The dream of eternal youth is paradoxically ancient. What is rather new, however, is that we do not have to surrender to ageing without a fight. There are new ways and means to slow down the clock of life considerably.

Genes determine ageing processes only to one third. The rest is up to the individual. But are anti-ageing creams, young blood or special active ingredients in drugs real elixirs of youth? Harald Lesch exposes what is fact and what is fake.

Scientists are on the trail of the mechanisms of ageing. They are targeting an animal that may not win a beauty prize, but which, by its own standards, can live a very long life. The naked mole-rat is a rodent and can live up to 30 years, which is a lot for a species that otherwise only lives a few years at most. But what do these animals have that others do not? Researchers are convinced that a substance ensures the longevity of the animals: hyaluron. An active ingredient used in anti-aging creams and beauty salons for the skin. But all these remedies won’t help if you do not lead a healthy personal life.

WRITER and DIRECTOR: Birgit Tanner     CAMERA: Adnane Korchyou     EDITOR: Agnès Padrol Sureda     COMMISSIONING EDITOR: Christiane Götz-Sobel, Christina Schrader