Who Wants To Live Forever, Raise Your Hand: Human Trials Set To Begin On Anti-Aging Compound Previously Successfully Tested On Mice
A clinical trial has been planned to look at human response to a promising anti-aging drug that has previously been tested in mice called nicotinamide mono nucleotide.
NMN has been found to significantly extend the lifespans of mice, and now researchers from Washington University in St. Louis and Keio University in Japan are set to study the effectiveness and safety of the compound when used in human subjects. Starting next month, a group of about 10 healthy people will be administered with NMN to see how and if it is able to improve bodily function and fend off various effects that typically come with aging.
An organic molecule, or nucleotide, NMN is found in a variety of foodstuffs, notably milk. It has been shown in earlier studies to be instrumental in slowing the aging process by activating a substance called sirtuin in the body, which is a type of protein that loses its function as the body ages.
Researcher Shinichiro Imai of Washington University has demonstrated that NMN activates the gene that signals the body to produce sirtuin. One experiment found that mice that were fed a steady diet of NMN showed improvements in age-related declines such as metabolism and eyesight. Other experiments by Imai demonstrated that NMN improved the glucose intolerance and lipid profiles of the mice.
However before we all plunk down a bunch of money on a red convertible and call the lawyer for a rewrite on the will, keep in mind that scientists don’t exactly think this is going to be the Fountain of Youth for humans. While mice are a tremendously valuable research animal, aging-related studies in particular don’t translate well to humans.
A substance that has a profound effect on a mouse will probably not have as much effect on a human.
Still, it should be interesting to see if any Benjamin Button type characters walk out of the lab after this study is over.
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