The Ambitious Quest to Cure Aging Like a Disease

Some scientists believe we should start treating aging itself as a disease, and they are exploring ways to slow and even stop the aging process, reports BBC News . Animal studies have demonstrated it is possible to significantly extend the lifespan of certain species, giving hope that it also could be applicable to human beings. The Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence Research Foundation's Aubrey De Grey says his group aims to develop a suite of therapies for middle-aged and older people that will leave them physically and mentally equivalent to someone younger than 30, "without wiping their memories." De Grey cites seven biological factors responsible for cellular damage that accompanies aging and underlies aging-related diseases, including when tissue cells are not renewed quickly enough, when cells replicate uncontrollably, when cells do not die when they should, damage to the DNA of mitochondria, internal cellular buildup of waste products, external waste product buildup, and stiffening of the extra-cellular matrix. Although De Grey doubts corrective measures to these problems will halt aging altogether, he believes they could extend life by about 30 years. He envisions "rejuvenation technologies" administered to seniors to revert their cells to what they were like when they were in their youth.