A conference on general health tactics that are likely to maximize your remaining life expectancy will be held in October in San Francisco: “Advances are being made daily on what each of us can do NOW to slow the aging process to a minimum, and to delay or prevent the diseases of aging. Life extension news comes out faster than any one of us can evaluate it on our own. Let’s get together and determine how to take personal action.” Many of the folk involved in the longevity advocacy or research communities are also tinkerers who go beyond simply practicing calorie restriction and exercise, and taking a sensibly modest set of vitamins. My suspicion has always been that this is a dangerous path: there is nothing presently available to the public that is proven to do more for long-term health than calorie restriction and exercise. When you spend time tinkering and optimizing in the absence of solid data, you’re not spending time helping to bring forward the advent new medical technologies. The recent history of the pro-longevity community is rife with people who have become distracted from the future and who end up behaving no differently than the pill-sellers and potion-hawkers of the “anti-aging” marketplace. Beware this fate.

View the Article Under Discussion: http://lifeextensionconference.com

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

These researchers argue that embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are most likely the same in any aspect that matters: “the pluripotency of ES cells fueled excitement over their use in regenerative medicine. While ethical hurdles associated with the clinical application of human ES cells appeared to have been overcome with the development of methods to create iPS cells, some recent research has suggested that ES and iPS cells have substantial differences in which sets of genes they express. These findings [argue] to the contrary, rekindling hopes that, under the proper circumstances, iPS cells may indeed hold the clinical promise ascribed to them earlier. … iPS cells are made by introducing three key genes into adult cells. These reprogramming factors push the cells from a mature state to a more flexible embryonic stem cell-like state. Like ES cells, iPS cells can then, in theory, be coaxed to mature into almost any type of cell in the body. Unlike ES cells, iPS cells taken from a patient are not likely to be rejected by that patient’s immune system. This difference overcomes a major hurdle in regenerative medicine. … At this stage, we can’t yet prove that they are absolutely identical, but the available technology doesn’t reveal differences. … Some earlier studies have indicated that iPS and ES cells are dissimilar enough to be classified as different cell types. [The researchers] concluded that the differences noted in other studies were not consistent between different laboratories and thus were not likely to be a result of fundamental differences between the cell types.”

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-08/wifb-hes080510.php

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

From the Telegraph: “In as little as five years, researchers hope to be able to coax the heart into regenerating itself, repairing the damage caused by cardiac arrests and old age. … It works in a similar way to stem cells but instead of the new cells being grown outside the body and then injected back in, the technique simply makes the cells [transform] at the point where they are needed. … The main problem is that when beating muscles cells – known as cardiomyocytes – die during an attack there is no way to reactivate them and the surrounding connective tissue – known as fibroblasts – cannot take over their role.
Now [researchers] have discovered a way of reprogramming fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes. … We first have to test if the same factors can convert human fibroblasts to beating heart muscle and then find ways to safely introduce these factors, or small molecules that mimic these factors, into the coronary circulation so they can reprogram the existing fibroblasts in the heart. I envision such factors being loaded into a stent that is placed in the coronary artery and can elute (allow to emerge) the reprogramming factors over 1-2 weeks. … The team found that they needed a combination of just three substance – Gata4, Mef2c, and Tbx5 – to efficiently convert fibroblasts into cells that could beat like cardiomyocytes.”

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7928426/Damaged-heart-could-be-coaxed-into-mending-itself-claim-scientists.html

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

The FDA-approved drug Chantix may be causing more problems by producing adverse side effects like aggression, experts say.

Smoking cessation is a big problem for dependent smokers. Withdrawal symptoms and nicotine cravings are two of the top reasons why many cannot stop smoking.

A few years ago, the US FDA approved a drug, Chantix, that was touted as the prescription drug to help people kick the smoking habit.  According the drug’s medical literature, Chantix works by acting on the specific brain receptors associated with the chemical nicotine.

Nicotine is an active ingredient in tobacco products that produces a feeling of well-being and relief.  In the long term, the body loses its ability to produce similar chemicals that provide stress relief and the feeling of satisfaction.

This is the reason why smokers become dependent on tobacco products.  It is possible to normalize the brain chemical production again, but it takes time and the withdrawal symptoms are painful.

The story of Chantix

When a smoker is prescribed Chantix to help kick the smoking habit, he can continue smoking until the 8th day of active treatment.  After this point in time, the patient must stop smoking so the drug can perform in its full capacity.  A patient can be prescribed the drug from 12 to 24 full weeks.

According to researcher Thomas Moore from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, Chantix is actually a dangerous drug because it causes patients to feel aggression, violence and even suicidal thoughts.

Moore states that there should be regulation in the prescription of the drug.  According to him, military personnel and other similar armed professionals should not be given the drug given the adverse reports of its side effects since its approval in 2006.

The first documented, adverse side effect of the drug was made in the year 2007 when a musician from Dallas was shot down for displaying violent behavior toward his girlfriend’s neighbor.

Moore and fellow researchers were able to gather a total of 78 adverse cases of side effects from various sources, including reports sent to the US FDA.  Among the 78 adverse side effects, the researchers noted that ten cases involved serious assault, nine cases involved thoughts of committing homicide and seven cases involved other types of violent thoughts.  The FDA advises anyone on the drug Chantix to stop treatment if such feelings of aggression manifest during treatment.  It is also advised that you visit your physician if ever such side effects do occur during treatment.

Natural smoking cessation strategies

You don’t have to be dependent on smoking cessating drugs like Chantix or nicotine patches to kick the smoking habit.  Below are natural strategies that can help you quit the habit.  But the most important tool in your arsenal will still be the genuine desire to quit smoking because you want your health back.

1. A common withdrawal symptom when a person stops smoking is hunger.  This hunger is in part psychological and part physiological.  The body is sending out a signal that it needs its next dose of nicotine.  The body doesn’t need nicotine because it can produce its own natural chemicals to reward the body after a hard day’s work.  If you feel hungry after quitting smoking for a few hours, try drinking some water or eating a small, healthy snack.  Avoid over-eating though, as this doesn’t help the overall effort of keeping yourself healthy throughout the quitting process.

2. Deal with the emotional stress associated with smoking properly.  The first step is to reach out to those who are closest to you, like friends and loved ones.  It’s okay to tell them that you feel angry or frustrated.  Listen to them and allow them to provide you comfort and emotional relief.  Also, learn how to de-stress properly. Remove yourself form isolation, start exercising and keep yourself busy with doing something you like.

3. Reach out to other people like you who are also attempting to kick the habit for good.  Online forums on smoking cessation are free of charge and are full of folks who are in various stages of quitting.  Simply joining the forums can provide immense benefits because you can heart their stories and you will not feel as if you are loneliest person in the world.

4. Do you feel fatigued or physically tired because you’ve quit smoking?  Instead of getting a cigarette, try resting. If you need to adjust your bedtime to sleep earlier, then that’s a good idea. Sleep is much better than bringing yourself back to square 1 of your efforts.

5. Gradually reduce your number of cigarette sticks per day. Start with small steps and gradually reduce your tobacco consumption by half.   Then halve your current number of sticks again, until you’re down to two or one stick a day.  By doing this, you are giving your body time to readjust its chemical balance.  Going cold turkey rarely works, especially for first-time ‘quitters’.

Sources:
webmd.com
quitsmoking.about.com
quitsmoking.about.com

Not having any social bonds or friends can cause severe health problems in the long term.

According to researchers from the Brigham Young University, having and keeping friends over a long period of time actually contributes to a longer, healthier life.  Julianne Holt-Lunstad, one of the key researchers of the study, states that having no friends translated to the stress and potential damage created by smoking nearly a pack of cigarettes per day.

The study

Holt-Lunstad and other researchers analyzed existing data from over 140 studies and attempted to create a causal pathway between health and social bonds.  The data involved in the study were from more than 300,000 individual test subjects.  The study was published in the scientific journal PLoS Medicine.

Based on their analysis, having no strong social bonds with other people produced the following harmful effects on a person:

1. Having no friends to talk to and bond with meant a person was almost like an alcoholic.

2. Having no social bonds was also measured as being more harmful than not exercising regularly.

3. According to the study, obesity’s effects on the human body paled in comparison to having no friends at all.

What is a real friend?

To make friends and keep the good ones, you have to know what a real friend does.

1. A real friend trusts you for who you are and respects you for your  identity and practices.

2. Growing and changing doesn’t mean that you will lose a real friend.  Real friends understand that people are always in a state of change – but they do not lose sight of the reason why they became friends with you in the first place.

3. Real friends do not stifle you or make you feel that you have to be somebody you are not.  Real friends give people the necessary to grow and establish their own identity, separate from friends and peer groups.

4. Privacy and confidentiality is important in a real friendship – and real friends know how to keep to themselves the things they hear from a confiding friend.

5. Real friends are able to absorb or accept how people express what they think and what they feel.

6. Real friends are a joy to be with when you are facing personal challenges, because they can provide a certain measure of support so you can beat these obstacles in life.

7. A real friend does not drive away people who want to help.

8. Being with a real friend produces happiness – there is no pressure to be with the person, but a genuine desire drives you to bond with each other.

9. A real friend never takes advantage of another person, no matter what the circumstances are.

10. A real friend creates and nurtures an emotional bond that allows both of you to grow and reach your full potentials as a human being.

How do you make friends?

If you haven’t been socializing lately, you may feel that your social skills are quite rusty.  You may feel that no one would be interested in talking to you and being friends with you.

This is not true.  While the world is a hard place to live in, people are often very open and happy to accept newcomers and new friends.  You just have to leave your shell of elusiveness and isolation to make new friends.

Do you want to make new friends? Try the following places and events:

1. Identify other issues in your life and try finding a support group that fits your needs.  Support groups exist in every city and state in the United States, and many of these support groups have online presence, which means they won’t be hard to find.

2. Watched any good theatrical productions lately?  The theater is a good place to find good people to chat with and make friends with.

3. Love rock n’ roll music or country tunes?  Then go to a concert – we’re pretty sure that concerts are packed with enough people for you to find at least one or two people to connect with.  You just have to start a good conversation.

4. Other places that you can visit include art shows, book launches, poetry reading shows, etc.  Visit events that interest you – so you can meet and talk to like-minded people.

Having trouble reaching out to new people? Try the following:

1. Make good conversation with the new acquaintance and focus on listening rather than going on and on about yourself.  People generally love good listeners and they will warm up to you faster if you show that you genuinely want to know more about them.

2. After warming up to the new acquaintance, you may want to invite the other person to lunch or another event that he or she may be interested in.

3. If you’ve learned enough about your new acquaintance, watch out for news or updates in his field of interest.  Then you can call or drop him an email about the news – this is a great way to create a two-way channel of communication between budding friends.

4. If the person is doing something (like building a model airplane), offer your assistance – but don’t be too pushy, as this will make the other person avoid you.

How do you keep good friends?

Once you have made a good friend (or good friends), you have to make sure that your friendship does not die out – like a candle left out too long outside.  Here are some steps to maintain a good friendship for the long term:

1. A good friend is interested and participates in the interests and passions of his own friend.  Make sure that you join your friend in activities that he likes, and vice versa.

2. Small things like playing video games or even sharing a tasty meal can mean a lot to friends.  Talking and listening is a also an excellent way to show that you care for another person.

3. Keep the lines of communication open with your new friends.  Do not isolate yourself for no reason or cut them off when you feel frustrated or depressed.  Instead, keep an open line and talk to them about your problems . You might be surprised how efficient friends are in cheering other people up.  You have to be there for them too, when they need someone to lean on or listen to them.

4. The effort to maintain the friendship should not be one sided.  The  effort and responsibility should be shared equally by both parties, so make sure that you do your part and you remind your friend that he should exert effort as well.

5. Show your home to your friend – this act alone will tell your friend that you are comfortable with him and you trust him as a friend.

Sources:
newsmaxhealth.com
download.ncadi.samhsa.gov

A person’s weight has more bearing on his predisposition to developing high blood pressure than his current fitness level, Texas study says.

In a new study from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, researchers established a concrete link between a person’s weight and the incidence of high blood pressure.

It appears that exercising is not enough to keep blood pressure down, because according to Susan Lakoski, MD, obese or overweight individuals are still at high risk for hypertension if they do not get their weight down, despite of their continued efforts at being physically fit.

What does this mean?  According to the researchers, the main target when you want to lower your blood pressure is to get your weight down with your best efforts.

It’s not enough that you get some minutes of exercise per week, though this has not been discredit.  What the researchers are saying is that you have exert every healthy effort to keep your weight down and keep it from going up.

Weight, according to the Texas study, takes precedence to physical activity when it comes to determining the risk for developing high blood pressure.  According to the CDCP, nearly 1/3 of all adult Americans suffer from high blood pressure.

Half of those who suffer from high blood pressure are within the 55+ years range, which means more and more of our seniors are at greater risk of suffering from stroke, coronary heart disease and other dangerous medical conditions.

According to the study’s data, it appears that only the people within the normal weight range experience palpable blood pressure benefits when they exercised.

The bottom line?  People should focus on getting their weight within the normal range and start moving.  Because obesity and a sedentary lifestyle can increase mortality and risk for many negative health conditions, including heart problems.

Natural ways to keep your blood pressure down

If you have high blood pressure, follow these guidelines to naturally keep your blood pressure down:

1. It would do your heart a world of good if you quit smoking today – because cigarettes have been proven to contribute to the development of hypertension in both men and women.

2. If you are presently overweight, cut down on fatty foods and start exercising to lose the extra pounds.

3. Exercise 30 to 40 minutes everyday.  Experts recommend 150 minutes of exercise for both men and women for general wellness.  Regular exercise is also a general preventive for many diseases and negative health conditions.

4. Cut down on your coffee intake, as caffeine has been shown to increase blood pressure.  Limit your intake of regular coffee to 1 to 2 cups per day to reduce your caffeine load.  Substitutes to coffee like green tea are a good idea, because green tea only has half of the caffeine content of regular coffee.

5. Reduce your salt intake, because sodium directly increases a person’s blood pressure.  More than 2,300 milligrams of the stuff per day can cause your blood pressure to spike.

6. Control your stress level, because stress can cause hypertension and can also affect your mental health in the long term.  Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, yoga, stretching, meditation and aromatherapy are options that you can explore when it comes to de-stressing.

7. Natural supplements like fish oil, garlic, hawthorn and folic acid have been known to reduce oxidative stress of the heart and the other organs in the body, which may help in your overall effort to reduce your blood pressure.  Coenzyme Q10 or Co-Q10 has also shown great promise when it comes to protecting the heart and reducing a person’s blood pressure.

Sources:
familydoctor.org
newsmaxhealth.com
altmedicine.about.com

The innate immune system declines with age, just like the adaptive immune system. The details are different: “The innate immune system is composed of a network of cells including neutrophils, NK and NKT cells, monocytes/macrophages, and dendritic cells that mediate the earliest interactions with pathogens. Age-associated defects are observed in the activation of all of these cell types, linked to compromised signal transduction pathways including the Toll-like Receptors. However, aging is also characterized by a constitutive pro-inflammatory environment (inflamm-aging) with persistent low-grade innate immune activation that may augment tissue damage caused by infections in elderly individuals. Thus, immunosenescence in the innate immune system appears to reflect dysregulation, rather than exclusively impaired function.” Understanding the cause of the problem steers the search for solutions. Dysregulation means that the focus is on fixing errant signaling mechanisms, or on finding ways to directly instruct cells to act or not act. Cell transplants or repairs are not much use if the problem actually lies in the control systems.

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20667703

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

A reminder of the role of the laboratory mouse in aging research: “Aging, which affects all organ systems, is one of the most complex phenotypes. Recent discoveries in long-lived mutant mice have revealed molecular mechanisms of longevity in mammals which may contribute to our understanding of why humans age. These mutations include naturally-occurring spontaneous mutations, and those of mice genetically modified by modern genomic technologies. It is generally believed that the most fundamental mechanisms of aging are evolutionarily conserved across species. The following types of longevity mechanisms have been intensively studied: suppression of the somatotropic (growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor 1) axis, decreased metabolism and increased resistance of oxidative stress, reduced insulin secretion and increased insulin sensitivity, and delayed reproductive maturation and reduced fertility. In addition, many of the mutations have a sex-dependent effect on lifespan, and when present in different genetic backgrounds, the effects of the same gene mutation can vary considerably. … We anticipate that these mouse studies will ultimately provide clues about how to delay the aging and prolong lifespan, and help to develop therapies for healthier human aging.”

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20667513

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

One day, it will be possible to replace nerves with entirely artificial conduits. This is a branch of medical technology that will compete with regenerative medicine, and ultimately lead to more effective and resilient body parts. But today, the foundations are still being designed. A long road lies ahead. Here, the New Scientist looks at early work: “Schiefer is describing an experiment in which pulses of electricity are used to control the muscles of an unconscious patient, as if they were a marionette. It represents the beginnings of a new generation of devices that he hopes will allow people with paralysed legs to regain control of their muscles and so be able to stand, or even walk again. His is one of a raft of gadgets being developed that plug into the network of nerves that normally relay commands from the spinal cord to the muscles, but fall silent when a spinal injury breaks the chain. New ways to connect wires to nerves [allow] artificial messages to be injected to selectively control muscles just as if the signal had originated in the brain. Limbs that might otherwise never again be controlled by their owners can be brought back to life. … Nerves contain tens of thousands of axons, each capable of being controlled by the ultimate puppeteer: the brain. Learning to pull even a few of those strings, though, could restore partial function to a person’s limb, restoring some control to an arm or leg that was previously paralysed.”

View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627546.200-paralysed-limbs-revived-by-hacking-into-nerves.html?full=true

Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

New mission for salinomycin in cancer by Cord Naujokat, SciTopics, July 15, 2010. Excerpt (in the “continue reading” section):

In addition, a very recent study demonstrates that salinomycin overcomes ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter-mediated multidrug and apoptosis resistance in human leukemia stem cell-like cells (3).

Reference #3: Salinomycin overcomes ABC transporter-mediated multidrug and apoptosis resistance in human leukemia stem cell-like KG-1a cells, by Dominik Fuchs and 4 co-authors, including Cord Naujokat, Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2010(Apr 16);394(4): 1098-104 [Epub 2010(Mar 27)][PubMed citation].

Comments: Near the end of this article about salinomycin is the comment that “the investigation of its safety, toxicity, pharmacology and anticancer activity in humans will be a challenge.” The author then mentions a preliminary study of “a small cohort of patients with metastatic breast cancer or metastatic head and neck cancers“. The results of this preliminary study of the toxicity of salinomycin are summarized. They have not yet been published in the peer-reviewed literature, although a manuscript has been submitted [see reference #4 in the article]. The implication of these preliminary results is that there may be a “therapeutic window” for salinomycin, that is, a drug dosage that yields clinically significant benefits in the absence of excessive toxicity.

For a previous commentary on salinomycin, see: Cancer stem cell breakthrough by Kat Arney, Science Update blog, Cancer Research UK, August 14, 2009. Excerpt:

We need to stress that these were laboratory experiments, and there is no evidence yet that salinomycin can treat cancer in humans. Salinomycin is currently used as an antibiotic for chickens and cows, and it can be toxic or even fatal to humans, causing serious muscle and heart problems.

If there is a “therapeutic window” for salinomycin, it could be a small one, and is likely to vary from one tumor to another.

For a previous post to this blog about salinomycin, see: Identification of selective inhibitors of breast CSCs in mice, August 14, 2009.

LONGEVITY MEME NEWSLETTER
July 19 2010

The Longevity Meme Newsletter is a weekly email containing news, opinions, and happenings for people interested in aging science and engineered longevity: making use of diet, lifestyle choices, technology, and proven medical advances to live healthy, longer lives. This newsletter is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. In short, this means that you are encouraged to republish and rewrite it in any way you see fit, the only requirements being that you provide attribution and a link to the Longevity Meme.

To subscribe or unsubscribe from the Longevity Meme Newsletter, please visit http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/

______________________________

CONTENTS

- Immortality Institute International Conference in October
- LifeStar Institute Launches New Website
- Research Forges Ahead
- Discussion
- Latest Healthy Life Extension Headlines

IMMORTALITY INSTITUTE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN OCTOBER

The Immortality Institute volunteers have put together a great line-up of speakers for their forthcoming conference in Brussels, Belgium on October 9th, including researchers Leonid Gavrilov, Michael Rose, Aubrey de Grey (of course), some of the Russians from the Science Against Aging initiative, and a range of others:

http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2010/07/immortality-institute-international-conference-october-2010-in-brussels.php

“It’s a great chance for Eurozone folk to gather and meet like-minded supporters of longevity science: there are far too few such gatherings held on that side of the pond, so make the most of this one. Many of the usual suspects from the longevity science community will be speaking or presenting, as well as a fair few faces you might not be so familiar with. Not too many of the European advocates for extended healthy life spans make it out to the US-based conferences on a regular basis, so it should be a different crowd from the circuit of the past few years.”

LIFESTAR INSTITUTE LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE

The LifeStar Institute is a project of the Millard Foundation, a family organization whose principals decided a few years ago to throw their weight behind making rejuvenation medicine a reality.

http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2010/07/lifestar-institute-launches-new-website.php

“The Institute volunteers recently launched a new website to coincide with their call for global collaboration in longevity science … Leaders in the biology and polices of aging research at the first LifeStar Institute Global Aging Science Summit conclude the time has come to launch an ambitious global effort to keep aging generations youthful, productive, and engaged to unprecedented ages. In laboratories all over the world, using genome sciences, diets including calorie restriction, and techniques of cell science and regenerative medicine, scientists are now keeping living organisms alive and healthy for increasing lengths of time never before thought possible. The obvious question: When will medical science do the same for us?”

RESEARCH FORGES AHEAD

There is always something new and interesting happening in the life science laboratories of the world. For example, from this past week:

http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2010/07/cancer-immunotherapy-in-action.php

“Researchers at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center created a large, well armed battalion of tumor-seeking immune system cells and watched, in real time using Positron Emission Tomography (PET), as the special forces traveled throughout the body to locate and attack dangerous melanomas. … The novelty of our work is that we were able to pack together the cancer specific T cell receptor and the PET reporter genes in a single vector and use it in mice with an intact immune system that closely resembles what we would see in real patients. We were also gladly surprised to see the targeted tumors literally melt away and disappear, underscoring the power of the combined approach of immune and gene therapy to control cancer.”

http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2010/07/analysis-of-gene-expression-and-longevity-is-forging-ahead.php

“The process of gene expression, in which a gene is used as a blueprint to construct a protein, is anything but static. Levels of gene expression for individual genes rise and fall with environmental circumstances, health, injury, and over the course of aging. It’s a tremendously complex system, with a lot of feedback loops and switches, but fortunately the cost of analyzing gene expression profiles over a whole genome is falling rapidly. It is now feasible to run hundreds of such profiles over the course of a study. At the same time the tools of analysis are starting to catch up with the amount of data being generated: researchers are able to more rapidly and effectively draw conclusions from the mountainous databases they construct. So, for example, see this study on flies, which compares groups of flies selected for their longevity versus a control group of average length lives. It demonstrates that systematically sweeping the whole genome for changes in gene expression with age is a viable way to evaluate the importance of other lines of research and find new avenues for future study.”

DISCUSSION

The highlights and headlines from the past week follow below. If you have comments for us, please do send e-mail to newsletter@longevitymeme.org

Remember – if you like this newsletter, the chances are that your friends will find it useful too. Forward it on, or post a copy to your favorite online communities. Encourage the people you know to pitch in and make a difference to the future of health and longevity!

Reason
reason@longevitymeme.org

______________________________

LATEST HEALTHY LIFE EXTENSION HEADLINES

THE CASE FOR LATE-LIFE INTERVENTIONS IN AGING (July 16 2010)
http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/vnl.cfm?id=4815
A position paper by Aubrey de Grey, a number of other important biogerontologists, and folk from the LifeStar Institute: “The social and medical costs of the biological aging process are high and will rise rapidly in coming decades, creating an enormous challenge to societies worldwide. In recent decades, researchers have expanded their understanding of the underlying deleterious structural and physiological changes (aging damage) that underlie the progressive functional impairments, declining health, and rising mortality of aging humans and other organisms and have been able to intervene in the process in model organisms, even late in life. To preempt a global aging crisis, we advocate an ambitious global initiative to translate these findings into interventions for aging humans, using three complementary approaches to retard, arrest, and even reverse aging damage, extending and even restoring the period of youthful health and functionality of older people.” This more or less reflects the LifeStar Institute position, complementary with that of the SENS Foundation, but with more of an organizational focus.

BRAIN SIZE CORRELATES WITH SPECIES LONGEVITY (July 16 2010)
http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/vnl.cfm?id=4814
Via ScienceDaily: “Mammals with larger brains in relation to body size tend to live longer. This is the conclusion reached by researchers [after] having analysed almost 500 mammal species and obtaining new data on the relation between brain size and lifespan. … The brain size of some mammals is larger than expected for their body size. This is the case of large primates, such as chimpanzees and gorilla, and of whales, dolphins and elephants. Scientists have spent years investigating why sometimes nature favours the development of large brains given that they require much more time to reach functional maturity and use up so much energy. … the size of the brain affects lifespan regardless of the size of the body. Hyenas, for example, have a larger brain than giraffes in proportion to body size and on average live longer, although they are smaller than these herbivores. … it is possible that a longer life works in favour of a delay in reproductive cycles and this would in turn allow progenitors to invest more resources and time in caring for their offspring. This also leads to the formation of stable social groups whose members, according to the Social Intelligence Hypothesis (SIH), must deal with more cognitive demands than animals living alone, and this would be the reason for larger brains.”

A CONSERVATIVE VIEW OF LONGEVITY SCIENCE (July 15 2010)
http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/vnl.cfm?id=4813
This opinion piece is an example of the sort of viewpoint held by those who believe that metabolic manipulation to modestly slow aging is the only viable way forward in longevity science: “When I tell people that anti-aging drugs are no longer a distant prospect, they often assume I’m talking about the quest for immortality. That’s not surprising, given the buzz generated in recent years by visionaries who speculate about re-engineering the human body to last thousands of years. But actually I don’t find that far-out prospect very interesting – it bears the same relationship to serious aging science that warp-drive spaceships do to aeronautical engineering. What really grabs me are experimental advances that may impinge on the lives of people I know, maybe even mine. … the only practical, near-term way to substantially increase healthy life span today is to simultaneously lower the risk of all diseases of aging. The way we now mainly buy time – administering therapies for one progressive, old-age disease at a time when it’s too late to do much good – can’t do that. Anti-aging drugs could, and at the same time they would go a long way toward ending the ruinously costly game of diminishing returns we’re playing in geriatric medicine, as we eke out incremental gains with ever pricier palliatives. In effect, they would be preventive medicines of unprecedented scope and efficacy, drastically lowering the risk of everything from Alzheimer’s to osteoporosis to wrinkles in the way that hypertension drugs now cut heart-attack risk.”

URGING A GLOBAL COLLABORATION AGAINST AGING (July 15 2010)
http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/vnl.cfm?id=4812
From the LifeStar Institute: “Leaders in the biology and polices of aging research at the first LifeStar Institute Global Aging Science Summit conclude the time has come to launch an ambitious global effort to keep aging generations youthful, productive, and engaged to unprecedented ages. In laboratories all over the world, using genome sciences, diets including calorie restriction, and techniques of cell science and regenerative medicine, scientists are now keeping living organisms alive and healthy for increasing lengths of time never before thought possible. The obvious question: When will medical science do the same for us? … The scientific panel proposes that the United States and nations across the world create a global collaboration and launch an Apollo-like Project with the following goal: translate laboratory knowledge about the degenerative changes of aging into new kinds of medicines for humans that can prevent and repair those changes. The panel urges governments and the biomedical industry to fund three key initiatives: (1) Use public health agencies to inform citizens on how they can improve their lifestyles. (2) Develop the first genuine anti-aging medicines that are able to boost the body’s ability to maintain health (3) Develop and apply regenerative methods that can remove, replace, repair, and neutralize the cellular and molecular damage that accumulate in aging bodies and restore youthful structure and function.”

USING STEM CELLS TO BUILD TEST PLATFORMS (July 14 2010)
http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/vnl.cfm?id=4811
Here is an example of the other use for stem cells: to grow tissue that can be used to test and understand specific diseases. “Researchers are applying new stem cell technology to use skin samples to grow the brain cells thought to be responsible for the onset of Parkinson’s disease … [the] team will be gathering data from over 1,000 patients with early stage Parkinson’s disease and taking small samples of skin tissue to grow special stem cells – induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells). iPS cells can be generated from accessible tissue such as the skin and then used to generate specific types of cell. The researchers will use the iPS cells to grow dopamine neurons – the brain cells responsible for the production of dopamine, as it is these cells which die in patients with Parkinson’s, leading to the onset of the disease. … iPS cells provide new and exciting opportunities to grow and study dopamine neurons from patients for the first time. This technology will prove to be extremely important in diseases which affect the brain because of its relative inaccessibility – it’s far easier to get a skin sample than a brain biopsy. Once we have neurons from patients we can compare the functioning of cells taken from patients with the disease and those without to better understand why dopamine neurons die in patients with Parkinson’s.”

LEF FUNDS GRANULOCYTE CANCER THERAPY (July 14 2010)
http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/vnl.cfm?id=4810
A press release: “In a discovery that made headline news around the world, Dr. Zheng Cui, of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, developed a colony of mice with super-charged granulocytes that successfully fight off many forms of virulent cancer. … In a surprising turn of events Dr. Cui also found that a similar cancer-killing activity is present in the granulocytes of some healthy humans. … When the Life Extension Foundation learned that this potential cancer cure was not being funded, it immediately made a $200,000 grant to fund the study at the South Florida Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant Institute … This new clinical trial will test this approach in humans with advanced cancer, including metastases, who have not been helped by conventional cancer therapies. The trial has received an IND (investigational new drug) status from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Institutional Review Board approval. … In January of this year, Dr. Maharaj notified the Life Extension Foundation that progress was being slowed because expected funding sources had dried up. Life Extension responded with another grant of $600,000 to further advance what could be a cure for cancer.”

THE GENETICS OF HORMESIS-INDUCED LONGEVITY (July 13 2010)
http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/vnl.cfm?id=4809
Hormesis is the process whereby suffering a little biochemical damage switches metabolism into a high-repair, damage-resistant mode, thereby extending life. Here, researchers examine changes in gene expression associated with hormesis: “Ionizing radiation generates oxidative stress, which is thought to be a major cause of aging. Although living organisms are constantly exposed to low levels of radiation, most studies examining the effect of radiation have focused on accelerated aging and diminished life span that result from high-dose radiation. On the other hand, several studies have suggested that low-dose radiation enhances the longevity of Drosophila melanogaster. Therefore, investigation of the biological effects of low-dose radiation could contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the aging process. In this study, microarray and quantitative real time-PCR were used to measure genome-wide changes in transcript levels in low-dose irradiated fruit flies that showed enhanced longevity. In response to radiation, approximately 13% of the genome exhibited changes in gene expression, and a number of aging-related genes were significantly regulated. These data were compared with quantitative trait loci affecting life-span to identify candidate genes involved in enhanced longevity induced by low-dose radiation. This genome-wide survey revealed novel information about changes in transcript levels in low-dose irradiated flies and identified 39 new candidate genes for molecular markers of extended longevity induced by ionizing radiation. In addition, this study also suggests a mechanism by which low-dose radiation extends longevity.”

THE COST OF OBESITY (July 13 2010)
http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/vnl.cfm?id=4808
A good example of what obesity does to your long term health: “Men who enter adult life obese face a life-long doubling of the risk of dying prematurely, new research has found. In a study presented today (Tuesday) at the International Congress on Obesity in Stockholm, researchers tracked more than 5,000 military conscripts starting at the age of 20 until up to the age of 80. They found that at any given age, an obese man was twice as likely to die as a man who was not obese and that obesity at age 20 years had a constant effect on death up to 60 years later. They also found that the chance of dying early increased by 10% for each BMI point above the threshold for a healthy weight and that this persisted throughout life, with the obese dying about eight years earlier than the non-obese. … Body mass index (BMI) was measured at the average ages of 20, 35 and 46 years, and the researchers investigated that in relation to death in the next follow-up period. A total of 1,191 men had died during the follow-up period of up to 60 years. The results were adjusted to eliminate any influence on the findings from year of birth, education and smoking. … At age 70 years, 70% of the men in the comparison group and 50% of those in the obese group were still alive and we estimated that from middle age, the obese were likely to die eight years earlier than those in the comparison group.”

ON CALORIE RESTRICTION (July 12 2010)
http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/vnl.cfm?id=4807
Christopher Westphal of Sirtris is writing a series of guest columns in the Boston Globe: “Last week, I wrote that the best way to live healthier longer was to eat less and exercise more. Meticulous readers asked which of these two approaches, precisely, had more scientific support. Such questions may reflect wishful thinking: Those who exercise a lot might wonder if they can eat the equivalent of steak and fries every night. And for those who don’t want too much exercise, might they focus instead on eating less? Unfortunately for those who, like me, have modest will power at the table, the data are clear. The most robust way to increase healthy lifespan in a broad variety of organisms is in fact calorie restriction. In other words, it behooves us to cut our calorie intake markedly, while still maintaining a balanced diet that includes essential vitamins and minerals. Whether we can bring ourselves to do so is another question entirely. … Who among us, you might ask, would have the fortitude to emulate the calorie restriction studies conducted on animals? It turns out that there are at least hundreds of Americans, and many more individuals worldwide, who are severely restricting their calorie intake in the hopes of extending their healthy lifespans. Studies have indeed found that key cardiovascular measurements, such as blood pressure and heart rate, are much improved in individuals who significantly restrict their calorie intake.”

PTEN AND NERVE REGENERATION (July 12 2010)
http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/vnl.cfm?id=4806
Via EurekAlert!: “Scientists have discovered a way to enhance nerve regeneration in the peripheral nervous system. This important discovery could lead to new treatments for nerve damage caused by diabetes or traumatic injuries. Peripheral nerves connect the brain and spinal cord to the body, and without them, there is no movement or sensation. Peripheral nerve damage is common and often irreversible. … [Researchers] used a rat model to examine a pathway that helps nerves to grow and survive. Within this pathway is a molecular brake, called PTEN, that helps to prevent excessive cell growth under normal conditions. In addition to discovering for the first time that PTEN is found in the peripheral nervous system, [the team] demonstrated that following nerve injury, PTEN prevents peripheral nerves from regenerating. The team was able to block PTEN, an approach that dramatically increased nerve outgrowth. … We were amazed to see such a dramatic effect over such a short time period. No one knew that nerves in the peripheral system could regenerate in this way, nerves that can be damaged if someone has diabetes for example. This finding could eventually help people who have lost feeling or motor skills recover and live with less pain.”

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