Here's an example of how many if not most of today's researchers seek to change normal biochemistry, which may have deleterious effects (for instance, "side effects" from drugs meant to enhance or inhibit certain kinds of enzymatic activity), rather than just determining what people can do by themselves to avoid the problem:
QUOTE: Protein degradation and malfunction is a major cause of ageing and can be the result of attacks on proteins by other molecules.
One of these processes, called glycation, involves the spontaneous attack by sugars on proteins. If glycation gets out of hand many proteins are degraded or destroyed -- proteins which are important for the proper functioning of the body. Protection against glycation declines with age leading to increasing glycation damage with increasing age. A critical enzyme involved in protection against glycation is "Glyoxalase 1"...
"This work shows for the first time that this enzyme also protects proteins against damage by oxidation and nitration", says Professor Thornalley. The enzyme works by converting the damaging reactive products of glycation derived from glucose into harmless compounds. "This implies that glycation promotes multiple types of protein damage in ageing", says Prof Thornalley who will present his findings in the same session as plant scientist, Professor Dr Sudhir Sopory (International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi).
Professor Sopory has shown in tobacco and rice plants that increasing glyoxalase 1 enhances resistance to stress conditions, which demonstrates that the enzyme plays a similar role in both animal and plant systems in preventing protein damage. UNQUOTE.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070402102354.htm |
Free Forum Hosting
Important Announcement
Prev Message
