The clinical results of 'reversing aging molecules' at the University of Tokyo are public: 65-year-old 'reverse growth'

A man is not old, his legs are old. This is a popular saying among the people. Modern medical statistics also demonstrate this point of view: in recent years, the relationship between falls and death among the elderly has become deeper and the proportion has increased, and the reason behind it is the degeneration of the leg muscles.

In response to muscle decline, an important aging indicator, Toshimasa Yamauchi, a professor of metabolic diseases at the University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Japan, published a research progress: Through the intervention of "nicotinamide" molecules for three months, the experimental group of 65-year-olds can maintain a "reverse growth" state. The paper was published in the sub-journal of "Nature" in preprint form, which has generated a huge response in the global aging medical community.

Lie down to build muscle? Positive results of clinical trials were announced, increasing muscle by 7%

Different from animal experiments such as "nematodes" and mice in previous research reports in the aging field, this study by the University of Tokyo is the first experiment to obtain positive indicators of reversal of aging in human clinical practice.

Professor Toshimasa's research group recruited 21 healthy elderly men aged 65 and above as research subjects. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was used to supplement the elderly with 250 mg of nicotinamide every day, and the final result reached a clinical statistical difference (p<0.05), confirming the pace, grip strength, and exercise ability of elderly men. And muscle strength and other indicators increased by about 7%, and hearing and cognition were also significantly improved.

As early as 2014, "nicotinamide" was considered to be the key enzyme responsible for cellular energy metabolism in mammals such as humans. D. Sinclair, director of the Center for Aging Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Shinichiro Imai, professor of developmental biology at Washington University School of Medicine, successively made Experimental animals confirmed its "aging control" effect in vivo: the average remaining lifespan of the old mice in the experimental group was extended from 2 months to 4.6 months (equivalent to the human lifespan extending from only 6 years to 13.8 years).

The underlying mechanism: enhance the energy supply of cell mitochondria

In the famous biology book "Biology of Aging", there is a clear definition of aging: with the passage of time and environmental changes, cells and organisms will change in structure and function. In this regard, the "Time School", a scientific research team of Fudan University, further interpreted: the mitochondria of cells are like an energy factory, and 95% of the energy conversion of the human body depends on it. This energy transformation turns the food we eat into the fuel that supports our normal walking, movement, and life. The quality and quantity of mitochondria in cells determines how the passage of time affects our bodies. And this has also become another mainstream research direction in the aging medical field in addition to senescent cell removal technology and gene editing.

At present, Japan's Keio University, Kyoto University, National Yamaguchi University and the non-profit organization SBI are actively promoting it. Up to now, more than 1,000 scientific papers have been published in the global scientific research community to verify its role. The substance has become a key research project of the Japanese government, with the goal of improving the healthy lifespan of aging populations. The Pelovit-like molecular agents developed by a local century-old Japanese pharmaceutical factory on the basis of a number of studies have also opened up the competition for this type of "aging control" technology. Behind this, there are prominent problems such as the continuous expansion of medical expenses for the elderly in Japan and the shortage of labor.

In 2013, Japanese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Taro Aso made an astonishing remark: "The sooner the elderly die, the Japanese economy can be saved." According to the data released by the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the elderly group over the age of 65 accounted for 29%, which means Behind every old man's financial expenses, there are two hard-working young people. In order to solve this problem, Japan began to implement the "Elderly Employment Stabilization Law", which mentioned strategies such as "delaying the retirement age to 70 years old" and "lifetime work system".

Its severe population situation has made the iterative and practical achievements of "aging control" technologies popularized and become a favorable breakthrough for the challenge of aging.

Therefore, another major significance of this clinical trial at the University of Tokyo is that the improvement of muscle endurance, hearing, etc. shown by nicotinamide in the elderly population makes it capable of overcoming human aging-related degenerative diseases (such as muscle weakness). , hearing impairment, etc.) problems. In this regard, Japan's "Yomiuri Shimbun" said: With the application of cutting-edge life technology, the healthy life expectancy of Japanese citizens will be further extended, and the working population will increase exponentially. By then, the era of normal work for centenarians may come. .

03. Multi-country layout of "aging control" track, goal: healthy aging

In fact, improving the healthy lifespan of the elderly is also a global concern. The UK's "Aging Research Programme" pointed out that by increasing the healthy lifespan of the elderly and reducing the incidence of old age by 1% per year, by 2030, the annual medical expenditure in the UK will be reduced by 6.3 billion pounds.

China's aging situation is equally grim. There is no shortage of entrants in the field of big health in China. Because they value the market potential of such "young molecules", they have introduced the research results of aging control such as "Piloway" into JD.com. According to the consumption profile published by 618, the age group of the audience of "Panovit" molecular agents has shown a downward trend, spreading from the original 45-55 years old to the 30-year-old group. In the more than 20,000 pieces of feedback, it can also be clearly felt that in the tense rhythm of modern society, "improvement of energy and sleep" is often mentioned. A research report released by CITIC Securities predicts that by 2025, the market size of such "aging control" technologies will reach about 100 billion.

Just a few days before the University of Tokyo study was published, Shin-Ichiro Imai's research group also published a 10-week clinical safety verification study of nicotinamide in "Science" and found that the subjects' muscles were affected by aging. Reduced insulin sensitivity increased by nearly 25%.

The results have excited academia. However, it is undeniable that follow-up research still needs to be further quantified. In the future, perhaps the clinical research cycle of nicotinamide substances will gradually extend from 12 weeks to the entire life cycle, and the research objects will also move from healthy people to aging-related disease groups such as premature aging, myasthenia, and Alzheimer's disease patients.

The road ahead is long. Fortunately, the recent breakthroughs in life medicine and the influx of capital have brought the era of science and technology extending health a step closer.