EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 31 AUGUST 2000
Contact: Holly Korschun
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404-727-3990
Emory University Health Sciences Center
Drug therapy significantly extends lifespan of worms
Using drugs that help eliminate oxygen radicals -- the toxic byproducts
of metabolism -- scientists have extended the normal lifespan of the
nematode worm C. elegans by approximately 50 percent. In addition, the
scientists
restored a normal lifespan to mutant worms that had a mitochondrial
defect causing increased oxygen radical production and rapid aging. The
findings were reported in the September 1, 2000 issue of Science.
The collaborative research was conducted by Simon Melov, Ph.D., of the
Buck Center for Research in Aging and formerly of the Center for
Molecular Medicine at Emory University; Gordon Lithgow, Ph.D.,
University of
Manchester, UK; Douglas Wallace, Ph.D., director of the Center for
Molecular Medicine at Emory University; and Susan Doctrow, Ph.D. and
Bernard Malfroy, Ph.D. of Eukarion, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company.
The drugs used in the experiments are synthetic forms of superoxide
dismutase and catalase -- enzymes that naturally help control oxidative
stress. Although they have an anti-oxidant effect, the compounds are
much more
powerful than simple anti-oxidants such as vitamin E, which eliminate
individual oxygen radical molecules one-on-one and quickly lose their
effectiveness. The new synthetic compounds are catalytic drugs that
convert
oxygen radicals to water, then reconstitute themselves in a
cogwheel-like process that continues to destroy additional oxygen
radicals as long as the drugs remain in the body.
Since the early 1970s, Dr. Wallace and his colleagues in Emory's Center
for Molecular Medicine have been studying mitochondria -- the tiny power
plants located in the cytoplasm of cells. Dr. Wallace believes that
by demonstrating the effectiveness of these drugs in slowing the
aging process, this work supports his long-held hypothesis that oxygen
radicals generated in the mitochondria during metabolism are a major
cause of degenerative
diseases and aging.
As byproducts of energy generation, says Dr. Wallace, oxygen radicals
generated inside the mitochondria inhibit mitochondrial function and
gradually destroy the mitochondrial DNA, which are the blueprints
necessary to keep these power plants of the body functioning.
"If you have a power plant that burns coal, you will get energy but also
toxic smoke. You can decrease the toxicity of the smoke by putting a
scrubber into the smokestack. In this case, we are putting in a
catalytic drug which acts like a scrubber to eliminate the oxygen
radicals," he explains. "We believe this protects the mitochondria and
the cell from being damaged by the mitochondrial toxic byproducts and
allows them to function efficiently for much longer."
Advancing age is a common component of many diseases, including
Alzheimer's, PARKINSON'S diabetes and cardiovascular disease. By
affecting the aging process overall, scientists hope they will be able
to defer the onset of
many age-related disorders.
Dr. Wallace believes this research opens the door to a wide range of
additional drugs that could be developed with similar or even better
effects, which will be a major goal of Emory's Center for Molecular
Medicine.
Addd'l Media Contacts: Sarah Goodwin, 404/727-3366 -- [log in to unmask]
Kathi Ovnic, 404/727-9371 -- [log in to unmask]
Source: EurekAlert!
--
Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
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