Many of the body’s processes slow down or falter as we get older, including tissue regeneration. In a new study, researchers detail a promising method to get this vital repair work back up to speed.

The study, from a team at the University of California, San Francisco, identified four transcription factors – proteins that control the activity of other genes – that have a rejuvenating effect on cells.

When the researchers boosted production of one of these transcription factors in the liver cells of elderly mice, they noticed numerous benefits: fat and scarring were significantly reduced, and glucose tolerance improved – all signs of a more youthful organ.