Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Experimental Drug Targeting Alzheimer's Disease Shows Anti-Aging Effects (nextbigfuture.com)

Posted by timothy on from the light-in-the-darkness dept.

schwit1 writes with news that researchers at the Salk Institute have found that an experimental drug candidate aimed at combating Alzheimer's disease has a host of unexpected anti-aging effects in animals. Says the article: The Salk team expanded upon their previous development of a drug candidate, called J147, which takes a different tack by targeting Alzheimer's major risk factor–old age. In the new work, the team showed that the drug candidate worked well in a mouse model of aging not typically used in Alzheimer's research. When these mice were treated with J147, they had better memory and cognition, healthier blood vessels in the brain and other improved physiological features.

"Initially, the impetus was to test this drug in a novel animal model that was more similar to 99 percent of Alzheimer's cases," says Antonio Currais, the lead author and a member of Professor David Schubert's Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory at Salk. "We did not predict we'd see this sort of anti-aging effect, but J147 made old mice look like they were young, based upon a number of physiological parameters."

58 of 101 comments (clear)

  1. cellular level anti-aging sounds good NOW... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I've seen the documentaries. This can only lead to one thing.

    The zombie apocalypse.

    1. Re:cellular level anti-aging sounds good NOW... by blue9steel · · Score: 1

      Don't worry, there are plenty of alternative dystopias for that technology.

  2. RTFM for once ... by BenBoy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Worth looking at the actual article, especially the before and after pic they've included ...

    1. Re:RTFM for once ... by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      It's actually after and before, from left to right.

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    2. Re:RTFM for once ... by easyTree · · Score: 2

      Worth looking at the actual article, especially the before and after pic they've included ...

      I wouldn't be so quick to trumpet 'anti-aging effects', the after-guy looks 30 years older !! ^_^

      --
      Requiem for the American Dream
  3. This is Awesome! by yerfdogyrag · · Score: 3, Funny

    I can't wait for them to try this on Humans! Any idea why they named several of the mice 'Algernon'?

    1. Re:This is Awesome! by Fire_Wraith · · Score: 2

      Apparently the ones they named "Pinky" and "Brain" seem to be up to something at night, but the researchers can never figure out quite what....

  4. Problems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I'm not saying this is true, but just imagine if it was. What would pharmaceutical companies charge for something like this? Who gets access to what will at first be a limited supply? What are the social implications? It boggles the mind.

    1. Re:Problems by ChrisMaple · · Score: 1

      It's an herbal extract. Monopolistic control of the supply would be very difficult.

      --
      Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
    2. Re:Problems by mi · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What would pharmaceutical companies charge for something like this?

      If you can't afford it, just keep walking — you aren't any worse off than before.

      What are the social implications?

      Rich people begin to live (much) longer — CEOs, Senators, judges, and generals alike do not retire restricting career-growths of their underlings. Similar effects in families, with (grand)children never seeing the inheritance. Official retirement age raised (very) high.

      A movement springs up denouncing the procedure as somehow unethical — while the Bible's long-living characters suddenly seem less implausible.

      A separate movement springs up to demand "free" dosage for everyone — told, there is not enough for all, they demand none get it and proceed to destroy what little stock there is. Fortunately, a break-through — its development funded by the cash windfall from the millionaire "early adopters" — allows to produce enough of the stuff to add it to water supply (in developed countries).

      Secret e-mails with government-officials discussing these very predictions and considerations are leaked and discussed by the media as awesome forethought by some and evil conspiracy by others.

      Yet another movement begins to claim suffering from allergic and other mysterious-yet-painful reactions to the stuff and try to avoid it.

      Something like that... Oh, and, of course, PROFIT!

      --
      In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    3. Re:Problems by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      I'm not saying this is true, but just imagine if it was.

      We already have life extension technology. It is called "a healthy diet and exercise". Surprisingly, there is little demand for it.

    4. Re:Problems by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

      If a real "fountain of youth" drug were developed, unless it were sold fairly cheaply (or at least at a reasonable cost), it would probably be copied. The only reason we have a limited supply right now of various drugs is because of patent law. That doesn't keep pharma companies in places like India from manufacturing their own, they just ignore US IP laws. And we don't get that stuff over here because it isn't lucrative to import some, say, anti-AIDS drug and sell it on the black market here. There's lots of drugs which *are* lucrative to import, and the authorities are mostly helpless in preventing that, which is why the Mexican cartels are so profitable.

      So what we'd see is a pairing between offshore pharma companies and established criminal cartels.

  5. Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Idou · · Score: 5, Interesting

    End of life care is expensive and ineffectual because it is targeting the symptoms of the problem, not the underlying problem, which is age. Eventually, the technology will be at the point that it will just make more economic sense to have people preemptively reduce aging instead of going to the doctor for an age related illness.

    Yes, people will have to work longer but you will not work yourself to death to save up for retirement (just for the occasional break). There are plenty of problems in the world, so having more able people to address those problems is probably a good thing. Also, people will put off having kids longer and everyone is going to start to care a lot more about the "longterm" of things. Seems like a positive direction for humanity. . .

    --
    Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
    1. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by ganjadude · · Score: 1

      there will also be the unintended consequences of living longer (forever?)

      some argue that the world has to many people on it now, what happens when new people keep being born but old ones dont die?

      --
      have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
    2. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Idou · · Score: 3, Interesting

      There has actually been a lot of thought put into that. Here is one example.

      A short explanation is to point out the well documented fact that people have fewer kids and tend to have kids later in life the longer they live. Consequently, a cheap pill that allows people to live hundreds of years would cause an immediate effect of a DECREASE in the number of kids born, and would POSTPONE a lot of births that would have otherwise have had happened sooner. So the birthrate would decrease GREATLY over this initial period, while other causes of deaths would continue. As a result, over the "short term" (probably centuries, to immortals) you probably would see a population DECREASE, as a result.

      Eventually, though, people will reach some equilibrium of having kids, so the initial period before this is crucial. Basically, we will have an army of well educated, experienced, and healthy people to tackle some key technologies (e.g. space elevators, etc. . .). After the initial period (again, probably centuries long), we send armies of people to settle the rest of solar system, or make a Dyson sphere, or whatever else help ensure the continuation of the species.

      Just because we have learned to live with death does not mean death is some kind crucial component to ensure the continuation of our species. In fact, it is the exact opposite. . .

      --
      Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
    3. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by phantomfive · · Score: 2

      The question is whether the mice actually lived longer. The article doesn't answer that question.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    4. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Idou · · Score: 2

      Seems easy enough to set up an experiment to address this.

      However, I do want to add that seeing significant anti-aging effects but no extension of life expectancy would seem to imply that aging is programmed. There is growing evidence that aging is not programmed, though. Instead, aging seems to be the result of wear and tear on a very complicated system, so that reducing wear and tear should extend the life of the system.

      --
      Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
    5. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      That article is really interesting. Unfortunately it is difficult to understand.

      How do they explain problems like the natural decline all athletes face around age 40?

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    6. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Pinky's+Brain · · Score: 1

      I doubt Haitians would fit your model.

    7. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Idou · · Score: 1

      My offer of an explanation is that we only have recently started living past that age.

      Evolution's only driver for maximum age is how long it takes you to have kids and get them old enough to live without needing you anymore. Accordingly, modern technology (like sanitation) has allowed us to roughly double that max age and there is no reason to assume that it will stop there.

      --
      Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
    8. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Idou · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Why not? If 50 million tired and aching U.S. senior citizens were turned healthy and energetic, why could they not help bring entire nations up from poverty? Ending aging would dramatically increase the manpower and working knowledge that could in turn be used to address the problems of the world.

      Besides, I am sure there was much more poverty when people were living to just be 40 years old. . . it seems that living longer gives you more time to claw your way out of poverty.

      --
      Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
    9. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Idou · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Our current state of technology can support our entire species with unprecedented efficiency and sustainability. This technology appears to be improving at a faster pace. The hard problem appears to have been solved already. Things like how we distribute wealth is a mere social construct that can literally occur overnight with a signing of a law (like basic income). Though idiots get disproportionate attention, most humans are reasonable and can make choices that benefit the entire species.

      --
      Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
    10. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by IamTheRealMike · · Score: 1

      Also, people will put off having kids longer and everyone is going to start to care a lot more about the "longterm" of things. Seems like a positive direction for humanity. . .

      Not obviously so. It also means that old ideas will hang around for a lot longer because people who are mentally stuck in their ways will take even longer to die off.

    11. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Big+Hairy+Ian · · Score: 1

      Yes, people will have to work longer but you will not work yourself to death to save up for retirement (just for the occasional break). There are plenty of problems in the world, so having more able people to address those problems is probably a good thing.

      I assume you've never seen Soylent Green! The world is over populated as is

      --

      Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.

    12. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Idou · · Score: 2

      people who are mentally stuck in their ways will take even longer to die off.

      Seems like you are assuming that "being stuck in your ways" has nothing to do with the aging of the brain when it probably has a lot to do with declining function as the brain gets older and diminishing returns of taking risks when one reaches the end of one's life.

      Besides, "waiting for them to die off" does not seem like a very sophisticated approach to dealing with our social problems. . .

      --
      Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
    13. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Idou · · Score: 2

      Concentration of power is detrimental to the health of society and the individuals in that society. We do need massive decentralization of power to ensure a healthy society (you will always have sociopaths but a robust society would ensure it was impossible for them to gain power over others). The Internet has decentralized global communications. We are experiencing the decentralization of access to energy. Those were the hardest parts to decentralize so the rest should easily follow. Besides, decentralized technologies accessible to the masses have a natural tendency to rapidly improve that other, more centralized technologies lack (i.e. cellphone vs the airplane). Accordingly, as society becomes more technologically advanced, individuals become less vulnerable to the oppression by a small minority.

      Again, the hard part is the technological question of how we ensure our species has enough resources to live. That has already been solved and increasingly so as technology advances. Ensuring that people do not starve in our highly automated economy is a comparatively easier problem to solve (e.g. basic income). As power is decentralized, policies beneficial to the masses will become even easier to implement.

      --
      Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
    14. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Idou · · Score: 2

      I have seen that movie multiple times, along with every other dystopian movie ever created worth watching. However, technological improvement appears to be exponential, so you really need to look at shorter periods of history to get an idea of where things are trending.

      For instance, the last 5 ~ 10 years has resulted in some technological breakthroughs that should greatly change the traditional views of overpopulation. We are increasingly doing more with less, such that the concept of "over population" is becoming an increasingly meaningless term.

      --
      Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
    15. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

      Don't be so proud of this technological terror that you've created.

      We may be 'doing more with less' but we're doing a hell of a lot more. To the point where we are clobbering the planet's capacity to maintain some sort of homeostasis. Like the homeostasis needed to feed all of the happy little fruits and vegetables you seem to think would be a good idea.

      A planet isn't a farm. We know just enough about ecology to know we don't know jack shit about it.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    16. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by pnutjam · · Score: 1

      Not to mention this would crater the one part of the economy that is growing, healthcare...

      --
      Cheap storage VM.
    17. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by mattack2 · · Score: 1

      So you want to steal my money to give it to people who didn't earn it?

    18. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Idou · · Score: 1

      I certainly doubt that I or anyone else alive today can take credit for this "technological terror," as the vast majority of us are alive as a direct result of said technology. Though I suppose we could take credit for the incremental progress we have contributed . . . .

      You are more than welcome to reduce the impact on the Earth by 1 human being and only 1. The rest of us will push on to drive humanity from being a mere occupant to becoming a caretaker of this precious planet. This will be accomplished by superior technology, not by superior rhetoric.

      --
      Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
    19. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Idou · · Score: 1

      steal my money

      Why are you assuming that you have any money to steal in this scenario? Do you honestly believe that there is a job that exists that cannot be automated within the next couple of centuries? When it is YOU receiving a basic income, will you have "earned it" at that point?

      I am trying to determine whether you are an overzealous workaholic puritan or just out of touch with technological progress.

      --
      Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
    20. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Idou · · Score: 1

      Seriously? Human society would not EXIST if it were not for living longer.

      --
      Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
    21. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by mattack2 · · Score: 1

      Uhh, some of us need to be the ones *working* on the computers doing the automation.

      Plus, I don't care about my wealth over the next couple of centuries.. just the next couple of decades.

    22. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Idou · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I can see how immortality could lead to risk aversion, as well. . . it is probably the perceived lack of return that prevents some older people from learning new things. . .

      --
      Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
    23. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Idou · · Score: 1

      It is alright, we can remedy the problem by boosting the glass economy and all go out and break some windows. . . Seriously, though, not reducing human suffering and wasteful use of scarce resources to "protect jobs" is banana republic economics.

      Economics and the best interest of the human race only conflict for people who do not understand one or both.

      --
      Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
    24. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Idou · · Score: 1

      Greed alone is not enough. You must also have power concentrations to be able to act on that greed with any measurable impact. The fastest growing technologies are decentralized and are eroding away power concentrations.

      --
      Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
    25. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by Idou · · Score: 1
      Hey, I am totally in the area of computational automation myself, but I would not kid myself for a minute that the writing is not on the wall. . . perhaps we are using a different tool stack, but I am constantly automating myself out of a job. . . just a matter of time before there are no jobs left to automate. . .

      Plus, I don't care about my wealth over the next couple of centuries.. just the next couple of decades

      I see, so you basically glazed over the entire article and the context of this entire thread that I started and saw an opportunity to score a political point. "Next couple of decades" does not equate as "immortality" so. . . I guess you can just move along on your own merry way then?

      --
      Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
    26. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by mattack2 · · Score: 1

      No, I just literally meant the people working on/programming/debugging the computers that are doing the automation, not anything really "deep".

      Also, I didn't really ignore the article. I don't think we're going to get to centuries of lifetime soon.

      I almost responded to one of the articles about this issue, but many/most of the responses seemed to assume that all of the anti-aging work would essentially "stretch out" time evenly. (For example, the ones talking about the birth rate going down and implying that all of these anti-aging methods would by definition mean that women in their 60s could suddenly now be having children, if they had been on the anti-aging all along.)

      Plus, seems to me like replacing us with technology (including backups, e.g. multiple hearts) AS WELL as slowing down aging, would be a better solution.

    27. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by pnutjam · · Score: 1

      oh, I agree, bu it's being done today and will be done in the future. I say accept the change and deal with the consequences. Don't ignore it and pretend we can avoid it.

      I'm not convinced this is anything but flying cars in the 50's (wishful thinking).

      --
      Cheap storage VM.
    28. Re:Easier to address aging than its symptoms. . . by CmdrTamale · · Score: 1

      make a Dyson sphere, or whatever else help ensure the continuation of the species.

      ONE Dyson sphere is not enough. We still need redundancy, But there is only room for one per star. We need interstellar travel.

  6. To quote Kosh by Solandri · · Score: 1

    "You are not ready for immortality."

  7. Curry is cheaper and tastier. by dsmatthews9379 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This drug is just a synthetic curcumin (turmeric) derivative and the statistics show that the natural substance does protect Indians, who eat a lot of it. (Old news.)

    1. Re:Curry is cheaper and tastier. by Mr+Z · · Score: 1

      I'd love to believe you, especially since I enjoy a good curry. Got a link?

      --
      Program Intellivision!
  8. Patent protected by Okian+Warrior · · Score: 1

    From the published paper:

    Salk has an issued patent on J147 licensed to Abrexa Pharmaceuticals.

    It will be interesting to see if this makes its way through the labyrinth of FDA testing within the next 40 years.

    1. Re:Patent protected by pepty · · Score: 2

      Drugs have to treat a disease to get approved, and aging isn't considered a disease. But if it is proven to treat memory loss or cardiovascular conditions it could get breakthrough status and sail through ASAP.

    2. Re:Patent protected by Ungrounded+Lightning · · Score: 1

      At $100/gram.

      And hit the "terms" tab. Excerpt:

      * "Researcher" acknowledges that all materials are supplied strictly for non-human research purposes only, except for those instances in which such is clearly and explicitly otherwise specified. ...

      Products protected by valid patents are not offered for sale in countries where the sale of such products constitutes a patent infringement. Buyers shall verify the patent status for their respective country.

      Products currently covered by valid Patents are offered for R&D use in accordance with 35 USC 271(e)+A13(1) in the US, EC Directive 2001/82/EC, 2001/83/EC, and their amendments in EU. Similar laws and rules may apply in other countries.

      So it's not offered for sale in the US, due to the patent, except possibly for R&D use under that US code section. (No time to look it up right now.)

      As I recall US law, drugs not approved are currently prohibited, under decades-old "designer drug" legislation which was passed to halt sales of an apparently unending series of minor molecular tweaks on recreational drugs (often with horrible side-effects).

      --
      Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
  9. Life is good - if you are a mouse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Apparently it is the mice that are running the planet and they got us trained to solve their health problems.

  10. Re:This is great! by easyTree · · Score: 2

    In my day, people knew the good, honest value in growing old.

    Get off my lawn, dammit!

    Where are my teeth? Who am I?

    --
    Requiem for the American Dream
  11. Re:This is Awesome by Ungrounded+Lightning · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I can't wait for them to try this on Humans!

    Note that the anti-ageing effects were seen in a strain of mutated mice that "exhibit rapid ageing". It may turn out that the drug's effects are specific for the pathway affected by the mouse line's particular genetic fault, rather than against ageing in general.

    But even if that's the case, I expect it would retard SOME aspects of age-related debilitation in normal mice and in humans. I await the results of the upcoming human trials.

    --
    Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
  12. Re:off topic by nospam007 · · Score: 2

    "Secondly, everything in the media is airbrushed. There are minimal ugly, or fat people on TV,"

    You should watch more BBC series, they have people without fake teeth, fake boobs, fake hair, fake lips, etc

  13. Re:This is great! by nospam007 · · Score: 2

    "Anti-aging! On my Slashdot? Cue the Luddites!"

    Not at all! If we live forever, we would even have time to read TFA.

  14. Here's a source by MaizeMan · · Score: 1

    Here you go: http://www.alzheimersweekly.co...

    1. Re:Here's a source by Mr+Z · · Score: 1

      Awesome. Thanks!

      --
      Program Intellivision!
  15. Why Would Anti-Aging Effects Be Surprising by sudon't · · Score: 1

    Rather than target amyloid, the lab decided to zero in on the major risk factor for the disease–old age. Using cell-based screens against old age-associated brain toxicities, they synthesized J147.

    If they're targeting "old age", why would anti-aging effects be surprising?

    Does anyone understand exactly what this drug is doing? I'm not able to parse that second sentence, possibly because my brain is too old.

    --
    -- sudon't

    Air-ride Equipped

  16. Re:off topic by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

    Firstly, race should be off topic for this web site.

    No, it shouldn't, because the site's owners don't want it that way.

    Absolutely **everything** is on-topic for this web site. Anything. Try posting a message about anything at all, no matter how offensive. It will not be deleted, it can only be moderated down. Now, try posting that same message over and over, **hundreds** or even **thousands** of times in the same article. Again, nothing will be done to stop this spam. APK has been spamming the hell out of this site, with an obvious neurological disorder, but of course nothing is done about it. There's some other racist here that keeps posting things about n******s in every single topic.

    Basically, this all shows what happens when you have too much democratization. It only takes a few loonies to ruin something, especially when they have the power of automated tools (computers) which can greatly amplify their insane writings by repeatedly posting them over and over. Pretty soon, everyone else gets sick of it and goes somewhere else where there's more moderation.

  17. Shai Halud by interdyne · · Score: 1

    He who controls the spice controls the universe.

  18. Re:I FORGOT to shove a GREASY YODA UP MY ASS! by micahraleigh · · Score: 1

    Politico used to have a guy who posted as Vince that responded to every article with "This is excellent news for Hillary Clinton".

    Usually it was hilarious to think about how that somehow related to the article.