Feel? Your body breaks down slowly. We are all getting older, and aging, causes disease, which in the end most of us, and kill us. No wonder so many studies are supposed to create an antidote from old age. The race between the makers of anti-aging preparations in full swing. But will it lead to expected results? And if so, whether these drugs to afford everything, not just the wealthiest?
If we figure out a way to slow, stop or even reverse the aging process, we can potentially protect people from cancer, heart disease or Alzheimer’s. The idea is to extend the “healthy life”, to increase the number of years, which enjoys a healthy person. Extra birthday parties are the icing on the cake.
When philosophers could only imagine a possible embodiment of eternal youth, but today, scientists believe that there are many suitable study options. But can each drink from the Cup? Whether eternal youth is available for all or only for the rich?
Take, for example, the theory of plasma of young blood. The idea is that in the blood of people under the age of 25 years there is something that keeps them young, although we still don’t know what it is.
Old mice that were administered plasma from young mice looked as if rejuvenated — they have become more healthy, active and showed fewer signs of aging. There is also surprising evidence that people who get a blood transfusion from a 25-year-old, feel better than those who receive blood from donors older.
Scientists around the world have started to experiment with transfusion of blood plasma for the treatment of age-related diseases, but Jesse Karmazin takes a different approach. His company, Ambrosia, based in Monterey, California, offers it to everyone — provided that they pay $ 8,000.
Karmazin hopes to carry out a course of treatment for 600 people and record their health status before and after transfusion. At the moment, Ambrosia was signed by 40 people and has treated 20 of them. “They are all over 35 years old and are in relatively good condition,” he says, although some have chronic fatigue syndrome or Alzheimer’s disease. Most of them are aged 60 to 70 years and have a lot of reasons to stay young. Not everyone is rich, but many consider the experiment worthwhile.
People who were treated have already reported improvements in cognitive skills, muscle strength and vitality, says Karmazin. But it is certainly not a rigorous clinical trial with placebo, so while we can’t be sure of any advantages.
Karmazin says that to suggest such treatment is unethical and that it is cheap and safe, and therefore can quickly enter into mainstream medicine. He buys plasma from blood banks, where it is often collected as a by-product of blood prepared for transfusion.
Others are skeptical and believe that other treatments would be more promising. They propose to improve the defenders of the DNA, known as telomeres. This idea for several decades, and it is based on work in mice and other animals.
Telomeres are “caps” at the ends of chromosomes, and a weight of evidence associated its length with aging. The cap is reduced every time the cell divides until they become too short to protect the chromosomes from damage. And then follows either a cell death or slow the aging process, which leads to inflammation and damage to surrounding cells.
Animals, and people who start life with short telomeres typically developing age-related diseases sooner and live on less.
Genetic roulette
Maria Blasco of the National cancer research center Spain in Madrid and spent most of his career studying the telomeres. A few years ago Blasco and her colleagues have found a way to increase telomeres mice using gene therapy. In result animals lived 40% longer.
This therapy is not ready, because we don’t know will it work on humans. There are certain problems with the safety of such methods. Some researchers fear that the maintenance of telomeres may help to survive in damaged cells, leading to cancer. Although Blasco found out that her mouse didn’t suffer from it.
And it didn’t stop Liz Parrish from attempts to apply this treatment for yourself. Parrish, who is not a scientist, has launched his own company, BioViva, located near Seattle, to explore and test new methods of treatment aimed at the processes that underlie aging. “We will not be able to create a preventive medicine, if we do not deal with biological aging,” she says.
After studying the existing works, Parrish considered that increasing telomere was most convincing. She says she worked with scientists developing a modified version of gene therapy Blanco — no details, of course — and injects himself in the past year. Along with this, she received another gene therapy to prevent loss of muscle mass, which is thought to be another cause of age-related diseases and weakness.
Parrish said that was not afraid to try treatment. “My grandmother died of Alzheimer’s disease, and my grandfather died from heart disease. I think if I do nothing, I know what is going to die”.
Parrish said that after treatment she feels “fantastic”, and its telomeres have increased in length, equivalent to 20 years. Of course, this in no way be considered adequate for the study, so this year, Parrish is planning to begin clinical trials of its gene therapy outside the United States, people with different age-related diseases.
Several other approaches to anti-aging also seem promising. Senescent cells, which pump a chemical and harm to its neighbors, it would be possible to eliminate or stop the development or kill them altogether. One team explores the use of heavy fat — so named because of the use of a heavy isotope of hydrogen — to protect cells from wear and tear associated with aging. Other study diabetic drug metmorfin.
Some people are already starting to take various supplements in the belief that they can prevent aging. Unfortunately, even those who have little evidence of their use probably does not help himself with small doses, which are usually taken, said John Ramunas of Stanford University in California.
“I take a lot of supplements, because I’m curious,” he says. “But first, what exactly is can protect your telomeres, it’s exercise.”
In fact, we can essentially extend their own health without any anti-aging drugs, says Craig Venter, who recently started a company, Human Longevity Inc. (HLI) to offer customers with personalized health plans. The most popular package for $ 25,000 sequanorum your genome and the microbiome, includes scanning, blood test and more.
Venter wants to help people to determine what diseases they have a tendency which is already the case and what is the easiest to prevent and treat. “This usually healthy people, but we found that 40% involved serious health problems,” he says. His results prompted him to lose weight. “I lost 15 kilograms since I heard about your metabolic condition.”
Venter believes that a full medical assessment and personalized health plans will be more useful than any treatment directed against old age. “I don’t think we need a magic elixir,” he says.
A huge amount of data that it collects HLI, it is impossible to collect in the hospital, and most people can not afford such tests. The increase in life expectancy in rich countries shows that money is buying you more on earth, so only low-cost solution will make longevity available to all. In the meantime, your best options are — a boring old diet and exercise.
A cure for old age will be established soon, but can you afford it?
Ilya Hel