科学家：哺乳动物已实现“逆生长” 十年内将进行人体试验

返老还童是人类永恒的梦想，如今科学家已经向这一梦想迈进了一步，成功实现了老鼠的“逆生长”。科学家表示，进行人体试验大概需要10年的时间。也就是说，十年以后，人类也将有望实现真正的“逆生长”。

An end to grey hair and crows-feet could be just 10 years away after scientists showed it is possible to reverse ageing in animals.

科学家发现，动物的衰老过程有可能逆转。从此以后，可能仅需10年，人类就可以告别白发丛生，满脸皱纹的命运。

Using a new technique which takes adult cells back to their embryonic form, US researchers at the Salk Institute in California, showed it was possible to reverse ageing in mice, allowing the animals to not only look younger, but live for 30 percent longer.

加利福尼亚索尔克研究所的美国研究员利用一项新技术让成年鼠细胞重新回到胚胎状态，向人们展示，在老鼠身上可以实现逆生长，不仅能让老鼠看上去更年轻，而且还能使其寿命延长30%。

The technique involves stimulating four genes which are particularly active during development in the womb. It was also found to work to turn the clock back on human skin cells in the lab, making them look and behave younger.

该技术会刺激在子宫内发育阶段特别活跃的四种基因。实验发现该技术可以让人类的皮肤细胞逆龄生长，让皮肤细胞的状态更年轻。

Scientists hope to eventually create a drug which can mimic the effect of the found genes which could be taken to slow down, and even reverse the ageing process. They say it will take around 10 years to get to human trials.

科学家们希望最终可以发明与这四种基因具有相同效用的药，减缓细胞衰老，甚至逆转衰老的过程。他们表示，进行人体试验大概需要10年的时间。

"Our study shows that ageing may not have to proceed in one single direction," said Dr Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a professor in Salk's Gene Expression Laboratory. "With careful modulation, aging might be reversed."

“我们的研究表明，衰老不一定是一个单向的过程，”索尔克基因表现试验室的专家胡安•卡洛斯•贝尔蒙特博士说道，“通过小心谨慎的调节，衰老的过程可能逆转。”

"Obviously, mice are not humans and we know it will be much more complex to rejuvenate a person. But this study shows that ageing is a very dynamic and plastic process, and therefore will be more amenable to therapeutic interventions than what we previously thought."

“显然，老鼠与人类不同，我们知道让一个人重返年轻要复杂得多。但是该研究表明衰老是一个动态性和可塑性极强的过程，因此要比我们之前认为的更加经受得住医疗的干预。”

Scientists have known for some time that the four genes, which are known collectively as the Yamanaka factors, could turn adult cells back to their stem cell state, where they can grow into any part of the body.

科学家们对这四种基因的了解已有多时，它们被集体称为山中因子，可以让成人细胞重新回到干细胞的状态，在这种状态下，可以分化形成人体的任何部位。

But it was always feared that allowing that to happen could damage organs made from the cells, and even trigger cancer.

但一直令人担心的是，这样做可能会损害由这些细胞组成的器官，甚至会引发癌症。

However, it was discovered that stimulating the genes intermittently reversed ageing, without causing any damaging side effects.

然而研究发现，间歇性地刺激这四种基因，逆转衰老过程，并不会引起任何破坏性的副作用。

In mice with a premature ageing disease, the treatment countered signs of ageing and increased their lifespan by 30 percent. If it worked similarly in humans it could allow people to live until more than 100 years old. In healthy mice it also helped damaged organs to heal faster.

对患有早衰疾病的老鼠进行的治疗消除了衰老的迹象，并将它们的寿命延长了30%。如果在人类身上也会产生类似的效果，人们就可能会活到100岁以上。在健康的老鼠身上进行治疗有利于较快治愈损坏的器官。

"In other studies scientists have completely reprogrammed cells all the way back to a stem-cell-like state," says co-first author Pradeep Reddy, also a Salk research associate.

“在其他研究中，科学家们已经对细胞进行了完全重组，让成人细胞重回类似干细胞的状态。”共同第一作者兼索尔克助理研究员普拉迪普•雷迪如是说。

"But we show, for the first time, that by expressing these factors for a short duration you can maintain the cell's identity while reversing age-associated hallmarks."

“但我们首次展示了，通过短时间地重组这些因素，你可以既保持细胞的身份，也能逆转与衰老相关的印记。”

The breakthrough could also help people stay healthier for longer. The ageing population means that the risk of developing age-related diseases, such as dementia, cancer and heart disease also rises. But if the body could be kept younger for longer then it could prevent many deadly diseases for decades.

这一突破可能会有助于人们更加健康，活得更久。人在衰老的同时，患痴呆症、癌症和心脏病等老年疾病的风险也会增高。但是如果身体可以持久地保持年轻状态，人们就可能几十年内不得致命性的疾病。