New research performed on mice offers insights into the mechanism of aging, and perhaps with time a way to stop it. A naturally-occurring substance called resveratrol which treats an aspect of aging, also seems to help Repair damage to DNA and regulate gene activity, preventing them from behaving irregularly as the person ages.

"In principle, we now could have a way of reversing the effects of aging," said David Sinclair, a Harvard University gerontologist and co-founder of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, a company which produces resveratrol-based drugs.

The substance contains an active Enzyme called SIRT1. It rejuvenates mitochondria, the so-called “power plants” inside cells. Breakdown of mitochondria is associated with age-related diseases like heart disease, diabetes and dementia. Several companies are researching drugs that target the cellular organelles.

The new SIRT1 findings suggest that it also fixes DNA as well as mitochondria. Findings Sinclair’s team showed that SIRT1 enzymes gathered at sites where DNA was unraveling, and helped other DNA proteins arrive. Otherwise damage progressed, causing deregulation due to dormant genes coming alive, and active genes shutting down.

Researchers believe that gene deregulation causes aging. As cells age they produce less of the protein, making the body less able to repair its faulty DNA.

Mice that were given resveratrol or genetically engineered to produce more SRT1 however, showed no difficulty in gene repair.

"One idea of why we age is that DNA becomes damaged or mutated," said Sinclair, lead author of the research published Wednesday in Cell. "But perhaps the main culprit is the effect of genes switching on and off, and that should be reversible."

The drug is still in a very early stage, and application to humans is still very far off. Further studies will have to be done on mice, and on other aspects of the aging process.

"We think this is just the tip of the iceberg, and that SIRT1 is just the first of many proteins that get reshuffled during aging," Sinclair said.