The mystery of eternal life and the search for a recipe for a cure for aging have haunted numerous scientists for centuries. Researchers studied the structure of the human body, conducted countless experiments on insects, rodents and animals, in an attempt to find out: how can you slow down the aging process? But, despite a number of loud statements from various scientific teams from different countries, things are still there. Russian scientists also contribute to the common cause. Moreover, they were the first to decide to entrust the search for the secret of eternal youth to a computer algorithm.
Researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) have published an article in the scientific journal Aging about their new research. Over the past decade, scientists from all over the world have isolated a huge amount of substances that, to one degree or another, are involved in the complex processes of development, renewal and aging of laboratory animals. However, how exactly these substances will behave in the case of people is an open question. Of course, no one will allow scientists to conduct experiments on living people, based only on the results of experiments on animals. Therefore, they will be helped by a special algorithm that simulates the behavior of these substances inside the human body.
MIPT is working on the software in collaboration with the American company InSilico Medicine, co-founded and chaired by Russian doctor Alexander Zhavoronkov. At one time, we have already told you about his contribution to the issues of biotechnology, regenerative medicine and the economics of aging. In his spare time, Alexander works as a visiting professor at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, so this cooperation is not surprising. The published scientific article presents the results of the study of the first 70 substances by the Russian algorithm. The project manager is Alexey Moskalev, and besides his American colleagues, scientists from China also help him.
The developed algorithm was named "HEROSCOPE" (from the ancient Greek "gérontos" - old man, and "scopéō" - look). The program simulates in great detail the influence of the initial substance on the work of human genes and assesses all possible consequences for the body. From the 70 first substances passed through the algorithm, scientists have identified 10 most promising. At the same time, it was possible to do without dangerous experiments on real experimental people. Already today, it is safe to say that the two types of molecules NAC and PD-98059 really prolong the life of living cells.
Scientists consider such a step very important, because 92% of drugs that have successfully passed experiments on animals fail miserably as soon as it comes to testing on humans. And the "GEROSCOPE" algorithm will significantly simplify, accelerate and reduce the cost of such clinical trials. Today, this is indeed a real breakthrough for world science, and it is very pleasant to realize that Russian scientists have had a hand in it.
SERGEY GRAY