Whether we call it the fountain of youth, or just a beauty potion, humanity has long been on the hunt for a magic elixir to ward off the effects of aging. Now a research team in China has reportedly come up with what they believe could in fact be a real anti-aging formula.
Presented by scientists at the University of Hong Kong, this new formula was developed during research designed to explore the effects of progeria, a genetic disease that gives infants an aged appearance due to stunted growth, hair loss, a reduction in body fat, and other complications. The researchers identified a mutation in the Lamin A protein as the primary culprit in the body's process of repairing cells in a normal fashion, leading to rapid aging. In experiments on mice with progeria, the researchers found that binding
Lamin A and SIRT1 (the gene associated with longevity) along with resveratrol (a compound found in red wine and believed to have antioxidant properties) allowed them to extend the lives of the mice by up to 30 percent.
Referring to the lab mice test subjects, lead researcher Zhou Zhongjun said, "we actually delayed the onset of aging and extended the healthy lifespan." It's unclear as to whether the concentrated form of resveratrol would work on humans, and this research is focused on mice with progeria (and not healthy mice) but the research group remains hopeful, because progeria is often seen as a proxy for the natural aging process. Research assistant Liu Baohua said, "we can develop drugs that mimic Lamin A or increase the binding between Lamin A and SIRT1." You can read more about their findings here.
Via Reuters
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