Genome research 8212; Dying young at old age may become a reality

After the flood, Noah lived for 350 years and died at the age of 950. Genesis 9: 28.

A modern man may find it hard to believe that some of the people mentioned in the the Old Testament lived for hundreds of years. Man has always wondered why his faculties decline after adulthood and about the mystery of getting old.

Researchers describe ageing as a progressive impairment of bodily activities that leads to gradual decline in organs and depletion of reserve capacities. The process of aging is very complex and requires different explanatory principles for different aspects of the entire process. No single theory can explain it.

With the development of bio-technology, scientists all over the world have made much headway in the research on the process of ageing. One of foremost and renowned molecular biologists in the country is 73-year-old Dr M S Kanungo, an emeritus professor at the Benaras Hindu University.

In an informal chat with The Indian Express here on Monday, Kanungo explained how the study and discovery of more and more genes and their specific functions would increase the possibilities of arresting the aging process as well as doing away with diseases, including Alzheimer8217;s disease, Parkinson8217;s diseases, arthritis, rheumatism, cancer, diabetes and cardiac and kidney disorders.

He says that satisfactory manipulation of the several genes that contribute to aging can bring about permanent youth. This can be done by inducing hormones that supplement the gradual decline of enzymes/proteins that occurs after adulthood.

8220;Artificial manipulation can bring back the activity of genes as the levels of proteins determine the metabolism in the human body,8221; Kanungo says.

Normally, genes made up of long DNA molecules store information for hereditary characters and all types of functions transfer information in the form of RNA molecules, with code for enzymes/proteins that carry out the functions of the body. But the protein synthesis declines with age.

For example, CPK8217; enzymes responsible for producing ATP8217; or energy currency8217; declines, leading to less activity of muscles. Similar activity takes place in all organs of the body.

This is where genetic engineering is going to help. However, Kanungo says, to administer hormones, first a proper identification of more than 60,000 genes and their proper activities found in different organs has to be made. Moreover, different organs begin to decay at different stages of life.

While the activity of the thymus comes down in the 20s, the activity of the brain remains for a longer period.

At present only about thousand genes have been discovered. It is expected that the Human Genome Organisation at the National Institute of Health in the USA would complete the complex task of discovering more genes by 2003.

Kanungo cautions that inducing of hormones should be done carefully.

8220;Within 20 years,8221; he says, 8220;bio-technologists are sure to come up with a full-fledged and accomplished activity to prolong the adulthood period and improve the quality of life in old age.8221;

With the invention of new techniques in the future, man8217;s dreams of 8220;dying young, but late8221; may become a reality.