"Evidence that an antiageing drug based on a key ingredient of red wine could have anticancer effects too has been found, paving the way for human trials this year.

Tests are under way on diabetics of SRT501, an improved formulation of resveratrol, a wine chemical, that could lead to a family of new drugs with powerful effects against the diseases of ageing as well as adult diabetes, the developed world's fastest-growing degenerative disease.

The drug targets SIRT1, the founding member of the human sirtuin family of enzymes which control the ageing process. Now two teams report in the journal Nature how SIRT1 plays a role in tumour growth.

The American groups, respectively led by Drs Junjie Chen of Yale University and Wei Gu of Columbia University and their colleagues, have discovered that another protein, named DBC1, acts as a regulator of SIRT: lower levels help damaged cells to self destruct and higher ones make cells susceptible to damage to a process called oxidative stress.

Although this suggests that drugs such as SRT501 could promote tumour growth in some circumstances, Dr Chen said that more research needs to be done to confirm this. "This assmption really needs to be studied."

And tests by the developers of SIRT1, the American company Sirtris suggest the drug does have anticancer effects. Prof David Sinclair, who pioneered the SRT501 work at Harvard Medical School, comments: "Genetic upregulation of SIRT1 suppresses cancer in the gold standard mouse. There are over 50 published in vitro and in vivo papers showing that SIRT1 activation improves cancer.

"Based on the data, Sirtris is planning to initiate a trial in cancer with SIRT1 activators in patients in either the US or Europe or both in the first half of 2008.," he adds.

The SIRT1 drugs emerged from research to understand why all species live longer on a calorie-restricted diet. So long as there is adequate nutrition, cutting calories by 40 per cent prolongs lifespan by 50 per cent or more in yeast, mice, rats and every other species so far tested."

Source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/mai...sciwine130.xml

ur a walkin info book man or u gots way to much time on ur hands

People who can't read fast enough in this case would have alot of time on their hands.

This is amazing, but I highly doubt it will ever hit mass production because of the effects it would have on the medical market.

Wine has also had good impacts on the human body, even if it don't cure cancer, it's still good for you.

well like it said it can open up a whole new door for meds... even if it doesnt take care of cancer who knows what else it might be able to battle

Thats sweet as shit but the fda wont let it hit the market the gov makes to much money off sick ppl i read this article that said there is a natural cure for everything but yeah

yes and no there are alot of things that battle illnesses that can be found in nature, but alot of the meds take that same princaple they find in nature and just try to mimic that so they can controll the out come. i.e. limit the neg sideafects, strengthen it alittle more. but think about what they could make more off of a pill that stops cancer, or a dead person???? and think about how much they could make selling this cure to other countries

so if they can keep the person alive but still sick so they depend on the pills and keep buying them instead of just healing them

well they could do that with a cancer pill.... just say you have to have this once a month to keep the cancer away...... what are they doing now? giving some one keemo and maybe they live maybe they die... what would you rather have a chance to live or be told you can live but you have to take this pill once a month?