Scientists have successfully slowed down the process of aging; Anti-aging drug will hit the market in 2-3 years

Russian and Swedish scientists have reported a major breakthrough in slowing down the process of aging.

The goal of the study is to know the role of mitochondria in the process of aging of the organism. They made an attempt to slow down aging by introducing an artificial antioxidant SkQ1 into mitochondria.

- Russian biologist professor Vladimir Skulachev prepared the artificial antioxidant SkQ1. - Experiments were carried on genetically modified mice developed and characterized in Sweden

- Scientists introduced a single mutation into the genome of mice, as a result, there was accelerated mutagenesis in mitochondria. This leads to accelerated aging and early death of mutant mice.

- Researchers chose two groups of mutant mice aged 100 days for the study. To one group they gave water added with artificial antioxidant (12 micrograms). The second group was kept as control and fed with pure water

- There was a clear difference in aging of the two groups of mice from 200-250 days . As expected the control mice aged rapidly and there are visible symptoms of aging that included loss of weight, raising body temperature, the curvature of the spine and there was even the impairment of estrous cycle in females.

- On the other hand, there was a decrease in the appearance of age-related traits in mice treated with antioxidant SkQ1, In some mice, aging traits did not appear at all in the group.

Professor Vladimir Skulachev, Co-author of the study said that the study helps to know the role of mitochondria in the aging process and also opens the way for the treatment of aging by using mitochondria targeted antioxidants. Researchers are now developing a set of pharmaceutical products based on antioxidant SkQ1.

Their first drug - Visomitin eye drops - is already approved and marketed in Russia, it also passed phase 2 clinical trials in the US. Next on they are now working on an oral form of SkQ1 which is currently in clinical trials. The antiaging drug may be approved and hit the market for systemic indications in 2-3 years. (Naijatechguy)

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