AP41761

**'Rewired' mice show signs of longer lives with fewer age-related illnesses**
A new drug being designed to fight cancer is being evaluated at Wistar Institute, this new drug is also believed to have the solution to prolonging life. Researchers are now studying mice that lack a specific protein, TRAP-1 protein to be exact, which is an important regulator of metabolism and provides regulation inside the mitochondria(Gen Psych, Chapter 2, pp. 38) in humans. It is also important to note that TRAP-1 protein is found to be overproduced inside cancer cells. These mice are bred to lack the TRAP-1 protein, during observation these mice showed fewer signs of aging and are believed to be less likely to develop cancers. The Wistar team's report shows how mice bred to lack the TRAP-1 protein compensate for this loss by switching to alternative cellular mechanisms for making energy via ATP inside the mitochondria. (ScienceDaily) Without TRAP-1 protein, tumor cells fail to produce energy which results in the death of the tumor cell itself. With this knowledge doctors will be able to know which proteins exactly (TRAP-1 belongs to the HSP90 protein family) to regulate in order to eliminate cancer cells completely. This study should be re-evaluated by conducting the experiment on a larger scale with more precise controls in place to prohibit breaking Barrett's Law # 7, Correlation is not causation. I find this information interesting due to evolution, we find ourselves seeking longer lives and higher knowledge, so we create technology to push forward or better yet fast forward our evolution. Where does this knowledge take us next and more importantly how far is to far, when it comes to playing "god" or creating immortals?


 * Reference**:

Sofia Lisanti, Michele Tavecchio, Young Chan Chae, Qin Liu, Angela K. Brice, Madhukar L. Thakur, Lucia R. Languino, Dario C. Altieri. **Deletion of the Mitochondrial Chaperone TRAP-1 Uncovers Global Reprogramming of Metabolic Networks**. //Cell Reports//, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.06.061

The Wistar Institute. "'Rewired' mice show signs of longer lives with fewer age-related illnesses." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 31 July 2014. .

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