Scientists discover Easter Island 'fountain of youth' drug that can extend life by ten years

A miraculous 'elixir of youth' which could extend the human life span by more than a decade is being developed by scientists.

The anti-ageing pill was created from a chemical found in the soil of Easter Island - one of the most remote and mysterious places on the planet.

In tests on animals, the chemical increased life expectancy by a staggering 38 per cent.

While the breakthrough sounds like something out of science fiction, scientists say the discovery is a major leap towards longer lives for everyone.

The drug, rapamycin, is already used to suppress the immune systems of organ transplant patients.

It is also employed in heart operations and is being tested for its anti-cancer properties.

The scientists believe that the drug could be developed within a decade.

Dr Arlan Richardson, who led the research at the University of Texas, said: 'I never thought we would find an anti-ageing pill for people in my lifetime. However, rapamycin shows a great deal of promise to do just that.'

An anti-ageing pill is a Holy Grail for medical research and its development would have major repercussions for society.

In a world where people routinely live to 90 and 100, retirement ages would need to creep forward into the 70s while extended life spans would put enormous pressures on healthcare, housing and social services - as well as marriages.

The implications of a such a pill also depends on the quality of those extra years.

Original source : www.dailymail.co.uk

Theres no real mention of how this works exactly. Maybe having a lower immune system is less of a stress on the human body which extends life.

[edit on 9-7-2009 by VitalOverdose]

I think this was posted just an hour or so ago?

I'm going to state the obvious.. how did the people of Easter Island die away if they had the secret to longer life in their own yard?

I wonder if we will all be able to purchase this drug on the 30 year payment plan? With interest of course.

Originally posted by Nventual
I think this was posted just an hour or so ago?

I did a search for it first at ATS and couldn't find anything similar posted.

[edit on 9-7-2009 by VitalOverdose]

Originally posted by Nventual
I think this was posted just an hour or so ago?

I'm going to state the obvious.. how did the people of Easter Island die away if they had the secret to longer life in their own yard?

Well they chopped down every single tree on their island ( probably because they were quite numerous and 'advanced' for their location... ). Kind makes it hard to fish or have a fire.

Second biggest effect of having no trees is the rapid change in landscape due to soil erosion...

Did anyone see The Fountain movie? This reminds a lot of it..
Why do people search for eternal life? The world would be over-populated.. It would be hell.. There would not be enough resources for all..
10 more years can be good.. but only if you dont work also 10 more years of your life.. Its not like suddenly we aged older i think.. Thinking only in numbers can be quite misleading..

Originally posted by Nventual
I think this was posted just an hour or so ago?

I'm going to state the obvious.. how did the people of Easter Island die away if they had the secret to longer life in their own yard?

They killed themselves. They chopped all the trees down, and hadn't thought to replace them. They basicly ran out of resource materials. I doubt if they knew the chemical compound in the soil

Isnt interesting that those huge carved monoliths just happen to be there...and looking to the sky?Was this compound planted here for us to find?

I don't want to have to work for 10 more years of my life. Have you seen people who live to be 100? Most of them look pretty damn miserable to me. Taking 10 perscriptions just to not be in pain all the time.

Maybe they can refine the drug so you can live forever... if you have it implanted in your forehead or hand.

Maybe the past inhabitants knew this and it was the reason for the oddity's on the island that we can't explain.

Possibly it was also the trees that extended life. After ingesting the trees then dieing and becoming one with the soil maybe the thing that extended life is available through the soil now.

Just throwing things out there....

[edit on 9-7-2009 by Digital_Reality]

The article is a bit... overly enthusiastic. I did a search for the drug and found other sources for it, including the Wikipedia article:
en.wikipedia.org...

It seems that it only works in mice in lab settings. When humans use it (it's used for organ transplants), it's an immunosuppressor... so you would have to live in a bubble, away from all human contact, and have your food irradiated to prevent ANY germ source from getting near you.

Methinks there are better solutions.

Great, this planet faced with starvation, dwindling resources, fuel shortages, poverty, and now a way to extend life. I doubt if any REAL people will be able to afford this drug.

Originally posted by whaaa
Great, this planet faced with starvation, dwindling resources, fuel shortages, poverty, and now a way to extend life. I doubt if any REAL people will be able to afford this drug.

Things are not as bad as they seem.. by creating the illusion of starvation, dwindling resources, fuel shortages manufactures can get away with increasing prices.

For example debeers have tricked us into thinking diamonds are very rare and precious when in reality Africa is littered with them. Its just that debeers have managed to make it illegal for anyone to pick them up.