There might not be any such thing as the Fountain of Youth, but this probably is the closest thing to it! Fighting against aging and not wishing to die is human being’s oldest fascination, and the Dutch researchers at the Erasmus University Medical Centre claim to have found the ultimate remedy!
As reported by the Dutch News, Peter de Keizer and his colleagues at Erasmus’ department of molecular genetics have successfully demonstrated the reversal of the symptoms of aging in lab tests on mice. The mice that were treated displayed regrowing of fur they had naturally lost due to old age, while they also exhibited a marked improvement in stamina and kidney functions. The report also states that the mice were able to run twice as fast as the ones who were left untreated.
‘I started research on a fundamental biological question without any idea of application because I was interested in seeing what happened to senescent cells when they get irreparably damaged – whether they die or go into another type of response,’ De Keizer told DutchNews.nl. ‘Once I had identified the culprit, I started to constitute a compound to try to target those cells. While looking at this biological question, I realised there could be an effect on ageing’
The research team claims that their chemicals block the communication channel in cells between FOXO4 and p53 proteins, which destroys the senescent cells that build up as we age. These cells lead to the phenomenon of aging, and the newly found chemicals specifically target these while sparing the healthy ones.
The next big task for the research is to conduct clinical trials and gauge the effectiveness of the peptide therapy on humans. If successful, we might be on the brink of cracking the code of eternal youth for our species!