Delaying of aging is an achievable aim

At present time, delaying or slowing down of aging seems to be a more achievable practical aim than stopping it entirely. We do already know quite a lot about the factors that can accelerate the aging process. Eliminating the danger factors does influence the life span. It is well known, after all, how smoking and excessive alcohol consumption accelerate the aging process. Antioxidant-rich supplements and foods are heralded as one of the best and accessible ways of fighting the free radicals that not only cause various health problems but are also directly linked to the aging process.

Antioxidants can be useful in combating the aging

However, the closer look to how free radicals are generated in the body and how oxidative processes inflict their damage opens a way for revolution in the science of antioxidants. Free radicals are generated in mitochondria, power stations of the cells. They get produced as by-products of energy-generating oxidation processes. There are protective cellular mechanisms that specifically designed by evolution to eliminate the radicals.

Some free radicals still escape these mechanisms and inflict damage. As we age, protective mechanisms gradually become less effective. Although free radicals are generated in mitochondria, most antioxidants work in the cells outside mitochondria. As a result, they cannot effectively and quickly eliminate these damaging compounds.

A new generation of free radical trapping molecules, called Skulachev ions after their inventor, seem to address this problem. Skulachev ions tend to concentrate in the mitochondria, thus allowing them to capture any excessive free radicals as soon as they are formed. This helps them prevent the oxidative damage that would otherwise occur. Recently developed eye drops containing these compounds are already proving capable of treating age-related cataracts which are not curable by other methods. The compounds are currently undergoing clinical trials for other age-related diseases.

Anti-aging pharmaceutics are on the horizon

In the last few years we have seen an avalanche of new laboratory data proving that aging can be slowed down. For instance, genetically modified rats with increased level of telomerase production were shown to live 28% longer than normal animals. In another study, a compound called rapamycin increased the lifespan of experimental animals by up to 38%. It is quite likely that new medicines specifically targeting aging and age-related processes in humans will become available in the next few years.

Maybe we will, indeed, one day face the ethical questions that would come with the possibility of eternal life. For now, we should probably be grateful that we can slow the physical signs of aging and take steps to enjoy a better quality of life for longer, but that we cannot live forever.