Stopping the build up of harmful proteins can stop the aging process
The quest for eternal youth is as old as human civilization. From the ancients with their elixirs to Ponce de Leon and his quest for the Fountain of Youth. mankind has always sought to delay the final reckoning that is death.
Science of course has been making giant strides in understanding our mortality and why we age as we do. A team of scientists in New York City has managed to stop the aging process in mice livers:
The researchers, led by Associate Professor Ana Maria Cuervo, blocked the ageing process in mice livers by stopping the build-up of harmful proteins inside the organ’s cells.
As people age their cells become less efficient at getting rid of damaged protein resulting in a build-up of toxic material that is especially pronounced in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative disorders.
The researchers say the findings suggest that therapies for boosting protein clearance might help stave off some of the declines in function that accompanies old age.
Read more at this link.
September 3, 2008 at 1:53 am
[...] the most popular research forays has been into that of human longevity. Last month we learned that scientists halted the aging process in mice livers by stopping the buildup of harmful proteins in the organ’s cell. In even bigger news today, [...]