OMH CAPSULE: Drugs To Increase human Lifespan to 200 years Being Developed

Only My Health brings you a quick round-up of all the latest health news that you need to know.

New Therapy Enables Asthmatics Breathe Easier

New research led by Edith Cowan University has made an important discovery that could lead to more effective treatments for the world’s 262 million asthma sufferers. 

The research which was published in the European Respiratory Journal focused on urine analysis; specifically on carnitines.

Carnitine is a quaternary ammonium compound that plays a vital role in energy production and fatty acid metabolism.

A study led by Dr Stacey Reinke and Dr Craig Wheelock found that carnitine metabolism was lower in severe asthmatics, compared to mild-to-moderate asthmatics and healthy individuals. 

Although these are just preliminary results, according to Dr Reinke, researchers "will continue to investigate carnitine metabolism to evaluate its potential as a new asthma treatment target."

These new findings will help enable researchers to work towards new, more effective therapies for asthmatics.

AI to Detect COVID-19 from Chest CT Scans

Currently, the diagnosis of COVID-19 is done by rapid antigen test and RT-PCR test.

Researchers have now created a new AI tool that can detect COVID-19. The software analyses chest CT scans and uses deep learning algorithms to accurately diagnose the disease. With an accuracy rate of 97.86%, it is currently the most successful COVID-19 diagnostic tool in the world.

The technology is developed by researchers from the University of Leicester. They will now further develop this AI tool in the hope that the Covid computer may eventually replace the need for radiologists to diagnose COVID-19 in clinics. 

The software can even be deployed in portable devices such as smartphones. It will also be adapted and expanded to detect and diagnose other diseases such as breast cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, and cardiovascular diseases.

Drugs To Increase human Lifespan to 200 years Being Developed

What would your reaction be if I say that you can actually live for 200 years? No, it's not the plot of some science fiction movie. 

But, according to British scientist Dr Andrew Steele, drugs that could extend life expectancy to the age of 200 are in the developmental stage.

Dr Andrew Steele is a computational biologist and author of a new book called “Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old.” 

He claims that new advances in the field of senolytics could be crucial to humans potentially hitting the double century mark. Senolytics are a class of drugs that destroy tissue-degrading cells and can extend the human lifespan.

The crucial development would be creating drugs that can focus on destroying senescent cells, also known as 'zombie' cells. These are cells that stop dividing and start accumulating in our bodies, eventually releasing compounds that accelerate the process.

The first evidence of the efficacy of senolytics was published in 2020. The research in The Lancet tested these drugs on mice and found that the administration of senolytic agents has been shown to improve physical function and extend lifespan.