SEATTLE — The fountain of youth, slowing aging, extending lifespans — it all sounds like science fiction or the distant future, but it may not be that far away. Fred Hutchison Cancer Center in Seattle said drugs are being developed to slow the aging process. These are called anti-aging drugs, and researchers are optimistic that they may also help fight cancer.
Ming Yu is a researcher and scientist at Fred Hutch with a focus on gastrointestinal cancer. She also admits that her idea of fighting cancer with anti-aging drugs sounds far-fetched.
“Some people may wonder what anti-aging and cancer prevention have to do,” Yu said.
Dr. William Grady, a professor at the Fred Hutchison Cancer Center, agrees that the drug combinations being developed sound a little too good to be true.
Aging is a natural fact of almost all of human existence, and no one can truly reverse or stop aging to the extent that one can actually extend lifespan or prevent age-related diseases. I could not do it. But while new drugs may not be able to stop the progression to aging, they may help halt it.
“It just sounds like the holy grail or the fountain of youth,” Grady said.
As if anti-aging drugs didn’t already sound like science fiction rather than scientific fact, both researchers who spoke to KIRO 7 said these drugs, at least some of them, eliminate “zombie cells.” He said that this may help control aging. Apparently, killing zombies can indeed save lives.
According to the National Cancer Institute, cells age and stop dividing, but they do not die and remain in the body. Over time, zombie (also known as senescent) cells accumulate in the body and release harmful substances that can cause cancer. Grady is familiar with the process.
“Senescent cells are actually part of the normal processes that occur in our bodies, and normally processes such as healing occur, and when that healing process occurs, the body gets rid of senescent cells, but we “We believe that as we get older, the clearance process becomes less effective.” Grady.
Yu says the drug could help eliminate one potential cause of cancer for everyone at any age.
“We can kill zombie cells without harming normal cells… It seems very promising and could help people not only live longer, but healthier and hopefully cancer-free lives. I think that is also my goal,” Yu said. .
According to the National Library of Medicine, metformin, rapamycin, resveratrol, and sirtuins are anti-aging drugs currently under investigation.
Until now, Grady said, cancer prevention has been in the everyday realm of eating a healthy diet, exercising, and getting enough rest.
“The main reason people get cancer is because we get older,” Grady says.
He thinks it might be possible to kill zombie cells and stop aging to some extent. new A type of cancer prevention.
“This is a wild idea, and that’s why we were particularly excited…When you treat cancer cells with these anti-aging therapies and remove these chemicals and substances that these zombie cells make, you actually “We’re seeing a reversal of the pro- and cancer-promoting effects of these zombie cells,” Grady said.
Yu and Grady said clinical trials of anti-aging drugs are underway. We fully acknowledge that this drug will not cure cancer, but if it can prevent cancer and keep people young and healthy, that would be a game-changer.
Yu says more efforts are needed.
“It’s probably going to be a long road, but I want everyone out there to have hope,” Yu said.
Grady says the prospect of using anti-aging drugs and eliminating the need for current cancer treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy is a win, but these processes are often invasive and difficult. This is because there are cases where the cancer cannot be truly removed.
“In my opinion, anything we can do to prevent that is a win,” Grady said.
