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http://dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/health/story.html?s=z/reuters/980601/health/stories/sod14_1.html Monday June 1, 1998 NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Recent studies have shown that the accumulation of "reactive oxygen species" -- toxic byproducts of cellular metabolism -- plays an important role in the aging process. Now, research in fruit flies indicates that an enzyme involved in the detoxification of reactive oxygen species, superoxide dismutase, may help protect against aging and actually increase lifespan. A role for the aging effects of reactive oxygen species has been specifically examined in motorneurons -- neurons involved in controlling muscles -- in the brain and spinal cord, which tend to deteriorate with age. Researchers have linked the gradual loss of these neurons with the build-up of reactive oxygen species, either the result of increased production of the molecules with age or decreased detoxification of them. <snip> -- Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada [log in to unmask]