The Cause of Aging... Really?

The LA Times reported that researchers have discovered new insights into the "cause" of aging (Rodent of the week: Finding the root cause of aging, 11/28). Really? You mean getting older is off the table as a cause??

Shari Roan, one of the Booster Shot's contributors, does a great job of trying to break down the results of the study for the common people. It's hard, though, when you're translating from this:

The yeast sirtuin (Sir2) is a histone deacetylase that modulates yeast replicative life span by suppressing genome instability through chromatin modification. In this issue, Oberdoerffer et al. (2008) report that SIRT1, the mammalian ortholog of Sir2, is involved in DNA damage-induced chromatin reorganization, which promotes genome stability in mammalian cells.

Right. What? Who's even talking?

Honestly, I don't understand this at all, and it creeps me out. When dense, science-y research like this is reported, I always wish that the article went that extra step to detail the implications of the discovery. Like, does this mean that in 20 years we'll be immortal? Or is this information more important for the cosmetic industry to develop better anti-aging eye creams? It's very hard/impossible to tell.

The first thing I thought of when I read this article was Tuck Everlasting. I'm afraid that these guys are going to be kidnapped just like Winnie after she found Jesse drinking from the spring.



So... good luck with that.