Sea Anemones May Hold the Key to Unlocking Human Anti-Aging

Many organisms on Earth possess remarkable regenerative abilities, including hydras, jellyfish, and sea anemones. In a recent study, scientists examined the genome of the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis to explore its extraordinary resistance to aging.

Published in the journal Science Advances, the study uncovered, for the first time, potential multipotent stem cells in these sea creatures, offering insights into their impressive longevity.

Humans also exhibit regenerative capabilities, such as wound healing, bone repair, and organ recovery after injury. However, these processes pale in comparison to the regenerative powers of Nematostella vectensis, a small coral polyp.

Found along the east and west coasts of the United States and the southeast coast of Great Britain, these sea anemones are renowned for their ability to regenerate their entire bodies—an ability that helps them resist the aging process. This has made them a focal point in research on human aging.

The authors of the study identified multipotent stem cells in sea anemones, which likely contribute to their biological immortality.

While human stem cells can regenerate certain types of cells, sea anemones can regenerate their entire bodies, a feat that scientists are eager to understand.

Although it has long been known that sea anemones show almost no signs of aging, researchers had struggled to pinpoint the stem cells responsible for this ability due to their minuscule size.

Using advanced genomic techniques, scientists identified a significant population of cells within the sea anemone that differentiate into specialized cells, such as nerve and glandular cells, and are strong candidates for multipotent stem cells.

The researchers also focused on genes that have remained unchanged throughout the evolution of the sea anemone. These include regulatory proteins involved in stem cell differentiation and the development of reproductive cells.

Notably, they identified a protein essential for the formation of both reproductive and somatic cells, which likely emerged around 600 million years ago.

With this discovery, scientists now have a clearer understanding of the mechanisms behind the sea anemone’s ability to defy aging. Further discoveries could be key to scientific breakthroughs in the fight against aging in humans.