Scientists discover anti-ageing effects of diabetes drug http://www.inpharm.com/External/InpH/1,2688,1-4-0-0-inp_intelligence_news-0-45815,00.html [Published: 24 April 2003 Source: Espicom Business Intelligence] A drug used to treat diabetes has been found to produce anti-ageing effects similar to those of caloric restriction (CR), an experimental method that retards ageing, prevents age-related diseases, prolongs youth and extends life span. Researchers at BioMarker Pharmaceuticals have discovered that metformin can mimic changes in gene expression found in CR mice, which live longer than normally-fed mice. Metformin has also been found to extend life span in mice by 20 per cent. CR is a difficult regimen to apply in humans. BioMarker's goal is to develop therapies that mimic the effects of CR to enable people to live longer, healthier lives. Until recently, the only accepted method of evaluating therapies for their anti-ageing effects was their ability to extend maximum life span. However, life span studies take a long time. To combat this problem, BioMarker uses high-density DNA microarrays to detect gene expression quickly in thousands of genes at a time. BioMarker has found that 70 per cent of the gene expression changes in ageing mice are reversed in only two to four weeks in CR mice. By comparing gene expression in metformin-treated animals with gene expression in CR animals, BioMarker discovered that metformin might be an anti-ageing drug. _________________________________________________________________ Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963