Relatively solid stories like this help raise my estimate that significant life extension is possible in our lifetimes. The likelihood seems to be that it won't be a "magic pill" but a combination of therapies.
I don't see the solidity. They haven't even shown that the mouses live longer. They just have shown that they can change mitrochondrial activity of a mouse to a state as if the mouse is longer.
We don't know whether the body has a reason to downregulate mitrochondria. It might very well be that the whole procedure increases cancer risks.
We don't even know if this study will replicate if other labs try to do the same thing.
They haven't even shown that the mouses live longer. They just have shown that they can change mitrochondrial activity of a mouse to a state as if the mouse is longer.
This perplexed me when I was skimming the intro to a popular article. Are they really moving to humans trials based on nothing but 1 or 2 mouse studies based on biomarkers? But I was too busy at the time to bother looking up the original papers and jailbreak them if necessary.
This seems like an advance in understanding, even if it doesn't lead directly to a treatment.
News stories:
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/dec/20/anti-ageing-human-trials?CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25445748
Abstract of the paper, actual paper behind a paywall:
http://www.cell.com/retrieve/pii/S0092867413015213?cc=y
Relatively solid stories like this help raise my estimate that significant life extension is possible in our lifetimes. The likelihood seems to be that it won't be a "magic pill" but a combination of therapies.
If nothing else, it's another reason to eat healthy and stay in shape.