A midlife longevity drug?

摘要

Anti-ageing drugs - compounds that slow the hands of time and allow humans to live far beyond their natural span - have long been fertile ground for science-fiction writers. More recently, however, the possibility that such compounds might exist, and might perhaps even be within reach, has gained scientific credibility. In this issue (page 392), Harrison et al. provide evidence that pharmacological intervention in the ageing process is feasible in mammals. They report that dietary supplementation with rapamycin - a compound known to be linked to lifespan in invertebrates - significantly increases the lifespan of mice.