The Indo-British scientist Lisa Chakrabarti finds way to slow down ageing in humans

Lisa Chakrabarti works at Nottingham University.

Scientists at Nottingham University have found a protein inside cells controlling which could slow down the ageing process, reported The Sun.

The protein called carbonic anhydrase, found in cells’ mitochondria, that converts oxygen into energy, has a close connection with the ageing process according to the scientists. If this protein could be controlled, the ageing process could be slowed down and great progress could be achieved in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

“This could be a key to slowing down or reversing some of the signs of ageing,” said Dr. Lisa Chakrabarti, who led the study with Ph.D. student Amelia Pollard.

“What’s really exciting about this development is that we have been able to surmise that the function of this protein is playing a role in the ageing process within the cell. On the face of it, it’s quite a simple study, and it’s strange it’s never been done before,” added Chakrabarti.

The scientists removed all the protein within the mitochondria of brain cells and muscle cells from normal young brains and normal middle-aged brains using 2D gel electrophoresis process.

During the analysis, it was found that carbonic anhydrase was in high quantity in the samples of middle-aged brains compared to the younger ones. The protein content in young brain samples that were experiencing early ageing was also high.

The effect of carbonic anhydrase was studied on nematode worms to arrive at the conclusion. The scientists fed carbonic anhydrase to the tiny c elegans worms – measuring around just one millimeter in length and found that their life span was reduced as a result of the protein.

“This gives us a very promising start in working out how we can best target this protein within the mitochondria to slow the effects of ageing in the body while limiting other unwanted side effects on the body,” said Dr, Chakrabarti adding that “It could potentially offer a significant new avenue in both tackling degenerative illnesses and the general effects of ageing on the body.”