A cure for old age – soon on the shelves?
Scientists from Moscow State University have successfully tested a substance that slows down aging
Russian biologists have successfully tested the work of the drug to slow cell aging in mice, extending their life by 15%, or 45 days, and published the results of experiments in the journal Aging (Shabalina et al., Improved health-span and lifespan in mtDNA mutator mice treated with the mitochondrially targeted antioxidant SkQ1).
"This work is significant both from a theoretical and practical point of view. On the one hand, it shows the key role of reactive oxygen species produced by mitochondria in the aging of the mammalian body. On the other hand, it opens the way to the treatment of aging with antioxidants specifically targeted at mitochondria," explains Academician Vladimir Skulachev, Dean of the Faculty of Bioinfenery and Bioinfomatics of Moscow State University.
As Skulachev previously told RIA Novosti, he is a supporter of the theory of August Weisman. She postulates that death and aging are not random processes of decrepitude of body tissues and cell death, but a purposeful evolutionary program that forces old organisms to give way to new generations of living beings.
Guided by this idea, the academician and his scientific team have been working for several years to create drugs that would slow down the aging of one of the most important parts of cells – their mitochondria, a kind of "power stations" of our body. In the mitochondria, the process of oxidation of nutrients and the conversion of their energy into the "energy currency" of the cell, the ATP molecules necessary to start all processes that require energy expenditure.
A few years ago, Skulachev's team discovered the SkQ1 molecule, which can solve this problem. It is a powerful antioxidant that can penetrate into the mitochondria and neutralize aggressive oxidant molecules that destroy its walls and reduce its efficiency. This substance is part of the Visomitin eye drops, which Skulachev and his colleagues have been supplying to Russian pharmacies for several years.
Guided by this idea, the academician and his scientific team have been working for several years to create drugs that would slow down the aging of one of the most important parts of cells – their mitochondria, a kind of "power stations" of our body. In the mitochondria, the process of oxidation of nutrients and the conversion of their energy into the "energy currency" of the cell, the ATP molecules necessary to start all processes that require energy expenditure.
A few years ago, Skulachev's team discovered the SkQ1 molecule, which can solve this problem. It is a powerful antioxidant that can penetrate into the mitochondria and neutralize aggressive oxidant molecules that destroy its walls and reduce its efficiency. This substance is part of the Visomitin eye drops, which Skulachev and his colleagues have been supplying to Russian pharmacies for several years.
For example, mice from the control group began to lose weight quickly, their spine was bent, they lost their hair and generally began to behave like elderly individuals. On the other hand, rodents who consumed SkQ1 did not show typical signs of aging for at least another 40-45 days, due to which their healthy old age lasted much longer than in the first mice. On average, mice that consumed SkQ1 lived for about 335 days, while individuals from the control group usually lasted only up to 290 days.
In addition to Visomitin, Skulachev and his team are working on the creation and start of production of another drug based on SkQ1, an oral solution. Now, according to the press service of the Moscow State University, he is undergoing clinical trials. If these studies are successful, the "cure for old age" may appear in pharmacies in 2-3 years.
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17.02.2017