Extending the human lifespan is a multibillion-pound industry and has been hailed as the most fascinating scientific challenge in modern history. But if a drug to achieve longevity is ever discovered, one thing looks certain: it is highly unlikely to work on women – and almost inconceivable that it will work on mothers.
That is because, say experts, cages in laboratories across the world are filled with white mice who share a striking similarity: they are all male.
This is a serious problem, said Dr Steven Austad, a biologist and the author of the bestselling Methuselah’s Zoo, because the sex differences between rodents are significant – and the differences between virgin female mice and mice that have given birth are even larger.
About 75% of the drugs that extend lifespan in mice work only on males: the drugs were developed on male mice then belatedly tested on both sexes, only to discover the females did not respond.
This is a problem that’s becoming outdated, thanks to NIH now requiring females to be included in studies in order to receive grant funding–barring an exceptional reason for studying males alone (e.g., male-specific problems). They are even requiring cell lines for in vitro studies to be derived, at least in part, from females, rather than from males alone.
Now … in the 21st century you mean … after over 80 years of clinical trials.
The best time to start was decades ago, but at least they’ve started.