New Drugs May Slow Aging Process

Posted on August 22, 2009 in Health & Medicine

The human lifespan could be increasing if Sirtris Pharmaceuticals succeeds in its quest, the New York Times reports. The Cambridge, Mass. company is conducting clinical trials of resveratrol, a drug that mimics caloric restriction.

Resveratrol is an antioxidant ingredient typically found in grapes and red wine. Sirtris’ version of the drug is being tested alongside a class of drugs called sirtuin activators, which restrict the body’s caloric intake. Calorie restricted diets have been shown to extend the lifespans of laboratory mice by 30 to 40 percent. The medication may also have an impact on diabetes.

David A. Sinclair, co-founder of Sirtris, discovered the anti-aging potential of sirtuin activators after working to find genes that might prolong the life span in yeast. Sinclair and his colleague, Leonard P. Guarente found that mice and humans have equivalent genes that produce sirtuin. Activate the sirtuins by calorie restriction, the doctors said, and lengthen the lifespan.

Resveratrol has long been thought to be the secret of the French, who eat a high-fat diet and live longer lives. The success of Sirtris’ drug has not yet been proven in people, however, and may have a stronger effect on short-lived creatures like mice.