Post by Nats on Aug 18, 2015 22:57:56 GMT
olecular biologist David Sinclair wants to revolutionise the way people age. Sinclair is 46, but he's been obsessed with what he calls "the gravity of life" since he was 4 years old.
A professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the university's Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for the Molecular Biology of Ageing, he has founded a slew of startup biotechnology companies with the lofty aim of developing drugs intended to extend the human life span. Specifically, he wants to create a pill that could simultaneously combat Alzheimer's disease, cancer, diabetes and heart disease to ensure that people live longer, healthier lives.
Sinclair is at the forefront of research investigating a chemical called resveratrol, a compound found in such plants as grapes and cocoa, that works by activating SIRT1, a protein believed to play a role in regulating life span in animals. The research has been controversial, with some scientists saying such an anti-ageing elixir has been overhyped. But Sinclair is forging ahead with his research and studying other molecules that might combat diseases associated with ageing. A new study by Sinclair and colleagues in the European Heart Journal details how SIRT1 might also be involved in cardiovascular disease. Sinclair talked to The Post recently about the future of ageing.
A professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the university's Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for the Molecular Biology of Ageing, he has founded a slew of startup biotechnology companies with the lofty aim of developing drugs intended to extend the human life span. Specifically, he wants to create a pill that could simultaneously combat Alzheimer's disease, cancer, diabetes and heart disease to ensure that people live longer, healthier lives.
Sinclair is at the forefront of research investigating a chemical called resveratrol, a compound found in such plants as grapes and cocoa, that works by activating SIRT1, a protein believed to play a role in regulating life span in animals. The research has been controversial, with some scientists saying such an anti-ageing elixir has been overhyped. But Sinclair is forging ahead with his research and studying other molecules that might combat diseases associated with ageing. A new study by Sinclair and colleagues in the European Heart Journal details how SIRT1 might also be involved in cardiovascular disease. Sinclair talked to The Post recently about the future of ageing.
