The scientific team of the academic Miroslav Radman are examining very resistant organisms. They are on their way to isolating small molecules that protect all proteins, including special “protein doctors” that maintain life. Thanks to them, they consider, they could find the “elixir of youth”.

“We think that we have put a finger on the chemistry of life, on what limits life” said Radman to the press in Zagreb. The conference was during day one of a two day symposium commemorating 50 years of molecular biology, at which he will reveal his discovery tomorrow.

Radman’s team which includes his co-workers Anita Krisko and Dea Slade, revealed the “molecular basis for the robustness of organisms”, whose ancestors started living a few billion years ago. The bacteria “Deinococcus radiodurans” is in question, and the organism “rotifer” that are resistant to the conditions of life, and whose molecules, unlike human, protect “protein doctors” that repair mistakes or damage in all more important molecules.

Radman hopes that the molecule, when isolated, can stop people aging in people

If the “protein doctors” were not active, the cell would not live even 24 hours, but the problem in humans is that the “doctor proteins” are damaged and stop functioning. Because of this all other proteins such as genes also suffer, because they are not well serviced. This is how geometric progression brings the growth of all diseases, weaknesses, and in the end death, says Radman.

Deinococcus and rotifer are resistant to ultra-violet and ionising radiation, and therefore resistant to oxidation stress, which occurs when water biodegrades in the cells and releases corrosive radical oxygen, which causes DNA, RNA, protein, fats and iron to corrode.

“They are robust because they can protest their proteins, the various functional molecules of life, from damage to a molecule or process that we do not yet know, but we know that their robustness is directly caused by protecting those proteins” said Radman.

Radman hopes that when they isolate that molecule, or that process, and if it is not toxic for people for some other reason, that it would be an elixir of youth that would stop aging and enable becoming more youthful.

Before the possible application of the discovery, besides isolating the molecule, they need to carry out tests on animals and humans, and determine the optimal concentration of the molecules that would be consumed with food, drinks or tablets, says Radman.