Scientists said recently they had transformed age-worn cells in people over 90 - including a centenarian - into rejuvenated stem cells that were "indistinguishable" from those found in embryos.

The technical feat, reported in the peer-reviewed journal Genes & Development, opens a new path toward regenerative medicine, especially for the elderly, the researchers say.

"This is a new paradigm for cell rejuvenation," says Jean-Marc Lemaitre, a researcher at the Institute of Functional Genomics at the University of Montpellier and the main architect of the study.

"The age of cells is definitely not a barrier to reprogramming," he says.

China Daily-Reuters-AFP