Drugs may let us live to 150

Deborah Smith

October 17, 2011

'The new biotec copycats will be less expensive, but never cheap.'

A girl born today in Australia could reasonably expect to live to 100. Photo: Louie Douvis

THE first drugs that can slow the ageing process are likely to become available within five to 10 years, raising the prospect of people eventually living to 150 or more, researchers say.

Peter Smith, dean of medicine at the University of NSW, said a girl born today in Australia could reasonably expect to live to 100 already, due to advances in medicine, lifestyle and public health. In addition, new drugs to help the body repair itself were in the early stages of development, along with new stem cell therapies.

''I think there is real hope we can extend human life by some decades further,'' Professor Smith said.

Living to 150 may sound unnerving, but it would be ''great'' if you were well until near the end, he said. ''The aim is not just to eke out extra existence, but to facilitate a longer healthy life,'' he said.

''People aren't going to want to retire at 65 and spend many, many decades sitting at home.''

Baroness Susan Greenfield, a neuroscientist at Oxford University, also foresees people starting second careers at 65, in knowledge-based jobs rather than physical ones.

But she said tackling dementia, which includes Alzheimer's disease, needed to be a priority. ''Otherwise the social and economic implications could potentially be catastrophic.''

David Sinclair, an Australian expert in ageing at Harvard University, said a network of genes controlled the pace of ageing. ''Our bodies have an extraordinary ability to repair themselves.''

Professor Sinclair has shown that resveratrol, a plant compound found in red wine, can extend the lifespan of yeast, worms, fruit flies and fat mice, by activating proteins called sirtuins.

The company he co-founded was bought by GlaxoSmithKline for $US720 million in 2008.

Clinical trials of synthetic molecules 1000 times more potent than resveratrol were under way in people with diseases of ageing, such as diabetes 2, he said. ''And [they] are showing early signs of efficacy.''

The immediate aim was to find medicines to treat elderly sick people, then later attempt to delay the onset of diseases of ageing.

It was still very early days, Professor Sinclair cautioned. But, he said, ''I think we're seeing the beginning of technology that could one day allow us to reach 150.''

British scientists last month challenged the link between sirtuins and longevity in worms and fruit flies in the journal Nature, concluding they had ''nothing to do with extending life''.

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Comments

64 comments

An extra 75 years? An extra lifetime? For what? Can the drug make me happy for my second lifetime?

wotnext - October 17, 2011, 7:37AM

Has this world gone mad! Drugs have never been a cure to degenerative diseae. The ONLY thing that work for preventing disease is natural plant based diet. Read the china study the most comprehenive nutritional study ever conducted with peer reviewed findings, not a made up ad by someone paid by a pharmacutical giant. I can't beleive that this report was written by the age and reported as fact. Absolutly ridiculous. Another good film is forks over knives, watch it and learn.

Mick | Melbourne - October 17, 2011, 7:55AM

Wow - they've managed to increase the maximum human lifespan (currently 120)? And they've inferred this from studies on 'yeast, worms, fruit flies and fat mice'?
Unbeliveable!
Yes, unbelievable... Journalists should do proper research when regurgitating the press releases of pharmaceutical companies.

Luke | Melbourne - October 17, 2011, 7:57AM

It makes a good headline, I'll give you that. As the scientists say, though, it's early days. Let's see if this line of research pays off.

Greg Platt | Brunswick - October 17, 2011, 8:06AM

Don't get too upset people. This is nothing more than medical marketing - the ability to try and convince people of small progress as a major breakthrough in order to convince others to provide more funds for the research.

Dr HK | Melbourne - October 17, 2011, 8:01AM

Full of wonderment already at our lack of ability to face community problems with any sort of rationality or human empathy, l would love to witness the pollies' attempts, and the population's responses to managing new situations next century. Laugh out loud?..it's a tragedy.

chrisfish - October 17, 2011, 7:59AM

How exciting, imagine another 50 years to work in my chosen field and pass on my experience and knowledge base to the younger generation. If this technology becomes a reality just watch humankind reach for the stars and start colonising other parts of our galaxy.

jc - October 17, 2011, 8:12AM

"As long as it's not available until most of those leaching baby boomers shuffle off this mortal coil before it's available.
Wheresmyak47 | melbourne - October 17, 2011, 7:47AM"
Sorry, we're needed a little longer. Some of you still don't know how to spell.

bornagirl | Melbourne - October 17, 2011, 8:17AM

I certainly do not want to live to 150. Perhaps 80 is good enough for me. What is the point of living when you super funds run out, you have to live on government pension - sub-existence - can have decent hobby, travels ??

Enjoy_Now | Melbourne - October 17, 2011, 8:21AM

How appropriate, an article about living to 150 preceeded by an article about working longer hours, I can't wait.
By the way, Wayne Swan, my superannuation will run out before i'm 150 so you'd better make the pension better by the time I get there!

Pat | Blue through and through - October 17, 2011, 8:27AM

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