Scientists have been in a race to find a "fountain of youth" pill that has the potential to increase longevity or reverse aging. Are we there yet? Looks like we are a step closer to the ever-elusive elixir of life.

In what could be a groundbreaking discovery, a group of researchers from Harvard has identified six chemical cocktails that they say can reverse the aging process in both human and mouse skin cells.

"Grateful to share our latest publication: We've previously shown age reversal is possible using gene therapy to turn on embryonic genes. Now we show it's possible with chemical cocktails, a step towards affordable whole-body rejuvenation," tweeted Dr. David Sinclair, a molecular biologist at Harvard Medical School and co-author of the study.

"We identify six chemical cocktails, which, in less than a week and without compromising cellular identity, restore a youthful genome-wide transcript profile and reverse transcriptomic age. Thus, rejuvenation by age reversal can be achieved, not only by genetic, but also chemical means, " the researchers wrote in the study published in the journal Aging.

The study evaluated the impact of a drug concoction that contains the growth hormone metformin and a drug that activates the enzyme-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the rejuvenation of aged muscles, liver tissue and other organs.

"Studies on the optic nerve, brain tissue, kidney and muscle have shown promising results, with improved vision and extended lifespan in mice and, recently, in April of this year, improved vision in monkeys," Dr. Sinclair said.

The team claimed they found age-reversing effects with all six combinations. The impact of a four-day treatment using the cocktails was comparable to the total change seen after a year of a regenerative treatment in a landmark study from 2019.

"This new discovery offers the potential to reverse aging with a single pill, with applications ranging from improving eyesight to effectively treating age-related diseases," Dr. Sinclair added.

However, some researchers receive the findings with a pinch of skepticism. Matt Kaeberlein, a biogerontologist, told Earth that it is just a preliminary study and the researchers should validate at least one of the concoctions in an animal model for its effectiveness in age-related health metrics or lifespan.

Dr. Charles Brenner, a metabolism researcher, raised concerns about the safety of the drugs used in the cocktails. "These are generally not safe alone or in a combination," Brenner said.