There is a long and
complicated story about the role of a class of enzymes termed sirtuins in
ageing. Substantial evidence indicates that activation of these enzymes can
have many positive health benefits and (at least in simple organisms) can
extend the lifespan. This really got interesting a few years ago when it was
discovered that resveratrol, a small molecule found in red wine, could activate
SIRT1, one of the key sirtuins. Obviously this conjures up images of spry
nonagenarians quaffing huge glasses of vino! However, the linkage between
resveratrol and sirtuin activation has remained controversial. Now, however, a
solid publication in SCIENCE has
confirmed the link. This sets the stage for the pharmaceutical industry to
pursue novel molecules that will act like resveratrol but be much more
selective and powerful. Whether this will be of benefit to human health and longevity
remains to be seen, but you can bet the race for anti-ageing drugs is on!
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/339/6124/1156.full
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/339/6124/1156.full
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