L'Università di Losanna sta cercando di scoprire i segreti dell'invecchiamento. E lo fa anche grazie ad un pesciolino: il killifish. Il dipartimento delle scienze biomediche ne detiene 400 e gli permettono di ridurre di 6/10 volte il tempo dei test sull'invecchiamento.
Il piccolo pesce d'acqua dolce vive solo 6 mesi. L'animale presenta però diverse funzioni biologiche (digestive, muscolari, immunitarie, nervose, ecc.) comuni ai mammiferi. Come per esempio la capacità di rigenerazione delle cellule, una circolazione sanguigna a circolo chiuso ed un cuore funzionale.
«Cos’è la vecchiaia»
RSI Notrehistoire 03.02.1976, 15:53
Quando invecchia, il killifish sviluppa parecchie caratteristiche simili all'essere umano: depigmentazione, perdita di capacità di rigenerazione della massa muscolare, disfunzioni cellulari, tumori,... L'efficacità di un medicamento viene dapprima testata sul pesciolino. E solo in un secondo tempo, anche clinicamente su dei pazienti.
L'obiettivo è quello allungare il periodo nel quale gli anziani sono in salute, ritardando il più possibile le malattie.
Perché s'invecchia?
Il giardino di Albert 05.02.2017, 18:10
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