SkQ for internal use
Academician Vladimir Skulachev: old age should be abolished
Indira Kodzasova, AIF
Millions of people can already live up to 90, thousands – up to 100 years. Most of them are old people burdened with diseases and infirmity. Is it possible to make it so that you can be active and independent at the age of 100?
To do this, you need to understand how cells age and turn off this mechanism. This is exactly what Academician Vladimir Skulachev, who turned 80 on February 21, is trying to do.
Exam in the USAIndira Kodzasova, AIF: Vladimir Petrovich, have you become closer to your dream of creating a cure for old age?
Or will only grandchildren be able to use the fruits of your activity?
Vladimir Skulachev: We have completed a series of experiments on mice, rats and other animals developed by us in the laboratories of the Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology. SkQ substances of Belozersky MSU (these are the so–called "Skulachev ions", they participate in a complex biochemical process that slows down oxidation in cells and eventually aging of the body - Ed.). Moreover, experiments and experiments were conducted not only in Russia, but also in Sweden, Germany, and the USA. I keep a list of signs of aging, the development of which in various experiments slows down or even stops. Among them, for example, difficulties with wound healing in the elderly or age-related eye diseases. We made the last observation back in 2007. But to treat the eyes, it is not necessary to pump the whole body with the substance – you can just use it as drops. We developed such drops with SkQ, tested them on animals – it works perfectly. And they started clinical studies already on humans. Everything was confirmed. The Ministry of Health has allowed us to produce these drops as medicine, and ophthalmologists have been prescribing them for a couple of years. We received requests from abroad to send drops. But, for example, Americans will never allow a drug that has not been tested in the United States to be brought to their market.
As a result, we had to repeat most of the research overseas. And last year, the all-powerful US Drug Control Agency (FDA) granted permission to conduct clinical trials of the effect of our drops on American patients. And, despite the fact that it cost a lot of money, we conducted these studies. We are still analyzing the results, but it is already clear that we have passed this exam.
But our project is not limited only to eye drops. We made some more preparations with SkQ. One of them is quite curious – we found out that some ladies buy our eye drops at the pharmacy to smear them on their face and thus slow down the aging of the skin. Actually, it's better not to do that. First of all, because there is very little active substance in the drops. To stop this outrage, we have developed a special cosmetic product. It has also been approved for use and is sold in pharmacies.
The main goal of the project is a drug, as Zhvanetsky says, "for internal use." Its prototype has already been created. This is a concentrated SkQ solution for oral administration. We are starting the first clinical trials of the future drug on volunteers. It takes time, but I'm personally going to see the results of my work.
– Do scientists spend their working days mostly in laboratories hidden from prying eyes? What is happening in your microcosm today?
– My microcosm is my Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology. Last year, our staff published articles in the most prestigious and cited scientific journals in the world: Dmitry Zorov – in Physiological Reviews, Sergey Nedospasov – in Science, Yanis Kalaidzidis – in Nature. They are all MSU professors, outstanding biologists. In the West and all over the world, for most scientists, such publications are a lifelong dream, as a rule, unrealizable. So, despite all the difficulties, our microcosm is actively working. Part of these works is devoted to the study of the mechanisms of the appearance of diseases in old age. And therefore, I am sure, a breakthrough is possible in our country in the fight not only against aging, but also with the sudden death of a person.
What is it? That's when they say that a person died from shock – what happens to the body? It's as if the biological clock goes crazy and runs 100 times faster than usual, and a person passes away in a matter of days. It seems that the same substances with which we are going to slow down aging can save lives in such acute cases. This is a new approach in medicine, experiments on animals have confirmed our assumptions. What is especially important is that for now our country retains a priority in this area in the world.
– Many times scientists have publicly asked the country's top officials: simplify the rules for importing the necessary reagents and devices for experiments. Has anything changed?
— no.
Secrets of the brain– Recently, one of the richest people in the world, Bill Gates, said that he does not understand why wealthy businessmen support life extension projects, while malaria and tuberculosis have not yet been defeated.
What would you say to him?
– Bill Gates is not aware of our hypothesis, according to which the incidence of infectious diseases is largely due to the aging of the body, its immune system. Of course, the young also get sick with these infections, but it is much more difficult to cure the elderly. So investing in life extension is also an investment in the fight against malaria and tuberculosis.
– Another American, the head of an electric car company, Elon Musk, invests money in the study of artificial intelligence. He is afraid that robots will displace humans and destroy us. What can a person oppose to such a future?
– So far, I see the main danger in the fact that a person can destroy himself along with computers, electric cars and robots. And never wait for the creation of artificial intelligence.
– I remember how my grandmother died within a few days. It was as if she had turned off all the body's defense systems herself. Can a person turn himself off like a computer?
– There is every reason to believe that this is true. Our brain, consciousness, psychological state – call it what you want – can really fundamentally affect the duration of our life. This is a completely unexplored part of biology, but I am sure that this regulation exists. We are still very, very far from understanding how our brain works, what consciousness and intelligence are from a biological point of view.
– Why improve life in old age, if in youth a lot of people poison themselves with drugs, alcohol, bad food?
– Alas, pills for stupidity, unfortunately, have not yet been invented.
– You have been engaged in life extension for so many years... Why do we live at all, Vladimir Petrovich?
– To try to answer this question. And many others.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru24.02.2015