人們一直在尋找能延長壽命的物質(zhì),，英國《自然》雜志網(wǎng)站刊登一項最新研究說，一種常被用作染色素的物質(zhì)可能具有這種效果,。對線蟲的實驗顯示,，這種物質(zhì)可以將其壽命平均延長60%。
美國和瑞典研究人員報告說,，生物的機體組織之所以衰老,，常常是因為一些已經(jīng)變形而變得有害的蛋白質(zhì)堆積而引起，比如老年癡呆癥就是由貝塔淀粉樣蛋白的堆積引起,。在相關(guān)研究中,，人們常用一種名為“硫黃素T”或“堿性黃1”的染色素對貝塔淀粉樣蛋白等蛋白質(zhì)著色，以幫助觀察,。
研究發(fā)現(xiàn),，如果對線蟲使用一定量的這種染色素，可以大幅延長其壽命,。在對比實驗中，未使用這種染色素的線蟲在20天內(nèi)全部死亡,，而使用這種染色素的大部分線蟲在20天后還活著,。
研究人員推測說，這可能是因為這種染色素能夠提醒機體組織這些有害蛋白質(zhì)的存在,，從而觸發(fā)機體自身排除有害蛋白質(zhì)的機制,，降低有害蛋白質(zhì)的含量。因此,，如果能在此基礎(chǔ)上研發(fā)出適用于人類的藥物,，也許可以幫助人類延長壽命。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原文出處：
Nature doi:10.1038/nature09873
Amyloid-binding compounds maintain protein homeostasis during ageing and extend lifespan
Silvestre Alavez,1 Maithili C. Vantipalli,1 David J. S. Zucker,1, 2 Ida M. Klang1, 3 & Gordon J. Lithgow1
Genetic studies indicate that protein homeostasis is a major contributor to metazoan longevity1. Collapse of protein homeostasis results in protein misfolding cascades and the accumulation of insoluble protein fibrils and aggregates, such as amyloids2. A group of small molecules, traditionally used in histopathology to stain amyloid in tissues, bind protein fibrils and slow aggregation in vitro and in cell culture3, 4. We proposed that treating animals with such compounds would promote protein homeostasis in vivo and increase longevity. Here we show that exposure of adult Caenorhabditis elegans to the amyloid-binding dye Thioflavin T (ThT) resulted in a profoundly extended lifespan and slowed ageing. ThT also suppressed pathological features of mutant metastable proteins and human β-amyloid-associated toxicity. These beneficial effects of ThT depend on the protein homeostasis network regulator heat shock factor 1 (HSF-1), the stress resistance and longevity transcription factor SKN-1, molecular chaperones, autophagy and proteosomal functions. Our results demonstrate that pharmacological maintenance of the protein homeostatic network has a profound impact on ageing rates, prompting the development of novel therapeutic interventions against ageing and age-related diseases.
