如何在有生之年治癒老化？：英語精讀講義

Health is the most valuable thing we have in life,

健康是我們生命中最寶貴的東西，

but we tend to forget that until we lose it. 片語搭配

但我們往往直到失去時才會意識到。

We're living longer than ever before, 文法

我們的壽命比以往任何時候都要長，

which is great.

這固然很好。

But an unforeseen consequence of this is that we also spend 片語搭配

但隨之而來的一個不可預見的後果是，我們生命中

a larger and larger portion of our lives being sick. 文法

有越來越大的一部分時間是在生病中度過的。

Getting old currently means spending more time in pain.

目前，變老意味著我們要花更多的時間忍受痛苦。

So scientists are trying to shift the attention of the medical community 片語搭配

因此，科學家們正試圖將醫學界的注意力

from optimizing life spans to optimizing health spans, 用詞

從優化壽命長度轉移到優化健康壽命，

the part of our lives during which we're disease-free.

即我們生命中無病無痛的那段時光。

To do this,

為了做到這一點，

we need to attack the root cause of almost all bodily defects, 片語搭配

我們需要直擊幾乎所有身體缺陷的根源，

aging itself.

也就是老化本身。

Unbeknown to most people, 用詞

大多數人不知道的是，

the science of aging has made enormous progress in the last few years

老化科學在過去幾年裡取得了巨大的進展，

with human trials about to begin in the near future. 文法

並且在不久的將來即將開始人體試驗。

Let's look at three examples of discoveries that might benefit people who are alive right now.

讓我們來看三個可能造福當代人的科學發現。

One, senescent cells.

第一，衰老細胞。

Your cells have an expiration date. 慣用語

你的細胞是有保存期限的。

Each time one of your cells divides,

你的細胞每分裂一次，

it copies its chromosomes.

就會複製一次它的染色體。

Because of the way this works,

由於這種運作方式，

they lose a tiny bit of DNA at the ends.

染色體末端會丟失一點點DNA。

This could be catastrophic,

這可能是災難性的，

so to protect themselves,

所以為了自我保護，

we have long segments of DNA called telomeres that sort of act like the stiff bits at the end of shoelaces. 表達脈絡

我們有被稱為端粒的長段DNA，它們就像鞋帶末端的硬塑膠頭。

But they shrink with every cell division.

但每次細胞分裂它們都會縮短。

In some cells,

在某些細胞中，

after a number of divisions,

經過一定次數的分裂後，

the telomeres are gone and the cell becomes a zombie, 慣用語

端粒消失了，細胞變成了一個「殭屍」，

a senescent cell.

即衰老細胞。

Senescent cells stay around and don't die. 片語動詞

衰老細胞會一直存在且不會死亡。

The older you get, 文法

你越老，

the more of them there are inside you.

你體內的衰老細胞就越多。

They harm tissue around them and are linked to many diseases that accompany old age, 片語搭配

它們會損害周圍的組織，並與許多伴隨老化的疾病有關，

like diabetes and kidney failure.

比如糖尿病和腎衰竭。

But what if you could kill them off? 講解

但如果你能把它們殺光呢？

Scientists genetically engineered mice so that they could destroy their senescent cells as they pleased. 慣用語

科學家們對小鼠進行了基因改造，使牠們能夠隨意破壞自己的衰老細胞。

Older mice without senescent cells were more active.

沒有衰老細胞的老年小鼠變得更活躍了。

Their hearts and kidneys worked better,

牠們的心臟和腎臟功能更好了，

and they were less prone to cancer. 片語搭配

而且更不容易罹患癌症。

Overall,

總的來說，

they lived up to 30% longer and in better health than average mice. 用詞

牠們的壽命比普通小鼠長了30%，而且更健康。

Since we can't genetically engineer all of the cells in the human body,

既然我們不能對人體內的所有細胞進行基因改造，

we need to find another way to get rid of our senescent cells. 片語動詞

我們就需要找到另一種方法來清除我們的衰老細胞。

But how do we kill them without harming healthy cells? 文法

但是，我們如何在不傷害健康細胞的情況下殺死它們呢？

Most cells in the body commit a programmed cell suicide when they're damaged. 用詞

身體裡的大多數細胞在受損時會進行程式性細胞死亡。

But senescent cells don't.

但衰老細胞不會。

It turns out that they underproduce a protein that tells them when it's time to die. 表達脈絡

事實證明，它們未能產生足夠的能指示其何時該死亡的蛋白質。

So,

於是，

in a late 2016 study,

在2016年末的一項研究中，

mice were given an injection of this protein.

小鼠被注射了這種蛋白質。

It killed 80% of all their senescent cells while causing almost no harm to healthy cells. 文法

它殺死了小鼠體內80%的衰老細胞，同時幾乎沒有對健康細胞造成任何傷害。

The treated mice became generally healthier and even regrew lost hair.

接受治療的小鼠整體變得更健康了，甚至還重新長出了掉落的毛髮。

As a result, 表達脈絡

結果就是，

there are a number of new companies looking at treatments involving senescent cells,

許多新公司開始著眼於涉及衰老細胞的療法，

and the first human trials will start soon.

首批人體試驗很快就會開始。

Two, NAD+.

第二，NAD+。

Cells are made from hundreds of millions of parts.

細胞是由數億個部件組成的。

They're the structures, machines, messages,

它們是結構、機器、信使，

and the catalysts that make reactions happen.

以及促成反應發生的催化劑。

All these parts constantly need to be destroyed, cleaned up, and rebuilt. 文法

所有這些部件不斷需要被破壞、清理和重建。

As we age,

隨著我們老化，

this process becomes less effective,

這個過程變得不再那麼有效，

and so parts become crumpled, bunched up, or are removed slower.

所以這些部件變得乾癟、擠成一團，或者被清除的速度變慢了。

Or they are no longer produced in the quantities we need. 文法

甚至它們不再按我們需要的數量產生。

One of these parts is NAD+,

這些部件中的一種就是NAD+，

a coenzyme that tells our cells to look after themselves. 片語動詞

一種告訴我們細胞要照顧好自己的輔酶。

At age 50,

到了50歲時，

we only have about half as much in our bodies as we do at age 20. 文法

我們體內的NAD+水平只有20歲時的一半左右。

Lower amounts of it are linked to a whole bunch of diseases 用詞

它數量的減少與一大堆疾病有關，

from skin cancer to Alzheimer's,

從皮膚癌到阿茲海默症、

cardiovascular disease, and multiple sclerosis.

心血管疾病，以及多發性硬化症。

But NAD+ can't enter cells,

但NAD+無法進入細胞，

so we can't get it as a pill.

所以我們不能直接把它做成藥丸吃下去。

But scientists noticed that other more flexible substances could enter cells

不過科學家注意到，其他更靈活的物質可以進入細胞，

and would then turn into NAD+ inside. 片語動詞

然後在細胞內部轉化為NAD+。

In 2016,

在2016年，

multiple trials on mice showed that they boosted the multiplication of skin, brain, and muscle stem cells.

對小鼠進行的多項試驗表明，它們促進了皮膚、大腦和肌肉幹細胞的繁殖。

They were rejuvenated,

它們恢復了活力，

had a higher ability to repair their DNA,

修復DNA的能力提高了，

and had a slightly increased lifespan.

壽命也略微增加了。

This even got NASA interested, 文法

這甚至引起了NASA的興趣，

which is looking for a way to minimize the DNA damage

他們正在尋找一種方法，以盡量減少在火星任務中

astronauts would be exposed to from cosmic radiation on Mars missions. 片語搭配

宇宙輻射可能對太空人造成的DNA損傷。

There are human trials being planned right now,

目前正在計劃進行人體試驗，

but it's too soon to say if this will boost our healthspan or even lifespan. 語氣意圖

但現在就斷言這是否會延長我們的健康壽命甚至壽命還為時過早。

But NAD+ is a serious candidate and could become the first human anti-aging pill. 片語搭配

不過NAD+是一個極具潛力的候選對象，有可能成為第一種人類抗老化藥丸。

Three, stem cells.

第三，幹細胞。

Stem cells are like cell blueprints that sit at various places in the body 表達脈絡

幹細胞就像細胞的藍圖，位於身體的各個部位，

and copy themselves to produce a steady flow of fresh young cells. 片語搭配

它們透過複製自己來持續不斷地產生新鮮年輕的細胞。

But they decline as we age, 表達脈絡

但隨著我們老化，它們也在減少，

and so we decline too.

所以我們也跟著老化了。

Without new parts,

沒有了新的部件，

human bodies break.

人體就會垮掉。

In mice,

在小鼠身上，

scientists observed that as the stem cells in their brains disappeared,

科學家觀察到，當牠們大腦裡的幹細胞消失時，

they started to develop diseases.

牠們就開始生病。

So they took stem cells from baby mice brains

於是，他們從小鼠幼崽的大腦中萃取了幹細胞，

and injected them directly into the brains of middle-aged mice.

然後直接注射到了中年小鼠的大腦中。

More specifically,

具體來說，

the hypothalamus,

是注射到了下視丘，

a part that's involved in regulating a lot of bodily functions. 片語搭配

這是一個參與調節許多身體功能的部位。

The fresh stem cells reinvigorated older brain cells

新鮮的幹細胞使老化的腦細胞重新煥發了活力，

by secreting micro RNAs that regulated their metabolism. 文法

方式是分泌能夠調節其代謝的微小RNA。

After 4 months,

4個月後，

brain and muscles worked better than those of untreated mice, 文法

牠們的大腦和肌肉功能比未接受治療的小鼠更好，

and on average, 片語搭配

並且平均而言，

they lived 10% longer.

牠們多活了10%。

Another study took stem cells from mice embryos

另一項研究從小鼠胚胎中萃取了幹細胞，

and injected them directly into the hearts of older mice.

並直接注射到老年小鼠的心臟中。

As a consequence,

結果，

they had improved heart function,

牠們的心臟功能得到了改善，

could exercise 20% longer,

運動時間可以延長20%，

and weirdly enough, 語氣意圖

而且奇怪的是，

their hair regrew faster.

牠們的毛髮重新生長的速度變快了。

What all of this tells us is that there is not a single magic bullet with which to cure aging. 講解

所有這些告訴我們，並沒有治癒老化的單一靈丹妙藥。

It requires a complex array of different therapies. 片語搭配

它需要一系列複雜多樣的療法。

We can kill off senescent cells to clear away the junk, 慣用語

我們可以殺死衰老細胞來清除垃圾，

give ourselves fresh new stem cells to fill the gap, 慣用語

給我們自己注入新鮮的新幹細胞來填補空白，

all while regulating the metabolism of the other cells using medication. 文法

同時使用藥物來調節其他細胞的新陳代謝。

This video comes with a big caveat. 片語搭配

這段影片帶有一個很大的免責聲明。

After all, 表達脈絡

畢竟，

these studies have been carried out on mice. 片語動詞

這些研究都是在小鼠身上進行的。

There's no guarantee the same therapies would work in us to the same extent, 語氣意圖

無法保證同樣的療法在人類身上也能達到同等的效果，

but they are proof of concepts. 用詞

但它們是概念驗證。

To learn more about how we can modify our own healthspan, 文法

要了解更多關於如何改變我們自身健康壽命的知識，

we need human trials.

我們需要進行人體試驗。

We've only covered a tiny part of the research that's being done right now,

我們剛才提到的只是目前正在進行的研究的一小部分，

and only scratched the surface of these ideas. 慣用語

而且僅僅觸及了這些理念的皮毛。

The field of healthspan extension needs more attention and funding.

延長健康壽命的領域需要更多的關注和資金。

If it gets it, 文法

如果它能得到支持，

all of us might enjoy growing old without pain.

我們所有人都有可能在沒有痛苦的情況下面對老化。

If you now want to support the research on aging directly,

如果你現在想直接支持抗老化的研究，

you can do so at lifespan.io,

你可以透過lifespan.io來實現，

a community of people actively supporting the scientists working to cure aging.

這是一個積極支持致力於治癒老化的科學家的社群。

Check them out to learn about the latest advances

去看看他們，了解最新進展，

and visit their blog or group on Facebook.

也可以造訪他們的部落格或Facebook社團。

The lifespan team also kindly supported the creation of this video

lifespan團隊也慷慨地支持了這段影片的製作，

with a donation and their expertise.

提供了捐款和他們的專業知識。

If you want to help us make more of our videos,

如果你想幫助我們製作更多的影片，

you can do so on patreon.com.

你可以在patreon.com上支持我們。