Aging research that will change everything

We hear a lot about the advances of science that will allow us, in the future, to live beyond one hundred years. The questions before these premises are many and varied, will there be enough space and resources for everyone? We will have to reformulate life as we know it now and start studying several careers, in order to take advantage our time to the fullest? But, perhaps, the most we can ask ourselves is whether it will be worth reaching such advanced ages with all the health problems that the old age carries.

Now, we have to live in the most frivolous time in history: aesthetic operations They are the order of the day. Snail slime, creams, touch-ups with botox… Thousands of people around the first world try to fight the ravages of age using these sources of eternal youth. Some are more useful than others although, of course, Over time It ends up showing itself in our skin irremediably, showing that we have lived. Will there be a time when we can reverse it completely and for many years that we continue to have we continue to find ourselves physically and mentally as in our first youth?

Cellular senescence

The ability to reverse or slow down degenerative processes Coming with increasing age has been a human aspiration for a long time. But it is only in the last ten years that the replacement of palliative treatments (which suppress the symptoms of age-related diseases) with antidegenerative medications Genuine (which prevent and repair) has become more than an impossible dream.

A study conducted with mice showed that eliminating senescent cells reversed the causes of deterioration typical of aging

One of the main causes of age-related changes (including diseases) is known as "cell senescence"reports 'The Conversation'. This is a consequence of evolution It only comes into play when organisms survive their normal reproductive age (or if they are subject to a very harmful environment). When it happens, cells can no longer divide, and behave in a way that damages the surrounding tissue. For years, this senescence had been considered as a symptom rather than a cause of deterioration Age-related, however, a recent investigation revealed something new.

The study, which was conducted with mice, showed that eliminating these senescent cells Not only did it prevent aging but it reversed many of the symptoms. It is true that rodents and men they have little to do, but it is a good step, then, to show that senescent cells cause aging We are also given the possibility of developing a cure in the future. The follow-up work revealed that, by eliminating these cells, the effect of diseases such as Alzheimer's or myocardial infarction could be reversed. The challenge, of course, is to wear now these findings through chemistry to the humans.

Some food

And good news, because not everything has to be taking medications as if there were no tomorrow. Resveratrol (a type of natural phenol), can be found in some foods such as chocolate or red wine, and it has been shown that it is capable of rejuvenating these senescent cells. Similarly, it has also been recently discovered that Fisetin, a natural product in the strawberries, apples and onions, confers improvements in health as well as reduced senescent cell load in old mice.

The research carried out so far, only using natural products and existing medicines, has unequivocally demonstrated that small molecules can produce a broad spectrum of antidegenerative effects Preventive medicine is a possible and the latest advances indicate that in the future safe and effective drugs can be developed to help us, perhaps not to achieve the inmortality (for now) but yes to reach a healthier and active old age.