Extension of Life-Span with Superoxide Dismutase/Catalase Mimetics

✍ Scribed by Melov, S.

• Book ID: 121162952
• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 168 KB
• Volume: 289
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0036-8075
• DOI: 10.1126/science.289.5484.1567

✦ Synopsis

We tested the theory that reactive oxygen species cause aging. We augmented the natural antioxidant systems of
Caenorhabditis elegans
with small synthetic superoxide dismutase/catalase mimetics. Treatment of wild-type worms increased their mean life-span by a mean of 44 percent, and treatment of prematurely aging worms resulted in normalization of their life-span (a 67 percent increase). It appears that oxidative stress is a major determinant of life-span and that it can be counteracted by pharmacological intervention.