摘要：据英国《每日邮报》报道，美国哈佛大学科研人员近日宣布，他们发现了能使人保持年轻的基因。这组名为Lin28a的基因在未出生的胎儿身上非常活跃，但随着人类年龄的增长，其功能开始逐渐退化。

　　'Fountain of youth' gene is discovered - and scientists say it could help heal wounds

　　A ‘fountain of youth gene’ has been identified by scientists.Experts have long been puzzled as to why young animals recover from injuries more quickly than adults. The gene, Lin28a, is highly active in unborn children, but does less and less with age.

　　In tests on mice, it quickened the healing of wounds and sped up regrowth after a patch of fur was shaved.

　　It also helped repair tissues in the ear after they were injured.Lin28a achieved all of these effects by increasing the production of several metabolicenzymes and enhancing metabolic processes that are normally more active in embryos.

　　The Harvard Medical School scientists hope that waking the gene up in the adult body could speed up the healing of wounds after operations.

　　Researcher George Daley said it may be possible to produce a drug that has the same effect as the gene.

　　He added: ‘It sounds like science fiction but Lin28a could be part of a healing cocktail that gives adults the superior tissue repair seen in juvenile animals.’

　　He said: ‘Why some animals can fully regenerate organs when others cannot is a longstanding mystery of biology.

　　‘Our studies support the concept that mammalian tissue repair can be substantially improved by engineering the reactivation of genes that regulate juvenile developmental stages.’

　　The research is published in the journal Cell.

据英国《每日邮报》报道，美国哈佛大学科研人员近日宣布，他们发现了能使人保持年轻的基因。这组名为Lin28a的基因在未出生的胎儿身上非常活跃，但随着人类年龄的增长，其功能开始逐渐退化。此前，科学家一直无法解释为什么年轻的动物在受伤后会比成年的动物恢复得快。在一组实验中，科学家把小白鼠的皮毛剃光，然后发现Lin28a能够加快皮毛重生的速度。在另一组实验中，科学家发现Lin28a能够帮助小白鼠受伤的皮肤组织加速复原。研究发现，Lin28a基因能产生多种代谢酶，加快新陈代谢的速度，实现自我修复的效果。 科研人员希望能将此项研究成果用于帮助成年病人手术后的伤口愈合。