Scientists to Test Anti-Aging Drug on Humans
A new trial at a Japanese university involves 10 volunteers
Scientists have discovered a way to reverse aging. The claim sounds like a magic pill: too good to be true.
Like a come-on from a beauty company: exaggerated.
Like a science fiction plot: destined to go wrong.
You’re wise to be skeptical. The truth is, scientists have found a way to reverse aging and extend life expectancy — but only in mice. So far.
Now, as futurism.com reports, they’re going to see if nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) can do for humans what it does for mice.
The Drug
“NMN stimulates the production of sirtuins, a class of proteins that grow weaker as we age,” according to the site, a daily feed of scientific breakthroughs and technological innovations. “This drug reverses, not just external signs of aging, but internal symptoms as well, including decline in eyesight, metabolism and glucose intolerance.”
The drug was discovered by researchers from the University of New South Wales in 2013. And now 10 healthy human volunteers are undergoing a trial at the Keio University in Japan.
Only time will tell whether the drug is effective and safe for humans, of course. It likely would be decades before even a promising anti-aging remedy could make it to market. But if lead researcher Shin-ichiro Imai gets his wish, he’ll be on the forefront of a discovery that will change the future of health care in Japan, where 40 percent of the population will be older than 65 by 2055.
“We’ll carefully conduct the study, which I hope will result in important findings originating in Japan,” he says in the post.
