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Researchers Have Found a Way to Delay Aging
Hold on to your trousers, according to the study paper, mice treated with SkQ1 lived an average 335 days versus 290 days for untreated mice. That's a 15.5% increase in lifespan; it's like increasing human life expectancy from 80 to 92.4 (assuming the results actually translate to humans). Actually, damn, that's pretty impressive.
The fact that we can actually slow down aging in 2017 to the point of adding another decade to life expectancy, isn't too shabby at all; things can only get better, right?
More and more, scientists are becoming convinced that aging is a disease that can be stopped or, at least, slowed. Recently, researchers from Russia and Sweden investigated this idea further in a joint study by Lomonosov Moscow State University and Stockholm University. Their study, published in the journal Aging, focuses on the role of mitochondria in the aging of organisms.
Under the leadership of renowned Russian biologist Vladimir Skulachev, the researchers experimented with a special strain of genetically-modified mice. A single mutation was introduced into the genome of these mice, which were created and characterized in Sweden. This mutation substantially accelerated mitochondrial mutagenesis. Instead of living more than two years, these mutated mice lived less than a year, and developed many age-related diseases and defects — clearly indicating that these were caused by aging.
The researchers treated a group of 100-day-old genetically modified mice with a synthetic compound called SkQ1, an artificial antioxidant that targets the mitochondria. SkQ1 was developed in Moscow State University in Skulachev’s lab. The SkQ1 was added into the drinking water of these mice, while a separate control group were given pure water. By the time the mice aged 200-250 days, the control group had aged rapidly and lost weight, experienced a decrease in body weight and temperature, had osteoporosis, and were developing alopecia. There was also a decrease in mobility and oxygen intake — all signs of aging. On the other hand, these traits were dramatically decelerated for the mice treated with SkQ1.
With these promising results, Skulachev is already working on developing potential drug treatments based on SkQ1. One is an eye drop called Visomitin, which has already been approved in Russia and has passed phase 2 clinical trials in the U.S. Another project currently in development is an oral version of SkQ1. In Russia, this drug is now on clinical trials. If all goes well and as expected, the drug can be approved for public use within 2-3 years.
Hold on to your trousers, according to the study paper, mice treated with SkQ1 lived an average 335 days versus 290 days for untreated mice. That's a 15.5% increase in lifespan; it's like increasing human life expectancy from 80 to 92.4 (assuming the results actually translate to humans). Actually, damn, that's pretty impressive.
The fact that we can actually slow down aging in 2017 to the point of adding another decade to life expectancy, isn't too shabby at all; things can only get better, right?