Our DNA changes as we get older. For example, structures that cap the ends of our chromosomes (which carry our genes) called telomeres shorten with old age or stress. Lengthening telomeres has been suggested as a way to restore youth. The trouble is the gene that does this, called telomerase, is normally only turned on in adults who have cancer.

我们的DNA随着年龄的增长而变化。例如，atv，覆盖在我们染色体（携带我们的基因）的末端的端粒，其结构随着年龄或压力而缩短。延长端粒被认为是恢复青春的一种方式。麻烦的是，这种名为称为端粒酶的基因通常只在患癌症的成年人身上开启。

Genetically engineered animals that over-produce telomerase from birth develop cancer. But to add confusion, using genetically engineered viruses to force old mice to make more telomerase results in a longer lifespan with improved late-life health, without an increased risk of cancer.

如果对动物进行基因编辑，使它们在出生时大量生产出端粒酶，它们很可能会得癌症。更令人困惑的是，使用基因工程病毒来强迫老鼠制造更多的端粒酶，结果老鼠的寿命得到了延长，并不会有增加癌症的风险。

Elizabeth Parrish, who is the CEO of Bioviva – a company working to develop anti-ageing treatments – recently travelled to Colombia to receive gene therapy to extend her telomeres.

Bioviva的伊丽莎白·帕里什（Elizabeth Parrish），是一家致力于开发抗衰老治疗公司的CEO，她最近前往哥伦比亚接受基因治疗以延长她的端粒。

Another drastic way to reverse ageing might be to turn adult cells back into youthful stem cells, which is possible by turning on so-called “Yamanaka factors”. These work through turning certain genes “on” or “off”. The problem is that turning “Yamanaka factors” on too much again causes cancer. Instead, turning these genes on briefly appears to reverse ageing and extend lifespan in short-lived mice. This could be a powerful but risky strategy for reversing ageing.

逆转衰老的另一个激烈方式是将成年细胞转变成年轻的干细胞。它可能是通过开启所谓的“山中伸弥因子”即将某些基因“打开”或“关闭”来实现的。问题在于，打开过多的“山中伸弥因子”会导致癌症。相反，短暂地开启这些基因似乎能反转老化，并延长寿命短暂的老鼠的生命周期。这或许是逆转衰老的强有力但颇具风险的策略。

Is it already here? 它已经被实现了?

In the end, the first ever anti-ageing drug likely to reach the market will be one we’re already familiar with: metformin. It’s used to treat diabetes, has been around since the 1950s and is used by tens of millions of people.

最后，有可能进入市场的抗衰老药物是我们已经熟悉的二甲双胍。自1950年代以来，它一直被用于治疗糖尿病，并已被数千万人使用。

In animals, metformin extends lifespan and maintains health, while population-wide studies show it reduces cancer risk. Metformin is thought to work by turning on an energy sensor in cells called “AMPK”, which senses situations of low energy and alters metabolism in response.

在动物中，二甲双胍可延长寿命并保持健康，而一项全民性的医学研究显示，它可以降低癌症的风险。据认为，在一种被称为“AMPK”的细胞中，二甲双胍可以通过打开其能量传感器来感测到低能量的情形，并改变新陈代谢以进行应对。

Metformin is likely to be the first ever anti-ageing drug to reach the market. from shutterstock.com

二甲双胍将有可能是第一个被投放到市场的抗衰老药物。来自shutterstock.com

The effect of metformin on health and lifespan in older, non-diabetic individuals is currently the subject of the TAME trial in New York. If successful, this trial may lead to the first ever “gero-protective” or “anti-ageing” pill, which would be taken as a widely-used prophylactic by the older population.