Easter Island compound extends lifespan of old mice
Wednesday, July 8, 2009 - 12:14
in Biology & Nature
The giant monoliths of Easter Island are worn, but they have endured for centuries. New research suggests that a compound first discovered in the soil of the South Pacific island might help us stand the test of time, too. Today in the journal Nature, The University of Texas Health Science Centre at San Antonio and two collaborating centres reported that the Easter Island compound - called 'rapamycin' after the island's Polynesian name, Rapa Nui - extended the expected lifespan of middle-aged mice by 28 percent to 38 percent. In human terms, this would be greater than the predicted increase in extra years of life if cancer and heart disease were both cured and prevented...
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