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CanScientistsSlowDownAging?Forbes

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11/29/2015@7:00AM 7,772views

CanScientistsSlowDownAging?
NextAvenue,Contributor

ByRichardHarris,NextAvenueContributor
Injustoveramonth,thefirstoftheboomerswillturn
70.Asifthatmilestonewerentjarringenough,think
aboutthis:By2050,theboomerswillbelargely
responsiblefornearlydoublingAmericaspopulation
over65.Andastheyage,manyoftheboomers
likethosewhocamebeforethemwillcomedown
withanassortmentofagerelateddiseases,ranging
fromcancertoheartdiseaseanddiabetestoperhaps
thecruelestofall,Alzheimers.
Thatis,unlessscienceintervenes.
Butwhatifwecoulddelaytheagingprocess?Not
reverseitBenjaminButtonstylejustslowitdown,so
thediseasesthattypicallyaccompanyaging,
especiallyasyoumoveintoyour60sand70s,dont
showupuntilyearslater?Imaginehowslowingaging
wouldeasetheburdensonthehealthcaresystemand
economy.Ifthecrushofolderpeoplecouldextend
theirhealthspanthatis,theyearstheystayhealthy
astheyageitwouldprofoundlyimprovetheir
qualityoflifeandcutdownonthevastresources
neededtotreatthem.
(More:2015InfluencersonAging)

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Dr.NirBarzilai,directoroftheInstituteforAging
ResearchattheAlbertEinsteinCollegeofMedicine,
believeshesfoundawaytodojustthat:tomirrorthe
slowagingofthecentenarianshehasstudiedusinga
drugshowntohaveanantiagingeffectinsome
animals.Inanswertoskepticswhobristleatthe
thoughtofanotherantiagingcharlatansellingan
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CanScientistsSlowDownAging?Forbes

elixir,Barzilaiisquicktoinsistthatthisishard
science,notquackeryorsomemadchaseforthe
fountainofyouth.
Hisquesttoprovethathesdiscoveredagame
changerinthehistoryofagingresearchisthesubject
ofafascinatingnewepisodeofBreakthrough,a
documentaryseriesproducedbyRonHowards
ImagineEntertainmentthatexplorescuttingedge
science.TheAgeofAgingairsonSundayNov.29on
theNationalGeographicchannel.

AnUnprecedentedStudy
BarzilaiandhisteamaretryingtoconvincetheFood
andDrugAdministration(FDA)toapprovean
ambitiousandunprecedented3,000person,sixyear
clinicalstudy.Itwouldtesttheeffectsonagingofan
oldandinexpensivedrugfortype2diabetescalled
Metforminthathadbeenshowntomodifyagingin
someanimalstudies.(Barzilaialsoservesasdeputy
scientificdirectoroftheAmericanFederationfor
AgingResearch,thegroupsponsoringthestudy.)
Barzilaiissoconfidentthedrugcoulddothesamefor
humansthatheinvitedafilmcrewtocapture
preparationslastJuneforhisteamshighstakespitch
toFDAofficials.Ifapproved,itwouldbethefirst
studyofadrugtospecificallytargettheprocessof
humanaging.Hehopestolaunchitinsummer2016.
Wethinkthisisahistoricdayforus,hetoldthe
filmmakers.Weregoingtooffersomethingthatis
paradigmchanging.
Thenotionofslowingdowntheagingclockwasso
intriguingtoHoward,whoexploredthisthemeinthe
comedymovieCocoon,thathedecidedthiswouldbe
theoneepisodeofBreakthroughhewoulddirectand
narrate.
(More:AgingTakesCenterStageOnandOff
Broadway)
IthinkthesubjectappealedtoRonbecausehegrew
uponthepublicstage,saysKurtSayenga,afellow
boomerandtheseriesexecutiveproducer.
Indeed,duringthebroadcastyouseeHoward,oneof
themostchronicledboomers,agebeforeoureyes
fromyoungOpieonTheAndyGriffithShowtoRichie
CunninghamonHappyDaystothebalding61year
oldentertainmentchairmanoftoday.
Howardandhisteamscrappedtheoriginalconcept
fortheshowoncetheydiscoveredthatagingresearch
wasonthevergeofsomethingbig.Thisoriginally
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startedasaprogramaboutimmortalistsandwhether
wecanliveforever,Sayengasays,butoncewe
realizedthatscientistsmightsoonallowpeopletolive
healthier,farlonger,itfitintothethemeof
theBreakthroughseries:scientificexplorationwhere
peopleweremakingadifference.

ADrugtoSlowAging
Asboomersbegintomarchintotheirretirement
years,itsnotunusualforthemtoprojectaheadand
despairattheprospectofaging.Evenforyounger
boomers,theresfear.ForSayenga,itsAlzheimers
thatscareshim,thatgradualchippingawayofyour
brains.Verypainful.Idliketoavoidthat.
Barzilai,too,fearsthelossofhiscognitivefunction.
Itsoneofthereasonshesmotivatedtofindawayto
preventthechronic,debilitatingdiseasesofaging.
HeanticipatestheFDAwillapprovetheMetformin
trialandsuspectsthenextgenerationofdrugswillbe
evenmoreeffective.
Cameraswerenotpermittedattheofficialmeeting
whereBarzilaipresentedhisPowerPointonplansfor
hisclinicalstudy.AndDr.RobertTemple,theFDAs
deputydirectorforclinicalscienceintheCenterfor
DrugEvaluationandResearch,isnotmakingany
promises,ofcourse.
Thestudyofaging,andtheideathatyoumightbe
abletotreatagingasacondition,isanewand
intriguingareaofscience,TemplerecentlytoldNext
Avenue.Theresstillalotwedontknow.
Butonthedayofthepresentation,hegave
filmmakersasenseofthepotential:Ifyouarereally
doingsomethingtoalteraging,thepopulationof
interestiseverybody,hesaid.Itwouldsurelybe
revolutionaryiftheycanbringitoff.

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