Scientists have made a discovery
that could lead to a revolutionary drug that actually reverses ageing.
Age-reversing pill that Nasa wants to give to astronauts on Mars will begin
human trials within six months. The drug could assist damaged DNA to
miraculously repair and even by protecting astronauts from solar radiation. A
scientist’s team developed the drug after discovering a key signaling process
in DNA repair and cell ageing. Therefore, during trials on mice, the researcher
team found that the drug directly repaired DNA damage caused by radiation
exposure or old age. However, the cells of the old mice were indistinguishable
from the young mice after just one week of treatment,' said lead author
Professor David Sinclair and his colleague Dr Lindsay Wu were winners in NASA's
iTech competition in December 2016.
Hence, it is expected that human
trials of the pill will begin within six months. This is the closest we’re to a
safe and effective anti-ageing drug that's possibly only 3 to 5 years away from
being on the market if the trials gets successful,' said Professor Sinclair.
Moreover, the work has drawn the attention of Nasa, which is bearing in mind
the big challenge of keeping its astronauts healthy during a four-year mission
to Mars. Even thus on short missions, astronauts experience faster ageing from
cosmic radiation, suffering from muscle softness, memory loss and other
symptoms when they return. Although on a massive challenge of Mars trip, the
situation would be far worse: 5% of the astronauts' cells would die and their
chances of cancer would approach 100 per cent.
The Anti-Ageing Drug Trials
A team of researchers of
University of New South Wales, experiments in mice, recommended a treatment is
possible for DNA damage from ageing and radiation. So, it is so hopeful it has
attracted the attention of Nasa scientists in their mission to reach Mars.
Whereas our cells can naturally repair DNA damage, such as damage caused by the
sun and their ability deteriorations with age. Moreover, the experts recognized
that the call signaling molecule NAD+, which is naturally present in every cell
in the body, has a crucial role in protein interactions that control DNA
repair. Hence, treating mice with an NAD+ 'booster' called NMN improved their
cells' ability to repair DNA damage caused by radiation exposure or old age. So,
it is expected that human trials of NMN therapy will start within 6 months.
Furthermore, Dr Wu Said, we came
in with a solution for a biological problem and it won the competition out of
300 entries. Cosmic radiation is not only an issue for astronauts, and all
exposed to it aboard aircraft, with a London-Singapore-Melbourne flight roughly
equivalent in radiation to a chest x-ray. Nevertheless in theory, the
anti-ageing pill could mitigate any effects of DNA damage for recurrent flyers.
Further, the other group that could benefit from this work is survivors of
childhood cancers. Because 96% of childhood cancer survivors suffer a chronic
illness by age 45, including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes,
Alzheimer's disease, and cancers unrelated to the original cancer. So, keeping in mind all of this adds up to
the fact they have accelerated ageing, which is devastating, Dr Wu, said. So,
it’d be great indeed to do something about that, and we have faith in we can
with this molecule. Source: Charismatic Planet
