researchers had successfully rejuvenated skin cells.

Scientists reprogrammed adult skin cells to look and behave 30 years younger than the original. The technique cannot be taken to a clinic yet because previous studies have found it may increase the risk for cancer.

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Sign up for notifications from Insider! Stay up to date with what you want to know. Essentially it takes that day cycle and shortens it. This helps the skin, making it look younger, brighter, and healthier.

It also helps those with blemishes, as increasing the turnover rate of cells means they are less likely to get stuck in pores. This is also why there's a lengthy "adjustment period" of retinol—your skin needs to get used to its new turnover cycle.

It helps skin in other ways, too. For years people assumed that retinol made your skin thinner as your cells were shedding faster—however, research indicates that it actually helps thicken the dermal layer over time 8.

However, it does make your skin extra sensitive to photodamage, so be sure to practice proper sun care if you use this active.

Not to mention, some forms of retinol are generally unstable and break down in light another reason why experts advise a nighttime use , so be sure to follow the directions on the label.

Additionally, it improves collagen production: "Retinol binds to retinoid receptors within skin cells," says board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, M. This "activates genes that upregulate collagen production.

This effect was observed in a small human study, where topical retinols stimulated collagen production 9 in mature skin, helping decrease the appearance of wrinkling.

Retinol , and its alternatives like bakuchiol , are not for everyone. For starters, pregnant and breastfeeding women should not use retinol though they can use bakuchiol. But some skin types just don't tolerate it as well, and it can be irritating for some individuals.

However, if you can tolerate it, there is significant evidence that you should incorporate it into your nighttime routine. If you're interested in trying, here are our favorite topical retinols. Sure, this is the most extreme of the recommendations here, but if you are serious about helping your skin cells function at their peak, platelet-rich plasma injections are the most sophisticated integrative option available.

You might hear "facial injections" and immediately think of filler or Botox, but these injections are entirely natural—because they come from your own blood. A vial of your own blood is drawn, put in a machine called a centrifuge, which separates the platelets from the rest of the blood cells white and red.

Platelets, which contain growth factors , are in charge of recovery in the body. When an area of the body is in need of repair i. So that's why you inject or use acupuncture or via microneedling a concentrated amount, so the platelets can hyper-focus on stressed and aging skin cells.

The result is skin that is better able to heal itself—resulting in smoother lines, more even texture, and improved tone. Skip to Content. Shop Health Coaching Classes Editor's Picks Beauty Food Healthy Weight Login Login. Login Login.

This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features. Close Banner. Beauty medically reviewed. Author: Alexandra Engler. By Alexandra Engler. mbg Beauty Director. Alexandra Engler is the beauty director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School.

Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.

Keira Barr, M. Board-certified dermatologist. Keira Barr is a dual board-certified dermatologist and founder of the Resilient Health Institute.

Five ways to harness your body's power of rejuvenation. Enter the REM cycle. Summary Scientists have found that the REM cycle is especially important for collagen and collagen production.

When we enter the REM cycle, our body naturally repairs its collagen layer in the skin. Take a targeted beauty supplement. Summary Look for a supplement that contains powerful ingredients like coenzyme Q10, pomegranate whole fruit extract, astaxanthin, and phytoceramides.

Use a serum with both vitamins C and E. Summary When vitamin C and vitamin E are formulated together, the vitamin E helps the vitamin C better penetrate the skin cells' lipid layer into water inside the cell. If you can tolerate it, use a topical retinol or retinol alternative. Summary Topical retinols work by increasing the rate at which your skin cells reproduce and cycle out.

Research shows retinols can help with blemishes, as well as collagen production. Consider PRP injections. Summary Platelet-rich plasma injections are the most sophisticated integrative option available and come from your own blood.

When you inject a concentrated amount, the platelets can hyper-focus on stressed and aging skin cells.