Ukuphumelela Ekutholeni Ikhambi Lokuguga

Ingabe abantu bangaphila phakade? Ingabe ukuguga kuyoba yinto yesikhathi esidlule maduze? Ingabe ukungafi kuyoba yinto evamile esintwini? NgokukaDavid Harrison we-Jackson Laboratory eBar Harbor, eMaine, ukuphela kokungafi abantu abayokuthola kuyokwenzeka ezinganekwaneni zesayensi.

“Impela ngeke sife,” kusho uHarrison. “Umbhedo ophelele lowo. Kodwa, kungaba kuhle ukuthi zonke lezi zinto ezimbi zingenzeki kithi ohlelweni oluqinile kangaka…. Iminyaka embalwa eyengeziwe yokuphila okunempilo - ngicabanga ukuthi lokho kungenzeka."

Ilebhu kaHarrison ingenye yeziningi aqhuba ucwaningo ngebhayoloji yokuguga, okukhethekile kukaHarrison ukusebenzisa amamodeli egundane ekutadisheni imiphumela yokuguga ezinhlelweni ezihlukahlukene zomzimba.

Ilebhu ka-Harrison iyingxenye yoHlelo Lokuhlola Ukungenelela, okuthi, ngokubambisana ne-UT Health Science Centre kanye neYunivesithi yaseMichigan, ihlose ukuhlola izinhlanganisela ezihlukahlukene ukuze kutholakale imiphumela engaba khona, emihle nemibi, ku-biology yokuguga.

"Ngicabanga ukuthi sesivele sinethonya elikhulu kubantu, ngoba ngoHlelo Lokuhlola I-Interventions, sithole izinto ezimbalwa esingazinikeza amagundane akhulisa kakhulu isikhathi sokuphila - kufika kumaphesenti angu-23, 24," kusho u-Harrison.

Ngenxa yokuthi amagundane akhula ngokushesha izikhathi ezingama-25 kunabantu, ukusetshenziswa kwawo ekuhloleni ukuguga kubaluleke kakhulu. U-Harrison uthe nakuba amagundane ekufanelekela ukuhlolwa kokuguga, ukuphindwaphindwa kwezivivinyo kanye nesikhathi esengeziwe kubalulekile empumelelweni yocwaningo. Ilebhu kaHarrison iqala ukuhlola lapho igundane linezinyanga eziyi-16 ubudala, okungenza licishe lilingane neminyaka yomuntu oneminyaka engama-50.

Enye yezinhlanganisela ilebhu kaHarrison ehlolwe i-rapamycin, i-immunosuppressant esivele isetshenziswa kubantu ukuvimbela ukwenqatshwa kwesitho ezigulini zokufakelwa izinso.

I-Rapamycin, eyaziwa nangokuthi i-sirolimus, yatholwa ngawo-1970, ikhiqizwa amagciwane atholakala enhlabathini e-Easter Island, noma i-Rapa Nui. Ngokusho kwe-"Rapamycin: Umuthi Owodwa, Imiphumela Eminingi" kujenali ye-Cell Metabolism, i-Rapamycin isebenza njengesivimbeli ekuhlosweni kwezilwane ezincelisayo i-rapamycin(mTOR), engaba nenzuzo uma kuziwa ekwelapheni izifo ezihlukahlukene kubantu.

Ngamagundane, u-Harrison wathi ilebhu yakhe yabona izinzuzo ezinhle ngokusebenzisa i-rapamycin ekuhloleni, nokuthi inhlanganisela yandisa isikhathi sonke sokuphila samagundane.

Ngokwencwadi eyanyatheliswa kuyi-Nature ngo-2009 ngamalebhu amathathu ahililekile oHlelweni Lokuhlola I-Interventions, “Ngokweminyaka yobudala engama-90% yokufa, i-rapamycin yaholela ekwenyukeni ngamaphesenti ayi-14 kwabesifazane kanye namaphesenti ayi-9 kwabesilisa” ngokwemibandela ingqikithi yokuphila. Nakuba ukwanda kobude besikhathi sokuphila kwabonakala, awukho umehluko emaphethini ezifo phakathi kwamagundane aphathwe nge-rapamycin namagundane ayengekho. Lokhu kusikisela ukuthi i-rapamycin ingase ingabhekiseli kunoma yisiphi isifo esithile, kodwa kunalokho yandisa ubude besikhathi sokuphila futhi ibhekane nenkinga yokuguga iyonke. UHarrison uthe ucwaningo lwakamuva luye lwawusekela lo mbono.

"Amagundane afana kakhulu nabantu kwibhayoloji yabo," kusho uHarrison. "Ngakho-ke, uma unokuthile, okwehlisa ngempela ukuguga kumagundane, kunethuba elihle lokuthi kuzokwehlisa ijubane kubantu."

Nakuba isivele isetshenziswa kubantu ezigulini zokufakelwa izinso, ukusetshenziswa kwe-rapamycin kubantu ekwelapheni ukuguga kunqunyelwe ngenxa yemiphumela engemihle engaba khona. Enye yezinto ezingezinhle ezihambisana ne-rapamycin ukuthi idala ukwanda kwamathuba okuba nesifo sikashukela sohlobo 2.

NgokukaHarrison, abantu abathola i-drapamycin banamathuba angamaphesenti angu-5 okuba nesifo sikashukela sohlobo 2 kunabantu abanganikezwanga le nto.

“Impela, uma bekunethuba elizwakalayo lokuthi kube khona okuthile okwehlisa ijubane lonke lezinkinga ezivela ekugugeni futhi kwandise isikhathi sami sokuphila ngisho namaphesenti angu-5 noma ayishumi, ngicabanga ukuthi ukwanda kwengozi yami yohlobo 10 lwesifo sikashukela, esilawulekayo futhi ngiyakwazi ukuqaphela. ngoba, kuyingozi eyamukelekayo,” kusho uHarrison. "Ngiyasola ukuthi abantu abaningi bangazizwa ngaleyo ndlela, kodwa akuyona indlela abantu abenza izinqumo abazizwa ngayo."

U-Harrison ukholelwa ukuthi i-rapamycin ingaba yinzuzo ngokwedlulele kubantu, ngisho nokuthile okulula njengokwandisa ikhono labantu asebekhulile lokuhlomula ngendlela yokugomela umkhuhlane.

"Ngokusekelwe eqinisweni lokuthi i-rapamycin ibonakala izuzisa amagundane ngisho nalapho iqala lapho (igundane elilingana) neminyaka engu-65 (umuntu), kungenzeka ukuthi singathola izinto ezizuzisa abantu abadala kanye nabancane," u-Harrison kusho.

Kodwa-ke, izinyathelo ezibalulekile zesiko kanye nomthetho kufanele zenziwe ngaphambi kokuba noma yiluphi uhlobo lokuhlola ukulwa nokuguga lusetshenziswe kubantu.

“Njengososayensi, ngibhekene neqiniso,” kusho uHarrison. “Abantu abasemthethweni basebenzisana ne- make believe, ukuthi bayakha. Umthetho wabantu ungashintshwa ngokushaya kwepeni. Umthetho wemvelo - lokho kuqinile kancane. Kuyakhungathekisa ukuthi abantu abaningi (bangase) baphuthelwe yile minyaka enempilo eyengeziwe ngenxa yomthetho wabantu.”