Based on two decades of research, Sydney-born longevity expert David Sinclair is optimistic that the world is on the verge of an anti-ageing breakthrough which will validate that a single anti-ageing enzyme in the body can be targeted, that has the capability to stave off age-related diseases and prolong lifespans.
During his recent visit to Thailand, which was arranged by CP Group to share his research work with Thai scientists, the 46-year-old Australian biologist said that in their search for the fountain of youth, there have actually been lots of inroads scientists have made.
"For thousands of years people have tried to extend their lifespan, with mostly snake oil supplements that don't work and are not tested with rigorous science.
"But we have turned a corner, today scientists around the world have made fundamental discoveries about what controls the ageing process. The study in humans are just beginning, hopefully in the next five years we will know what medicines can actually slow down ageing in people and studies that prove it as well."
Alongside this, the professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School said there is a lot of misinformation on the subject, coupled with claims that have yet not been verified which then result in confusion for consumers who don't know what is right and wrong.
Explaining their modus operandi, Sinclair said: "The approach we researchers are taking is to have medicines prescribed by your doctor to slow down diseases, reverse diseases and to slow ageing itself. For example, we are hoping that we can have a drug that would be prescribed for diabetes that would also protect you against Alzheimer's disease, cancer and heart disease, with a side effect that would help extend your life. When this is made possible, we can get tablets prescribed by a doctor to slow our ageing process when we reach 40."
Sinclair's time frame to get concrete results on the ongoing research is five years. Studies are in full swing and results have been positive so far. His work has lead to a few human studies that actually determine that the drugs they are developing can work to develop aspects of ageing.
There is a big trial about to begin in thousands of people to test aspects of ageing and increasing of lifespan, he said, while talks with the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to get permission to conduct their first clinical trial for a drug that will slow down ageing is also very close to getting finalised.
Medical researcher David Sinclair.
Sinclair said there are at least 20 molecules that they know of, some natural, some synthetic, that can extend the lifespan of animals in the lab. They can extend the life of mice by 30% longer. However, the big question is which of these molecules are safe in humans and which ones will work, added the genetics professor.
The first study will be with a very safe drug, he said, which is already given to diabetic patients. They would like to test this medication further, to prove that it actually slows down ageing as well as increasing the lifespan. He said there is some evidence that diabetics that have received this medication live as long or just as long as healthy people.
Asked to elaborate on a quote he once gave "I wouldn't begin to put a limit on the human lifespan" Sinclair remarked: "My belief is partly based on the history of science wherever we have said that this is impossible, it turns out not to be impossible. Travelling a thousand kilometres an hour, flying was once all considered impossible for humans. We can do that now and take it for granted. So the saying that slowing down ageing is impossible is just as silly as saying we can't fly.
"In mice it is very easy to reverse ageing, we can do it in just one week by putting a chemical in their drinking water. We looked at their muscles, a part of the body which we found was very easy to reverse in the ageing process, so we started with mice which were two years old, that is equivalent to a 60-year-old human and turned them into a 20 year old equivalent in a week. The research was published in the journal Cell in December 2013. This is an example of cutting edge, quality science, one of the many breakthroughs we have made."
Sinclair said that they had broken new ground and since 2014 have started studying the chemical known as NAD that actually reverses the ageing process in cells. Clinical trials in humans have also begun.
NAD levels tend to drop by as much as 50% as we get older, he said, so if they could bring back what's lost, ageing cells might very well behave as if they were younger. Medical science tells us that without this chemical, our bodies cannot fight ageing.
Sinclair leaves us with a few tips on fighting anti-ageing: "Exercise is a good start, coupled with watching your weight. Lack of exercise and being obese lowers the NAD levels in our body. So stay thin, skip some meals as hunger brings the levels of NAD up. Fasting always helps, but keep a balanced diet.
"Immortality might be out of reach for the human race, but living more years with a body that's tough enough to make the most of life has today become a real possibility that can no longer be discarded."
