SEATTLE — Fountains of youth, slowing aging, extending lifespans — it all sounds like science fiction or something way off, but it could be in the not-too-distant future. The Fred Hutchison Cancer Center in Seattle says drugs are in the works to slow the aging process. These are called anti-aging drugs, and researchers are optimistic that they could also help stave off cancer.
Ming Yu, a research scientist and researcher at Fred Hutch who specializes in gastrointestinal cancers, also acknowledges that the idea of anti-aging drugs fighting cancer sounds unrealistic.
“You’re probably asking, what does this have to do with anti-aging and cancer prevention?” Yu says.
Aging has been a fact of life since the dawn of mankind, and no one has been able to reverse or stop the aging process to extend lifespan or prevent age-related diseases. However, while new drugs may not be able to stop the aging process, they may be able to slow it down.
Dr. William Grady, a professor at Fred Hutchison Cancer Center, acknowledged that the drug combinations being developed may sound too good to be true.
“That really does sound like a holy grail or a fountain of youth,” Grady said.
Speaking to KIRO 7, both researchers said that at least some of the drugs could help slow aging by eliminating “zombie cells.” As if anti-aging drugs didn’t sound more like science fiction than science fact, apparently killing zombies could actually save lives.
According to the National Cancer Institute, when cells become senescent, they stop dividing but don’t die and remain in the body. Over time, zombie cells (also called senescent cells) build up in the body and release harmful substances that can cause cancer. Grady is familiar with this process.
“Senescent cells are actually part of a normal process that happens in our bodies, and normally, like a healing process, the body gets rid of senescent cells as the healing process happens, but we think that that elimination process doesn’t work as well as we get older,” Grady said.
Yu says the drug could help people of all ages eliminate things that could cause cancer.
“This treatment can kill zombie cells without harming healthy cells. It seems very promising and I think it could help people not only live longer, but healthier and hopefully cancer-free lives, which is my goal,” Yu said.
According to the National Library of Medicine, metformin, rapamycin, resveratrol, and sirtuins are the anti-aging drugs currently being investigated.
Grady says that until now, cancer prevention has focused on everyday things like eating healthy, exercising and getting enough rest.
“The main reason people get cancer is because they’re getting older,” Grady says.
He is able to kill zombie cells and stop aging to some extent. new A form of cancer prevention.
“We were particularly excited about this because it’s a crazy idea: If you treat cancer cells with these anti-aging therapies and get rid of the chemicals and substances that the zombie cells produce, you can actually see a reversal of the pro-cancer formation and pro-cancer effects of the zombie cells,” Grady said.
Yu and Grady say there are clinical trials underway for anti-aging drugs. They both acknowledge that the drugs won’t cure cancer, but if they could prevent it and help people stay young and healthy, that would be a game changer.
Yu says more work is needed.
“It’s going to be a long road, but I want everyone to have hope,” Yu said.
Meanwhile, Grady says the use of anti-aging drugs and the elimination of current cancer treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy is a win because those treatments are invasive, difficult and sometimes fail to completely remove the cancer.
“Anything we can do to prevent that is a win, in my opinion,” Grady said.
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