What if we could live forever? This is a question that has long been pondered by both fictional supervillains and Silicon Valley billionaires.
Now researchers from Japan claim that they may have taken a step towards increasing human longevity by successfully testing a vaccine against cells that contribute to the aging process, Euronews reported.
In laboratory tests, a drug that targets protein in so-called senile cells – those that have naturally stopped reproducing – slows the progression of weakness in older mice, researchers from the Juntendo University in Tokyo said.
The vaccine has been targeted successfully and to aging cells in adipose tissue and blood vessels, which suggests that it may have a positive effect on other diseases associated with advancing age.
Cells begin to age when they stop reproducing, often in response to natural damage to their DNA. It is believed that cellular aging contributes to the overall aging process, as well as for related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and some cancers.
The biological process of aging is very complex, so it is unlikely that a single strategy will stop it completely or reverse it. However, clearing the aging cells seems to be one of the easiest and potentially more effective ways, scientists say.
Various experiments show that preventing the accumulation of aging cells prolongs the life of mice by between 15 and 35%. However, researchers still do not know how much a person’s life can be extended by the same method.
