Normally, the process of aging in the human body starts at middle age around 45.

通常人的老化出現在中年約45歲

The process and its effects depend on both, the genetic as well as environmental factors.

老化過程受到基因和環境影響

Aging causes some amount of reduction in the rate of human cell multiplication

老化導致人體細胞增殖速率下降

and also causes some of the cells to function inappropriately.

也造成一些細胞無法正常運作

Ageing is considered a one-way street, but researchers at Harvard University have shown that some aspects can be reversed.

老化被視為不可逆的單行道，但哈佛大學研究指出有些方面是可逆的。

Researchers say that they've been able to reverse the aging process in mice,

研究人員已經能夠倒轉老鼠的老化過程，

using a chemical that in one week made two-year-old mice tissue resemble tissue of six-month-old mice.

他們用化學藥劑在一周內把2歲大老鼠組織變成6個月大，

In human years, that's as if a 60-year-old's cells became more like the cells of a 20-year-old.

以人的年紀來說就是60歲的細胞變成20歲的細胞。

The researchers have managed to reverse the effects

研究人員試著逆轉

of aging in mice using an approach that restores communication between a cell's mitochondria and nucleus.

老化對老鼠的影響藉由修復粒線體和細胞核間的連結。

Mitochondria are the power supply within the cell,

粒線體即"細胞能量工廠"，

generating the chemical energy required for key biological functions.

產生的能量是生理機能不可或缺的。

When communication breaks down between mitochondria and the nucleus,

當粒線體和細胞核，

which is the cell's control center, the effects of aging accelerate.

又稱控制中心間的通訊消失，老化會加速

The study found that by restoring this molecular communication,

研究發現藉由修復分子間的通訊，

aging could not only be slowed, but could be reversed.

老化不僅能被減緩，更能被逆轉

Responsible for this communication breakdown is a decline of the chemical NAD.

通訊中斷的原因是NAD(菸鹼醯胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸)減少。

This chemical reduces in the body as we age.

此化學物質會隨年齡逐漸減少。

By increasing amounts of a compound used by the cell to produce NAD,

藉由增加能讓細胞產生NAD的化合物

the researchers found that they could quickly repair mitochondrial function.

研究人員發現他們能快速修復粒線體的功能

And that led to the radical reversal in the ageing of the mice.

因而使老鼠迅速逆轉老化

They had more energy, their muscles were as though they'd be exercising

牠們精神飽滿，牠們的肌肉像是運動後般

and it was able to mimic the benefits of diet and exercise just within a week.

而且可透過飲食與運動在一周內達到相同的好處。

Researchers say that the diseases they have come to expect of old age have been drastically reversed in mice.

研究人員表示他們預期老化帶來的疾病也大幅減少

Even the younger mice showed benefits from the compound,

即使是幼鼠也從化合物得到好處，

making them "supercharged" above normal.

牠們比一般老鼠更能量充沛

The researchers say a "magic pill" that reverses ageing is several years away,

研究人員表示能逆轉老化的神奇藥丸還要等好幾年

partially due to the cost of the compound, which would be about $50,000 a day for a human.

部分是因為人體一天所需的化合物要價5萬美元

Reversing aging isn't just to make people live until they are 200 or 300,

逆轉老化不是讓人活到2百或3百歲

the goal is to keep people healthier for longer and keep them from getting diseases of aging.

而是能維持健康更久且免於老化帶來的疾病

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