Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Methuselah Mouse Prize
The Methuselah Mouse Prize is a growing $1 million USD prize started in 2003 to accelerate research into slowing and eventually reversing cellular aging and breakdown in humans. The foundation awards prizes to researchers who extend the lifespan of a mouse to unprecedented lengths, and has been covered in many news sources, including the BBC, the New York Times, and Fortune Magazine. Methuselah was a patriarch in the Bible said to reach 969 years of age.
The prize is modelled after the highly successful Ansari X Prize, which accelerated efforts to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space, and did so using orders of magnitude less money than comparable NASA projects.
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Prize structure
The prize is administrated by the Methuselah Foundation, and consists of two prizes: the first for extending total lifespan, and the second focusing on rejuvenation therapy begun at older age. Famous Cambridge biogerontologist Aubrey de Grey is a co-founder and chief scientist for the project, and has been interviewed regarding the prize in many news sources.
From his biogerontology work, De Grey believes there are seven root causes of cellular aging and breakdown, all of which are reversible. Among others, they include cell atrophy, cell death, and unwanted mutations. (see Engineered negligible senescence)
Expectations
De Grey said in March 2005 "if we are to bring about real regenerative therapies that will benefit not just future generations, but those of us who are alive today, we must encourage scientists to work on the problem of aging." William Haseltine , the famous biotech pioneer of Human Genome Sciences said in a statement in March 2005 "there’s nothing to compare with this effort, and it has already contributed significantly to the awareness that regenerative medicine is a near term reality, not an if."
The foundation believes if slowing or reversing of cellular aging can be exhibited in mice, an enormous amount of funding would be made available for such research in humans, potentially including a massive government project similar to the Human Genome Project.
The first Rejuvenation Prize was awarded in December 2004.
Related articles
External links
- SENS (Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence)
- www.methuselahmouse.org/ Official Site
- Anti-aging prize tops $1 million (MSNBC, March 9th 2005)
- Genetic control of lifespan: studies from animal models
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