Anti-ageing pill ‘trials on humans’

LONDON: A pill that could reverse signs of ageing has come a step closer after scientists made a major breakthrough.

They have discovered a drug that could have a dramatic effect on restoring hair, kidney function and energy levels.

It seeks and destroys “the broken, ageing senescent” cells that accumulate as we get older and can contribute to diseases of ageing.

The new compound, a protein called a modified FOXO4 peptide, has not been tested on humans. But in trials on mice, the effects were dramatic both on naturally ageing mice and those genetically engineered to age at a rapid rate.

It reversed the loss of fur caused by age, and poor kidney function. It also made the animals stronger.

Fast-ageing mice with patches of missing fur began to recover their coats after 10 days, and after three weeks, ageing mice became fitter.

Older mice began to run twice as far as those who had not received the drug, and a month after treatment, aged mice showed increased signs of healthy kidney function.

The drug is now set to be tested to see if it extends the lifespan of mice, and will be trialled on humans.

It took researchers at Erasmus University Medical Centre in the Dutch city of Rotterdam four years to identify the drug, which works by interfering with a compound called FOXO4. This compound is barely present in young healthy cells, but as it builds up, it acts to stop ageing cells self-destructing.

These ageing cells begin to build up in the body, leading to ill-health.

The modified FOXO4 peptide overcomes this and causes the cell to “commit suicide” by triggering its self-destruct button.

This involves another compound in the cell called p53 known as “the guardian of DNA”, because it helps to kill faulty cells. – Daily Mail