UK's Pill of Youth & Longevity Potential

 Breakthrough Medications Under Development to Stop Aging

                                                                Source:  Stock Images

The Fountain of Youth

Humanity has been searching for the "Fountain of Youth" to extend life since the beginning of time.  Now, a British computational biologist Dr. Andrew Steele says that drugs that could extend life expectancy to 200 years are under development.  In fact, a pill that directly targets and stops the aging process has been tested successfully in mice.  It made them much healthier, warded off disease and extended their lifespan by 35%.  That pill is now being tested in human clinical trials to see if reversing the aging process can be replicated in humans.

How It Works

The pills work by eliminating cells that trigger aging. They're called zombie cells or senescent cells that stop dividing.  They, then, build up in the body and shoot out substances that accelerate the ageing process and lead to physical and mental deterioration.  Dr. Steele, who is actively engaged in the research and is a global expert in aging, says research to develop "ageless" pills is showing very promising results.  "Ageless" pills could be available within the next decade.

Billionaires' Quest

The quest to stop the aging process is being funded by billionaires like Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, among others.  Some researchers are focusing on long-living reptiles and amphibians like the Galapagos tortoise that lives up to 120 years and whose cells continue to divide more than 100-times.  Dr. Steele says there is no reason people couldn't live to 200 years old.  We just need the biomedical science to make it possible by directly stopping the aging process. Scientists could finalize and market the "Pill of Youth" within ten years.