A New Drug Promises to Improve Health and Longevity

Researchers have found that activating a particular protein called Sirtuin (SIRT1) helps in improving health and promoting longevity.

A team of scientists at the US National Institute of Health discovered that protein SIRT1 not just extends life span but also helps in improving health by delaying the onset of age-related metabolic disease.

Previous research has highlighted the role of SIRT1 in extending life. This chemical is also known to play a crucial role in metabolism, DNA repair and gene regulation, thus offering a strong protection against diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease, according to IBTimes.

Also, the drugs that enhance the activity of SIRT1 are known to lower the onset of aging and also delay age related diseases in many animal models.

In the current study led Dr. Rafel de Cabo of the National Institute on Aging, researchers evaluated the effects of SIRT1720 supplements on the health and longevity of mice. As part of the study, the researchers fed a group of mice 100 mg/kg SRT1720 from 6 months of age to the rest of their lives.

Researchers noticed that the mice that were fed SRT1720 experienced nearly 8.8 percent increase in their lifespan when compared to the control group. Apart from this, the supplement helped in reducing body weight and fat percentage and enhanced the muscle function and motor coordination throughout the animals' lives.

The supplement also helped in lowering the total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol levels and improving insulin sensitivity, meaning that the mice were protected against heart disease and diabetes. The supplement had anti-inflammatory effects on several tissues. This is important as low level of chronic inflammations contributes to aging as well as age related diseases.

"Here, we show for the first time that a synthetic SIRT1 activator extends lifespan and improves healthspan of mice fed a standard diet," says Dr. de Cabo. "It illustrates that we can develop molecules that ameliorate the burden of metabolic and chronic diseases associated with aging."

The findings will be published in Cell Press Journal Cell Reports.