SlimSkeeter
07-08-2009, 05:46 PM
Fountain of Youth Drug (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1198366/Fountain-youth-drug-extend-life-decade.html)
Scientists discover Easter Island 'fountain of youth' drug that can extend life by ten years
By David Derbyshire
Last updated at 8:40 PM on 08th July 2009
In tests, the anti-ageing pill increased the life expectancy of animals by 38 per cent - scientists are now looking at its benefits for humans
Longer lives: In tests, the anti-ageing pill increased the life expectancy of animals by 38 per cent - scientists are now looking at how it benefits humans
A miraculous 'fountain of youth' drug that could extend people's life spans by more than a decade has been developed by scientists.
The anti-ageing pill was created from a chemical found in the soil of Easter Island - one of the most remote and mysterious places on the planet.
In tests, the chemical increased the life expectancy of animals by a staggering 38 per cent.
Although it is not yet suitable for use on people, researchers say it opens the door to the first generation of longevity pills that actually work.
While the breakthrough sounds like something out of science fiction, scientists say the discovery is a major leap towards longer lives for everyone.
The drug, called rapamycin, is currently used to suppress immune systems of organ transplant patients. It is also used in heart operations and is being tested for its anti-cancer properties.
Dr Arlan Richardson, who led the research at the University of Texas, said: 'I've been in ageing research for 35 years and there have been many so-called "anti-ageing" interventions over those years that were never successful.
'I never thought we would find an anti-ageing pill for people in my lifetime. However, rapamycin shows a great deal of promise to do just that.'
The scientists believe that a safer drug could be developed within a decade.
An anti-ageing pill is a Holy Grail for medical research and its development would have major repercussions for society.
In a world where people routinely live to 90 and 100, the retirement ages would need to creep forward into the 70s while extended life spans would put enormous pressures on healthcare, housing and social services - as well as marriages.
The implications of a fountain youth pill also depend on the quality of those extra years.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/07/08/article-1198366-05A51DBB000005DC-608_468x313.jpg
Magical: Scientists used a chemical found in the soil of Easter Island (above) - in southeastern Pacific Ocean - to create the anti-ageing pill
If ageing drugs delay every aspect of getting old, then people could enjoy 100 years of good health. But if they simply postpone death, people could find their last few decades blighted by failing eyesight, hearing loss, frailty and dementia.
Rapamycin was discovered in the 1970s on Easter Island. The chemical is produced by a microbe that lives in the soil.
In its current form, the drug is too dangerous to hand out as an anti-ageing pill. The compound suppresses the immune system and makes people vulnerable to any viruses and bacteria.
However, researchers believe the new discovery will lead them to similar - but less harmful - anti-ageing therapies.
In the new study, reported today in the journal Nature, scientists tested rapamycin on nearly 2,000 laboratory mice aged around 600 days old - roughly the equivalent to a 60 -year-old person.
Around a quarter of the mice were given a normal diet, the others were given the Easter Island chemical.
The drug increased the maximum life span of the mice from 1,094 days to 1,245 days for females, and from 1, 078 to 1,179 days for males.
From the point the mice began the treatment, the drug extended the females' life expectancy by 38 per cent, and males by 28 per cent. Overall it expanded their life span by 9 to 14 per cent.
What amazed the scientists is that the mice only started to get the drug in middle and old age.
Dr Randy Strong, the director of the Ageing Interventions Testing Centre in San Antonio, who took part in the study, said: 'We believe this is the first convincing evidence that the ageing process can be slowed and life span can be extended by a drug therapy starting at an advanced age.'
He added: 'This study has clearly identified a potential therapeutic target for the development of drugs aimed at preventing age-related diseases and extending healthy life span.'
Until now, scientists have developed just two ways of extending the life span of mammals.
One is to tinker with their genes, the other to restrict their diet. Repeated studies have shown that cutting down on calories can make animals and people live longer.
They believe rapamycin - which acts on a protein in cells called TOR - may fool the body into thinking that calories are being restricted.
British scientists described the findings as exciting - but warned that rapamycin is too dangerous to give to people.
Because it weakens the immune system, it exposes people to potentially dangerous diseases and could even increase the risk of cancer.
In its current form, an extended life span would come at the cost of having to live a Howard Hughes like existence in a germ free tent..
Researchers want to find another more subtle drug target that extends life, but which doesn't damage the immune system.
Dr Lynne Cox, researcher in ageing at Oxford University, said: 'This is a very exciting study where a single drug with a known cellular effect increases the life expectancy and life span of mice. It is especially interesting that the drug was effective even when given to older mice - equivalent to 60 year old humans - as it would be much better to treat ageing in older people rather than using drugs long term through life.
'In no way should anyone consider using this particular drug to try to extend their own life span as rapamycin suppresses immunity. While the lab mice were protected from infection, that’s simply impossible in the human population.
'What the study does is to highlight an important molecular pathway that new, more specific drugs might be designed to work on.
'Whether it’s a sensible thing to try to increase life span this way is another matter: Perhaps increasing health span rather than overall life span might be a better goal.'
Prof Linda Partridge, an expert in ageing at University College London, said the experiment brought closer the discovery of a safe anti-ageing pill.
'An important question is whether there is an improvement in health during ageing,' she said.
'I for one, don't want another five years in a nursing home. We want improvements in health during age.'
I'd have to agree with Prof. Partridge. Living longer is an admirable goal, but only if the quality of life is worth it. Having an extra decade where I'm forced to have someone change my diaper and feed me is a sickening though, you might as well just shoot me.
Scientists discover Easter Island 'fountain of youth' drug that can extend life by ten years
By David Derbyshire
Last updated at 8:40 PM on 08th July 2009
In tests, the anti-ageing pill increased the life expectancy of animals by 38 per cent - scientists are now looking at its benefits for humans
Longer lives: In tests, the anti-ageing pill increased the life expectancy of animals by 38 per cent - scientists are now looking at how it benefits humans
A miraculous 'fountain of youth' drug that could extend people's life spans by more than a decade has been developed by scientists.
The anti-ageing pill was created from a chemical found in the soil of Easter Island - one of the most remote and mysterious places on the planet.
In tests, the chemical increased the life expectancy of animals by a staggering 38 per cent.
Although it is not yet suitable for use on people, researchers say it opens the door to the first generation of longevity pills that actually work.
While the breakthrough sounds like something out of science fiction, scientists say the discovery is a major leap towards longer lives for everyone.
The drug, called rapamycin, is currently used to suppress immune systems of organ transplant patients. It is also used in heart operations and is being tested for its anti-cancer properties.
Dr Arlan Richardson, who led the research at the University of Texas, said: 'I've been in ageing research for 35 years and there have been many so-called "anti-ageing" interventions over those years that were never successful.
'I never thought we would find an anti-ageing pill for people in my lifetime. However, rapamycin shows a great deal of promise to do just that.'
The scientists believe that a safer drug could be developed within a decade.
An anti-ageing pill is a Holy Grail for medical research and its development would have major repercussions for society.
In a world where people routinely live to 90 and 100, the retirement ages would need to creep forward into the 70s while extended life spans would put enormous pressures on healthcare, housing and social services - as well as marriages.
The implications of a fountain youth pill also depend on the quality of those extra years.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/07/08/article-1198366-05A51DBB000005DC-608_468x313.jpg
Magical: Scientists used a chemical found in the soil of Easter Island (above) - in southeastern Pacific Ocean - to create the anti-ageing pill
If ageing drugs delay every aspect of getting old, then people could enjoy 100 years of good health. But if they simply postpone death, people could find their last few decades blighted by failing eyesight, hearing loss, frailty and dementia.
Rapamycin was discovered in the 1970s on Easter Island. The chemical is produced by a microbe that lives in the soil.
In its current form, the drug is too dangerous to hand out as an anti-ageing pill. The compound suppresses the immune system and makes people vulnerable to any viruses and bacteria.
However, researchers believe the new discovery will lead them to similar - but less harmful - anti-ageing therapies.
In the new study, reported today in the journal Nature, scientists tested rapamycin on nearly 2,000 laboratory mice aged around 600 days old - roughly the equivalent to a 60 -year-old person.
Around a quarter of the mice were given a normal diet, the others were given the Easter Island chemical.
The drug increased the maximum life span of the mice from 1,094 days to 1,245 days for females, and from 1, 078 to 1,179 days for males.
From the point the mice began the treatment, the drug extended the females' life expectancy by 38 per cent, and males by 28 per cent. Overall it expanded their life span by 9 to 14 per cent.
What amazed the scientists is that the mice only started to get the drug in middle and old age.
Dr Randy Strong, the director of the Ageing Interventions Testing Centre in San Antonio, who took part in the study, said: 'We believe this is the first convincing evidence that the ageing process can be slowed and life span can be extended by a drug therapy starting at an advanced age.'
He added: 'This study has clearly identified a potential therapeutic target for the development of drugs aimed at preventing age-related diseases and extending healthy life span.'
Until now, scientists have developed just two ways of extending the life span of mammals.
One is to tinker with their genes, the other to restrict their diet. Repeated studies have shown that cutting down on calories can make animals and people live longer.
They believe rapamycin - which acts on a protein in cells called TOR - may fool the body into thinking that calories are being restricted.
British scientists described the findings as exciting - but warned that rapamycin is too dangerous to give to people.
Because it weakens the immune system, it exposes people to potentially dangerous diseases and could even increase the risk of cancer.
In its current form, an extended life span would come at the cost of having to live a Howard Hughes like existence in a germ free tent..
Researchers want to find another more subtle drug target that extends life, but which doesn't damage the immune system.
Dr Lynne Cox, researcher in ageing at Oxford University, said: 'This is a very exciting study where a single drug with a known cellular effect increases the life expectancy and life span of mice. It is especially interesting that the drug was effective even when given to older mice - equivalent to 60 year old humans - as it would be much better to treat ageing in older people rather than using drugs long term through life.
'In no way should anyone consider using this particular drug to try to extend their own life span as rapamycin suppresses immunity. While the lab mice were protected from infection, that’s simply impossible in the human population.
'What the study does is to highlight an important molecular pathway that new, more specific drugs might be designed to work on.
'Whether it’s a sensible thing to try to increase life span this way is another matter: Perhaps increasing health span rather than overall life span might be a better goal.'
Prof Linda Partridge, an expert in ageing at University College London, said the experiment brought closer the discovery of a safe anti-ageing pill.
'An important question is whether there is an improvement in health during ageing,' she said.
'I for one, don't want another five years in a nursing home. We want improvements in health during age.'
I'd have to agree with Prof. Partridge. Living longer is an admirable goal, but only if the quality of life is worth it. Having an extra decade where I'm forced to have someone change my diaper and feed me is a sickening though, you might as well just shoot me.