Researchers seek biological key to 'fountain of youth'
November 4, 1996
Web posted at: 10:00 p.m. EST
From Correspondent Rhonda Rowland
ATLANTA (CNN) -- In an effort to halt or reverse aging, some
people turn to various drugs such as human growth hormones
and melatonin. Researchers say there is little, if any,
scientific evidence to suggest those drugs have an effect on
aging.
But their research should not lead us to abandon all hope;
they say there may indeed be a fountain of youth.
Scientists working to uncover the secret of aging say tiny
worms may hold part of the answer.
Their discovery was accidental: Hurricane Andrew destroyed
many research labs at the University of Miami, but some worms
survived the destruction and resulting power outages, and
lived 15 to 20 percent longer than expected.
Finding the responsible genes in the worms, which age like
people, could provide clues to human aging. "I'm sure that
this will prove to be a phenomenon that is very complicated,
involving tens or hundreds of genes," said University of
Miami researcher Dr. Robert Rubin.
Another area of research focuses on a tiny part of our
chromosomes called telomeres, located at the tip of each
chromosome. Over time, as cells divide, telomeres get
shorter and shorter.
There is evidence suggesting telomeres may regulate certain
aspects of aging. However, according to Dr. Woody Wright,
finding a way to keep telomeres from getting shorter will
probably not make human beings immortal.
"All that it could do, if we're lucky, and if our hypothesis
is correct, is extend the period of vigor, and perhaps the
entire human life span," said Wright, a researcher at the
University of Texas Southwestern.
So far, researchers have not been able to lengthen telomeres.
Nevertheless, scientists are hopeful that they will see
results from their studies soon. Gerontologist Ken Dychtwald
believes that in the next 10 to 15 years, "We're going to see
breakthroughs that are going to blow our minds, that will
making aging as we've known it totally obsolete."
University of Miami researcher Dr. Robert Rubin agrees that
in the future, it could be possible to halt or reverse aging.
If we could do that, how long would we live? "Nobody knows
the answer to that," he said.
In the process of discovering the genes responsible for our
aging, researchers expect to learn more about the genes
contributing to diseases more common in the elderly, such as
cancer, stroke and heart disease. Finding ways to prevent
such devastating diseases might not have a dramatic effect on
life expectancy, but would add quality years to a person's
life.
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