--- title: "Vaccine Successfully Stalls Elements of Aging in Mice" description: "Scientists are working to discover a vaccine that stops so-called “zombie cells” from making us age — and early studies on mice have shown that it kind of works. Published in the Nature Aging journal, the study out of Tokyo’s Juntendo University looked at aging-associated senescent cells, known affectionately by researchers as “zombie cells,” in hopes […]" date: "2021-12-15" modified: "2021-12-15" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/vaccine-stalls-aging-mice" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Studies" tags: - "anti-aging research" - "longevity" --- # Vaccine Successfully Stalls Elements of Aging in Mice ![]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* Scientists are working on a vaccine that stops so-called "zombie cells" from making us age — and early studies on mice have shown that it kind of works. Published in the journal *Nature Aging*, the [study out of Tokyo's Juntendo University]() looked at aging-associated senescent cells, known affectionately by researchers as "zombie cells," in hopes of identifying mechanisms to slow down their accumulation. These curious cells, [*IFL Science* explained](), are found in tissues that have stopped multiplying but refuse to die, hence their "zombie" nickname. They have an ominous propensity to release chemicals that cause inflammation in surrounding cells, much like the way zombies can't help but infect the humans they come into contact with. This process of zombification, known scientifically as "senescence," can happen for a number of reasons, *IFL Science* noted, but they seem to most often happen in the process of aging. The Juntendo study built off of previous research that found the elimination of senescent cells appears to delay the illnesses associated with aging first by identifying the protein unique to these zombie cells, and then creating a peptide vaccine that mounts an immune response to it. In the study, the Japanese researchers administered the experimental vaccine to mice whose arteries were thickening in ways similar to humans' as they age. They found that the vaccine not only helped improve this "arterial stiffening," but also "prolonged the lifespan of mice with premature aging." Speaking [to the *Japan Times*](), the study's author Toru Minamino said that in the future, something similar to this experimental vaccine might be used for "the treatment of arterial stiffening, diabetes and other aging-related diseases." While these promising results are preliminary at best, they do offer an exciting glimpse into the future of treatable age-related illness — and perhaps, for those bent on extending their lifespans, of [treating the "disease" of aging](). **READ MORE:** [Vaccine Stops "Zombie" Cells Behind Aging Diseases In Mice]() \[*IFL Science*\] **More on the quest for the fountain of youth:** [*Billionaire Launches Startup to Reprogram Human Gene Expression*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()