In an attempt to counteract the accumulation of damaged cells that develop as people age, researchers from The University of Minnesota Medical School treated aging mice with a bioflavonoid compound known as Fisetin, which has been found to reduce the number of damaged cells in the body. The results showed that it was possible to reduce the burden of damaged cells, extend, and improve health, even when treatment was initiated late in life. The leader of the study Dr. Paul Robbins reports, “These results suggest that we can extend the period of health, termed healthspan, even towards the end of life.”

Before now, researchers weren't able to identify how a treatment impacted different tissues and cells in an aging body. Under the guidance of Edgar Arriaga, a professor at the Department of Chemistry in the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota, the team used mass cytometry, or CyTOF, technology and applied it for the first time in aging research. Dr. Robbins states, “In addition to showing that the drug works, this is the first demonstration that shows the effects of the drug on specific subsets of these damaged cells within a given tissue.” There are still questions to address such as the right dosage of Fisetin, but in the meantime, it can't hurt to eat a few more fruits and veggies.