Mouse model suggests potential treatment of age-related diseases.

International researchers looking at a compound called resveratrol found that it reversed the adverse effects of a high calorie diet in mice. They studied three groups of mice:

• Lean Mice: living on a normal diet
• Untreated Mice: living on a high calorie diet; these mice became obeses
• Treated Mice: living on a high calorie diet; treated with resveratrol

The paper published in Nature talks about the observed changes associated with longer life-span, and reversal of most changes in genetic pathways found in mice on high calorie diets, including some associated with diabetes, and heart disease. All in all, the risk of death was cut by 31% for mice treated with resveratrol, living as long as lean mice. Not just that, treated mice performed better on motor skills tests than untreated obese mice, to the point that treated mice and lean mice were indistinguishable.

So where does resveratrol come from? Resveratrol is found in grapes and red wines but is produced by a variety of plants when put under stress. It was first discovered in 2003 and has since been found to extend the lifespan of diverse species, from worms, to fruit flies, and now, mice. We do know the protein it affects in the cells (a protein called Sir2). Incidentally, Sir2 is also implicated in effects of calorie-restricted diets.

The next steps are clear now: we need studies on humans to figure out the exact effects, and hopefully move towards a drug. We also need more studies on Sir2 since clearly it's an important player in this area of living. Maybe we can find more compounds that affect its function.

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