Pathways to the decisive extension of the human specific lifespan.
Three approaches to reversal or removal of gerogenic aggregations of macromolecules have shown promise. Of these the enzyme approach is the most gentle, and can be made specific. Aside from this, the lower the molecular weight of an enzyme, the better chance it will have to be immunologically tolerated as well as replicated synthetically in whole or in part. The chelating approach provides a powerful means for removing a single class of unwanted, random crosslinkages, i.e., those due to extraneous polyvalent metals such as lead, cadmium and aluminum. The free hydroxyl radical approach is the most penetrant and most versatile means for removing otherwise insoluble aggregates, but its very lack of specificity will demand great foresight in control and use. Together, these three methods, when properly applied, might bring some principal objectives of gerontology within closer range.
D000818:Animals; D002614:Chelating Agents; D004798:Enzymes; D005260:Female; D005609:Free Radicals; D008136:Longevity; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats
D002614:Chelating Agents; D004798:Enzymes; D005609:Free Radicals; D046911:Macromolecular Substances