To have eternal youth has long been the ultimate desire for the human race. For the majority of people that means looking after our skin, wearing sunscreen, applying a quality moisturiser and having occasional Botox treatments. However, technology and research are moving at an incredible pace in this scientific field, with researchers looking at ways of effectively slowing down and even reversing the signs of aging. Here we look at the amazing advances that could one day be a reality:
Lab-Made Skin
This sounds like something from a sci-fi horror movie but it’s an exciting prospect for those who suffer from lines and wrinkles. The concept involves wearing an overlay of transparent skin as a film on the face or body, instantly making skin look more youthful. It’s a silicone-based polymer that can cover bags under the eyes and wrinkles. It was designed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and makes skin look younger and feel more elastic. It is applied in a series of two creams which then dry into a transparent film that can be removed and thrown away after a day’s use. At the moment, we can still rely on Botox to ease our frown lines and crow’s feet. For Gloucester Botox, check out Botox Treatments in Gloucestershire by Doctor Kate
Removing Disease from DNA
Scientists think this could become a reality within 5 years. You could have your DNA edited to remove genetic conditions that affect eyesight. Editas Medicine, the company behind the technology, want to be the first lab to modify people’s DNA to improve their health. The technology involves the latest gene-editing methods known as Crispr. This stands for Clustered, Regularly Interspaced, Short Palindromic Repeat, a natural process that bacteria use as a defence mechanism that is used in the technology to rid DNA of mutated parts. The bad bits are cut out and replaced with other parts of our DNA. Ethically debatable, this technology could in the future be used to tweak DNA for areas such as youthfulness, intelligence and beauty.
Anti-Aging Pill
At the present time, there is no go-to pill for anti-aging but that doesn’t stop manufacturers from trying new anti-aging concoctions regularly. There is a brand of gin that contains collagen for example, and chocolate developed by Cambridge scientists that promises to keep your skin looking youthful. Successful anti-aging pills are likely to come from existing drugs that are currently used for other purposes. For example, it was recently discovered that flies given a cancer drug lived for 12% longer. Lithium used to treat bipolar disorder has been shown to increase longevity by 18%. A drug called rapamycin has also shown promise. It’s currently used to suppress the immune system in transplant patients but has improved heart health in dogs, prolonged life in mice by almost 40% and boosts vaccine response in the elderly. While not used for anti-aging purposes yet, it is possible that a drug already exists that could be tweaked to provide anti-aging benefits.