Scientists Take Important Steps toward the Proverbial Fountain of Youth

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham now have valuable insight into how limited-calorie diets prolong the survival of human cells. The recent discovery was published in the FASEB Journal and stated that this revelation could mean new developments in drugs and other treatments that could counter the human aging process and cancer.

Trygve Tollefsbol, a researcher at the University of Alabama in Birmingham said, “Our hope is that the discovery that reduced calories extend the lifespan of normal human cells will lead to further discoveries of the causes for these effects in different cell types and facilitate the development of novel approaches to extend the lifespan of humans. We would also hope for these studies to lead to improved prevention of cancer as well as many other age-related diseases through controlling calorie intake of specific cell types.”

The research involved Tollefsbol and his team using cells from normal human lungs as well as from pre-cancerous human lungs, which were at the initial stages of cancer. Both sets of lungs were grown in the lab and were given either normal or condensed levels of glucose. The growth of the cells was monitored over several weeks, as was their dividing ability and the survival of cells over the same period. The conclusion at the end of the period was that normal, healthy cells survived for a longer period when given lesser amounts of sugar, as opposed to the pre-cancerous cells, which died.

“Western science is on the cusp of developing a pharmaceutical fountain of youth. This study confirms that we are on the path to persuading human cells to let us to live longer, and perhaps cancer-free lives,” said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal.