Scientists have inched closer to a genuine "anti-ageing" pill with the discovery of an "elixir of life" biochemical, according to a study published in the journal Nature.

Produced by soil bacteria, researchers identified the antifungal agent rapamycin on the Easter Island in the South Pacific that they believe has life-extending properties.

Dr Arlan Richardson, director of the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies in Texas, where much of the work was carried out, predict further research on the compound could lead to a genuine "anti-ageing" pill that keeps people young.

"I never thought we would find an anti-ageing pill for people in my lifetime; however, rapamycin shows a great deal of promise to do just that," said Richardson, who has been in ageing research for 35 years.

When the scientists in the USA fed the drug to ageing mice, it increased the life expectancy of males by 28 per cent and females by 38 per cent, according to the research published in the journal Nature.

"We believe this is the first convincing evidence that the ageing process can be slowed and lifespan can be extended by a drug therapy starting at an advanced age," said Professor Randy Strong, one of the researchers from the University of Texas.

It was found that rapamycin blocks activity of an enzyme called TOR which regulates cell metabolism, cell growth and protein manufacture in response to environmental cues, the journal said.

According to a report in the Daily Telegraph newspaper, Rapamycin, which is today used as an immunosuppressor to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients, was first discovered in the 1970s in soil samples from the South Pacific island famous for its ancient monoliths.

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