Does aging cure like a disease? About Anti-Aging TreatmentInternal Medicine Specialist Seungwon Lee

Factors such as news habits and antioxidant capacity all play a role in longevity, but genetics are also important. In the study of longevity genetics, twin studies have shown that 25% of people who live longer are determined by their genes. In addition, according to a survey conducted in the United Kingdom, siblings of the elderly who live to be over 100 years old are 8~17 times more likely to live to be 100 years old than the general population.

'Metformin' is a diabetes drug called 'AMPK', which activates an enzyme that regulates energy metabolism in cells, regulating a number of important physiological processes and has various benefits. Metformin not only activates AMPK, but also has an important anti-aging effect by inhibiting the function of 'zombie cells'.

 

Zombie cells are cells that do not die, do not reproduce, and do not function, but secrete inflammatory substances. Due to stress or chemicals, normal cells turn into zombie cells.

 

Since metformin can inhibit zombie cells, it can contribute to longevity by reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer through its anti-aging action. In fact, a 2014 study on diabetes showed that people with diabetes who used the drug lived 15% longer than healthy people without diabetes. In addition, the risk of head and neck cancer was reduced by 46% compared to non-diabetics, stomach cancer was reduced by 55%, and colon cancer survival was improved.

 

However, it is not possible to completely eliminate zombie cells, and several studies are underway that hypothesize that it is possible to achieve complete elimination by combining quercetin with the leukemia drug Sprycel.

 

3. Ongoing anti-aging research

 

NASA has conducted research on NAD+, which contributes to anti-aging. The concentration of NAD+ decreases with age. NAD+ itself is difficult to absorb directly into the body, but the following precursors, such as NR and NMN, have been shown to increase NAD+ in the body, and many clinical studies are underway.

 

Aging blood vessels lead to a loss of muscle mass, which accelerates aging. NAD+ inhibits vascular aging, increases capillary density, improves blood flow to muscles, and consequently increases endurance. However, there is a concern that it may promote cancer growth due to its angiogenesis-promoting effect.

 

Anti-aging research on resveratrol, which is abundant in red wine, is also ongoing. Resveratrol activates sirtuins, an anti-aging protein, and induces other positive biochemical reactions, which have been shown to extend life expectancy in various animal studies. It prevents damage to coronary endothelial cells in the human body, and as a result of treatment in obese patients for one month, metabolic rate and muscle function were improved.

 

4. Limitations of Anti-Aging Drug Research

 

Drugs such as metformin have expired patents, and it is difficult to create an atmosphere in which pharmaceutical companies are willing to make it easier for them to return to research with little profit.

 

The FDA does not currently consider aging a disease, so it does not make it easy to authorize clinical trials on aging.

 

3. Lack of substances that have been proven to be safe

For long-term clinical trials, it is necessary to use substances that have been proven to be safe. Therefore, new drugs with a small database cannot be studied in clinical trials because they have to be observed for decades. On the other hand, existing drugs meet the conditions of clinical research, but it is difficult to implement them due to the low return of profits to pharmaceutical companies due to the expiration of patents.

 

Because they are not participating in clinical studies due to their disease, their participation rate drops.