An American research team is claiming to have found a potential target to extend lifespan, but is yet to start trials on humans
An American research team is claiming to have found a potential target to extend lifespan, but is yet to start trials on humans.
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The potential cure for age is a drug, which protects telomeres, sections of DNA long thought to be the key to the ageing process.
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However, the treatment is not yet considered safe for humans, and may first be tested on dogs and cats by being added to pet food.
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Scientists think that ageing is caused by the telomeres- an enzyme which apparently reverses the ageing processu00a0-- in our genes shortening over the course of our lifetime.
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Now, the team led by Bill Andrews thinks it has found a way to slow or even reverse this shrinkage, according to the Sunday Times. This could be the secret to a longer life.
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The new findings suggest that nearly 40 different substances could contribute to the production of this enzyme.
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"Inducing cells to produce telomerase would be a great medical advance," the Daily Mail quoted Dr Andrews as saying.
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"The substances we have found can achieve this but we have to be cautious and there is no chance of getting medical approval for human use for some years.
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"For pets, however, the rules are much less stringentu00a0-- and the market is potentially huge," he added.
The study will be presented at a conference in Cambridge.
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