A new wrinkle cream called MitoQ could be a revolution in the anti-ageing market, as it is thought to both soften the skin and actually reverse the signs of ageing. This was discovered by scientists Rob Smith and Mike Murphy from Cambridge University, who stumbled across the blend of ingredients by accident. It is thought that the cream floods the cells with antioxidants and that these destroy any lurking free radicals.
If proved, this discovery will join a whole host of accidental medical breakthroughs which have occurred when scientists are looking for something else altogether. These include Botox, Quinine and Viagra, which were all discovered by accident.
In this case, the scientists at Cambridge University were working towards a cure for liver damage, and in the course of this they accidentally created a cream which they now feel sure will work as a powerful reversal for the signs of ageing.
Naming their product MitoQ, the scientists have patented the product which they say floods cells which the health-giving molecules and send them straight to the mitochondria, to eliminate the free radicals that cause tissue damage. The team claims that this discovery could massively enhance the body’s antioxidant capacity and restore ageing cells to their optimal function.
Other accidental discoveries include Viagra, which was discovered when scientists were looking for a medicine for angina. When the medication, designed to relax blood vessels, was tested on trial volunteers, the results for angina were disappointing. Then, the volunteers started to report that the side effect of the drug was that they were experiencing more erections. At this time, there was no treatment for erectile dysfunction and so this discovery was incredibly exciting.
Ritalin was also discovered by accident. It was originally intended to medicate depression in adults and is now used to tread ADHD in children.