Pharmaceutical Development and Technology

Biography

In many laboratories across the world there are projects aiming to develop effective therapies against age-associated conditions. Pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals are being evaluated and offered for consumption by the public on a regular basis. New and not-so-new compounds attract attention as possible ‘longevity elixirs’, and examples include resveratrol, metformin, mTOR modulators, calorie restriction mimetics, NAD+, carnosine, and many others. Although there is some merit in using such agents in an attempt to lessen the impact of age-associated chronic dysfunction, there is no evidence to suggest that these remedies will lead to the elimination of ageing. There are several reasons for this but an important one is that we need to evaluate such compounds not in isolation, but in relation to the human environment. This means that societal and cultural elements come into consideration, in addition to the pharmaceutical ones. Research shows that compounds may have different effects if these are evaluated in the social context of the patient, and other effects if considered in pharmacological isolation. If we want to eliminate age-associated dysfunction and achieve radical life extension, we need to move away from simple drug models and study instead complex scenarios which take into account socio-cultural and techno-cultural aspects.

Abstract

Abstract : The influence of the environment and drugs against the ageing process