Protein for a longer life

	The age of reason

Forget vitamin supplements and anti-wrinkle creams, Tom Kirkwood's group at Newcastle University have found a way of enhancing nature's genome repair toolkit, by boosting levels of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1, (PARP-1) to help the body mend damaged DNA strands. He believes the research could open up a new approach to anti-ageing and anti-cancer treatments.

What you see ain't always what you get

Everyday damage to the genome from metabolism, smoking, toxins and environmental factors is seemingly what drives us into decrepit old age and leads to certain cancers, according to several theories. Team member Alexander Bürkle in the Department of Gerontology at Newcastle University has been investigating the underlying mechanisms through which healthy cells repair this DNA damage. He has found that as far as PARP-1 is concerned "more means better," which is a surprising find as previous research suggested quality not quantity was the crucial factor.

	The PARP-1 catalytic site. Click on picture to get 3D interactive view (Chime plugins from MDL is needed).

"We have produced cells which, under stress conditions, keep their DNA, in better shape, in a way which for some reason was not the path chosen by nature during evolution," explains Bürkle. This he says opens up possibilities for future research. For instance, if more PARP-1 means more protection, does the converse hold? Are some people deficient in PARP-1 in certain tissues and so susceptible to certain cancers or premature aging?

While it is not likely that we will see PARP-1 creams and supplements on the health store shelves, the Newcastle research is providing useful clues that will provide medicinal chemists with a novel focus for anti-aging and anticancer therapies.