(NewsNation) — A new study claims to have found chemical compounds that can actually reverse the effects of aging, though so far results have been limited to animal studies.
Harvard Medical School, University of Maine and Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists collaborated on the study, published in the journal Aging. Researchers found it was possible to reverse cellular engineering rather than simply delay it.
They used six chemical compounds to reverse aging in cells, returning them to a youthful state without having them revert too far and become cancerous.
Efforts to use the compounds on optic nerves, brain tissue, kidneys and muscles all hold promise, with researcher David Sinclair suggesting the process could ultimately take less than a week to reverse aging. The process would potentially allow scientists to reverse age-related illnesses as well as giving people a more youthful appearance.
On Twitter, Sinclair said research has so far been performed on mice and monkeys but said preparation are ongoing for human trials. He indicated the possibility of clinical trials taking place by the end of the decade.