哺乳动物已实现逆生长 十年内将进行人体试验

 　　An end to grey hair and crows-feet could be just 10 years away after scientists showed

　　科学家发现，动物的衰老过程有可能逆转。

　　it is possible to reverse ageing in animals.

　　从此以后，可能仅需10年，人类就可以告别白发丛生，满脸皱纹的命运。

　　Using a new technique which takes adult cells back to their embryonic¹ form, US researchers at the Salk Institute in California, showed it was possible to reverse ageing in mice, allowing the animals to not only look younger, but live for 30 percent longer.

　　加利福尼亚索尔克研究所的美国研究员利用一项新技术让成年鼠细胞重新回到胚胎状态，向人们展示，在老鼠身上可以实现逆生长，不仅能让老鼠看上去更年轻，而且还能使其寿命延长30%。

　　The technique involves stimulating² four genes⁴ which are particularly active during development in the womb.

　　该技术会刺激在子宫内发育阶段特别活跃的四种基因。

　　It was also found to work to turn the clock back on human skin cells in the lab, making them look and behave younger.

　　实验发现该技术可以让人类的皮肤细胞逆龄生长，让皮肤细胞的状态更年轻。

　　Scientists hope to eventually create a drug which can mimic⁵ the effect of the found genes which could be taken to slow down, and even reverse the ageing process.

　　科学家们希望最终可以发明与这四种基因具有相同效用的药，减缓细胞衰老，甚至逆转衰老的过程。

　　They say it will take around 10 years to get to human trials.

　　他们表示，进行人体试验大概需要10年的时间。

　　"Our study shows that ageing may not have to proceed in one single direction," said Dr Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a professor in Salk's Gene³ Expression Laboratory.

　　我们的研究表明，衰老不一定是一个单向的过程，索尔克基因表现试验室的专家胡安.卡洛斯.贝尔蒙特博士说道，

　　"With careful modulation⁶, aging might be reversed."

　　通过小心谨慎的调节，衰老的过程可能逆转。

　　"Obviously, mice are not humans and we know it will be much more complex to rejuvenate⁷ a person.

　　显然，老鼠与人类不同，我们知道让一个人重返年轻要复杂得多。

　　But this study shows that ageing is a very dynamic and plastic process, and therefore will be more amenable⁸ to therapeutic⁹ interventions¹⁰ than what we previously¹¹ thought."

　　但是该研究表明衰老是一个动态性和可塑性极强的过程，因此要比我们之前认为的更加经受得住医疗的干预。

　　Scientists have known for some time that the four genes, which are known collectively as the Yamanaka factors, could turn adult cells back to their stem cell state, where they can grow into any part of the body.

　　科学家们对这四种基因的了解已有多时，它们被集体称为山中因子，可以让成人细胞重新回到干细胞的状态，在这种状态下，可以分化形成人体的任何部位。

　　But it was always feared that allowing that to happen could damage organs made from the cells, and even trigger cancer.

　　但一直令人担心的是，这样做可能会损害由这些细胞组成的器官，甚至会引发癌症。

　　However, it was discovered that stimulating the genes intermittently¹² reversed ageing, without causing any damaging side effects.

　　然而研究发现，间歇性地刺激这四种基因，逆转衰老过程，并不会引起任何破坏性的副作用。

　　In mice with a premature¹³ ageing disease, the treatment countered signs of ageing and increased their lifespan by 30 percent.

　　对患有早衰疾病的老鼠进行的治疗消除了衰老的迹象，并将它们的寿命延长了30%。

　　If it worked similarly in humans it could allow people to live until more than 100 years old.

　　如果在人类身上也会产生类似的效果，人们就可能会活到100岁以上。

　　In healthy mice it also helped damaged organs to heal faster.

　　在健康的老鼠身上进行治疗有利于较快治愈损坏的器官。

　　"In other studies scientists have completely reprogrammed cells all the way back to a stem-cell-like state,"

　　在其他研究中，科学家们已经对细胞进行了完全重组，让成人细胞重回类似干细胞的状态。

　　says co-first author Pradeep Reddy, also a Salk research associate.

　　共同第一作者兼索尔克助理研究员普拉迪普.雷迪如是说。

　　"But we show, for the first time, that by expressing these factors for a short duration you can maintain the cell's identity while reversing age-associated hallmarks."

　　但我们首次展示了，通过短时间地重组这些因素，你可以既保持细胞的身份，也能逆转与衰老相关的印记。

　　The breakthrough could also help people stay healthier for longer.

　　这一突破可能会有助于人们更加健康，活得更久。

　　The ageing population means that the risk of developing age-related diseases, such as dementia, cancer and heart disease also rises.

　　人在衰老的同时，患痴呆症、癌症和心脏病等老年疾病的风险也会增高。

　　But if the body could be kept younger for longer then it could prevent many deadly diseases for decades.

　　但是如果身体可以持久地保持年轻状态，人们就可能几十年内不得致命性的疾病。

1 embryonic   

adj.胚胎的

参考例句：

• It is still in an embryonic stage.它还处于萌芽阶段。
• The plan,as yet,only exists in embryonic form.这个计划迄今为止还只是在酝酿之中。

2 stimulating   

adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的

参考例句：

• shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶
• This is a drug for stimulating nerves. 这是一种兴奋剂。

3 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

4 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

5 mimic   

v.模仿，戏弄；n.模仿他人言行的人

参考例句：

• A parrot can mimic a person's voice.鹦鹉能学人的声音。
• He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another.他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。

6 modulation   

n.调制

参考例句：

• The soft modulation of her voice soothed the infant. 她柔和的声调使婴儿安静了。
• Frequency modulation does not allow static to creep in. 频率调制不允许静电干扰混入。

7 rejuvenate   

v.(使)返老还童；(使)恢复活力

参考例句：

• The mountain air will rejuvenate you.山里的空气会使你恢复活力。
• Exercise is perhaps the most effective way to rejuvenate your skin.锻炼可能是使皮肤恢复活力的最好手段。

8 amenable   

adj.经得起检验的；顺从的；对负有义务的

参考例句：

• His scientific discoveries are amenable to the laws of physics.他在科学上的发现经得起物理定律的检验。
• He is amenable to counsel.他这人听劝。

9 therapeutic   

adj.治疗的，起治疗作用的；对身心健康有益的

参考例句：

• Therapeutic measures were selected to fit the patient.选择治疗措施以适应病人的需要。
• When I was sad,music had a therapeutic effect.我悲伤的时候，音乐有治疗效力。

10 interventions   

n.介入，干涉，干预( intervention的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Economic analysis of government interventions deserves detailed discussion. 政府对经济的干预应该给予充分的论述。 来自辞典例句
• The judge's frequent interventions made a mockery of justice. 法官的屡屡干预是对正义的践踏。 来自互联网

11 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

12 intermittently   

adv.间歇地；断断续续

参考例句：

• Winston could not intermittently remember why the pain was happening. 温斯顿只能断断续续地记得为什么这么痛。 来自英汉文学
• The resin moves intermittently down and out of the bed. 树脂周期地向下移动和移出床层。 来自辞典例句

13 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。