An American research team is claiming to have found a potential target to extend lifespan, but is yet to start trials on humans.

The potential cure for age is a drug, which protects telomeres, sections of DNA long thought to be the key to the ageing process.

However, the treatment is not yet considered safe for humans, and may first be tested on dogs and cats by being added to pet food.

Scientists think that ageing is caused by the telomeres- an enzyme which apparently reverses the ageing process - in our genes shortening over the course of our lifetime.

Now, the team led by Bill Andrews thinks it has found a way to slow or even reverse this shrinkage, according to the Sunday Times. This could be the secret to a longer life.

The new findings suggest that nearly 40 different substances could contribute to the production of this enzyme.

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