Drugs to Stop Aging More Promising

the appearance of wrinkles, muscle weakness and cataracts can be delayed or even eliminated in the experimental mice. How to remove or kill the old cells that have stopped dividing. This technique is also being developed for the manufacture of anti-parent.

If these medications have been successfully created many believed would attract the attention of many people. Even the drug could become the biggest-selling drug.

Although these findings are still preliminary findings and new tested on lab rats, but these studies are expected to become the embryo of the discovery of anti-aging medicine in the future.


The number of cells that have stopped dividing elderly will increasingly piled up naturally with age. The scientists believe that these findings will be useful for the treatment of the elderly.

Experts say the findings are interesting, but still must be applied with extreme caution. The results of these studies have been published in Nature.

The study focuses on what is known as senescent cells. These cells to stop dividing into new cells and has an important role in preventing tumor development.

The cells are eliminated by the immune system, but the number of cells is more and more as we get older. Researchers estimate about 10 percent of the cells in the elderly is the senescent cells.

Scientists from the Mayo Clinic in the United States have found a way to kill or get rid of all senescent cells in experimental mice that were genetically engineered. The mice will be more rapid aging than usual.

When the rats given the drug, senescent cells will die. The researchers looked at the three symptoms of old age, namely:

Formation of cataracts in the eyes
The weakening of muscle tissue
The loss of fat deposits under the skin


As reported by the BBCNewsHealth, Thursday (03/11/2011), the researchers say the onset of the symptoms of aging can be delayed significantly when the rats were given the study drug.

The drug is administered after the rat met the criteria of age, so there is an increase in muscle function. One researcher Dr. Jan van Deursen said it was shocked by the very significant effect.

Treatment had no effect on age, but it is probably because the type of mice used in the study were genetically engineered mice. The study is very interesting for many people because it can slow the signs of aging in humans. However, senescent cells can not simply be removed entirely from the human.

"I am very optimistic that the drug actually can have significant positive effects. In fact, every person who is still young enough to have killed or senescent cells get rid of them, because it is the body's natural mechanisms. If someone can give priority to the immune system, or increase though the immune system a little. This can cause the removal mechanism of senescent cells. Or by developing drugs that target senescent cells, "said Dr.. Deursen.

While Dr Jesus Gil from the Medical Research Council's clinical science center said the findings should be applied with caution because there are preliminary findings. Certainly more research is needed to confirm and support the findings.

"But penelitin is an interesting study. Because based on these findings mean to get rid of senescent cells, it can improve the physical properties (phenotype) associated with aging and improve the quality of life in older people," said Dr. Gil.