Mice had their lives extended. A queue for a person?
The elixir of life has been foundElvira Koshkina, Compulenta
Experts from the Institute of Healthy Aging at University College London have learned how to prolong the life of mice. This achievement means that in the near future doctors will be able to treat a person from old age and age-related diseases.
During the experiment, geneticists managed to extend the mice's lifespan by 1/5 and reduce the number of age-related diseases by blocking the production of the protein S6 Kinase 1 (S6K1). This protein is involved in the body's response to changes in caloric intake.
Since the 1930s, scientists have known that reducing the calorie content of food consumed by 30% prolongs the life of rats, mice and primates by 40% and has a beneficial effect on their health. However, it has now become clear that in order to achieve the same results, it is not necessary to reduce the calorie content of food, it is enough only to block the production of S6K1.
The mice on which such manipulations were carried out lived longer, were slimmer, more active and healthier than ordinary relatives. In female rodents, blocking S6K1 allowed to increase life expectancy by 20%, up to 950 days, which is 160 days higher than the average in the control group of mice. At the age of 600 days (which corresponds to the average age of a person), genetically modified animals had stronger bones, did not suffer from type 2 diabetes, coped better with motor exercises and demonstrated good cognitive abilities. In addition, the T-cells of transgenic mice looked more "young", which means that the animals slowed down the decline in immunity, which is usually accompanied by aging.
In male mice, blocking S6K1 did not lead to a significant increase in life span, however, they were less resistant to the action of insulin and had healthier T cells than their normal counterparts. Why genetic manipulations have affected females and males differently, scientists cannot explain yet.
In another experiment, the researchers found that blocking the S6K1 protein causes an increase in the activity of the AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) molecule, which controls the energy balance of the cell. AMPK is usually activated when the cellular energy level decreases with a decrease in the caloric content of food consumed.
It has also been proven that the lifespan of mice can be extended with the help of drugs such as metformin and rapamycin (sirolimus).
Prepared according to the materials of France Press.
(Contact them with questions about how exactly this kinase was blocked (by knocking out the gene?), whether such blocking caused side effects, etc.
And your thoughts about the fact that the elixir of life and the near future in this study, if it smells, it is very weak, also send to France Press – VM.)
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru02.10.2009