俄羅斯莫斯科的一位生物能量學教授近日宣布，他已研制出一種能夠有效延緩衰老的“不老藥”，并有望于幾年內上架銷售。這位科學家用40年的時間研制出一種抗氧化劑，能夠有效抑制氧分子對人體的有害影響。人體中的氧分子有99%的可能變成無害的水，還有1%的可能變成超氧化物并轉化為有毒物質。他研制的這種抗氧化劑會阻止氧分子轉化為有害物，從而降低年齡增長對人體細胞產生的影響，達到延緩衰老的目的。科學家稱，這種抗氧化劑不僅可以極大地延長人的壽命，還能使人一直保持年輕、健康的狀態。目前這種“不老藥”已經在實驗室中的動物實驗中取得成功，研究人員準備下一步進行人體實驗，順利的話將在幾年后在藥店上架銷售。

Russian scientist claims to have discovered an anti-oxidant that can stop aging.

A Russian scientist claims to have discovered an anti-oxidant that can stop aging.

Vladimir Skulachyov, a bioenergetics professor in Moscow, says he has been working on this for more than 40 years. The treatment is based on how oxygen reacts in the body and says the difficult part has been to try and prevent side effects.

"99% of the time oxygen turns into harmless water, but there's that one per cent that turns into a super-oxide that later turns into very poisonous elements," said Skulachyov.

The Russian scientist says the medicine will go on sale in just a few years. The treatment looks complicated and it certainly is. For Skulachyov, it is almost a life's work. Two more years of testing and the doctor thinks he will have finally cracked the enigma of aging.

He has been working to perfect his treatment for more than 40 years.

Colleagues around the world think Dr Skulachyov is on to something.

Nobel Prize winner Dr. Gunter Blobel M.D., Ph.D. at Rockefeller University, believes Skulachyov's theories look very realistic. "It has been shown that oxidative damage is huge. But we do not have an anti-oxidant of the type that Skulachyov has developed. He coined the term bioenergetics. He is clearly the world's best bio-chemist and bio-energetic scientist," Blobel stated.

The compound has already undergone animal testing and the results appear promising. Rats that have been given the drug are much more lively than those not treated.

"Finally, we hope that we will manage to convince people that a single pill treats many threats of aging. So, it must be doing something with the aging itself," biologist Maksim Skulachyov explains. "Then if authorities will accept this logic, maybe we could somehow market it as an anti-aging drug."

After success with eye drops in animals, the inventor tried the medicine on his own cataract. Six months later, his physician told him his cataract was gone.

Thousands are queuing to take part in the clinical trials, which have just begun. But it will be a few years before Dr Skulachyov's discovery reaches the shelves of an average pharmacy.

Some have already dubbed the drug a panacea. And if it lives up to its promise, the treatment should have an effect on the diseases of aging and bring with it the prospect of a longer and better quality of life.

相關閱讀

“讀腦器”將面世 猜心變易事

吃蟲代替吃肉 環保又健康

艾滋病疫苗研究獲重大進展

(Agencies)

Vocabulary:

cataract: 白內障

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）