LEAF’s August 2018 roundup is out!
We hope August has treated you well—it certainly did so for life extension, as this has been another month full of great news for the field. Don’t be upset with the departure of summer and the arrival of autumn, because little by little, we’re getting close to pushing away the autumn of years.
More investments against aging
An extraordinary new anti-ageing technique could see humans live to 150 years old and allow them to regrow their organs by 2020.
Harvard Professor David Sinclair and researchers from the University of New South Wales developed the new process, which involves reprogramming cells.
Continue reading “New pill could see humans live to 150 ‘for the price of a coffee’” »
The ability to reverse ageing is something many people would hope to see in their lifetime. This is still a long way from reality, but in our latest experiment, we have reversed the ageing of human cells, which could provide the basis for future anti-degeneration drugs.
Ageing can be viewed as the progressive decline in bodily function and is linked with most of the common chronic diseases that humans suffer from, such as cancer, diabetes and dementia. There are many reasons why our cells and tissues stop functioning, but a new focus in the biology of ageing is the accumulation of “senescent” cells in the tissues and organs.
Senescent cells are older deteriorated cells that do not function as they should, but also compromise the function of cells around them. Removal of these old dysfunctional cells has been shown to improve many features of ageing in animals such as the delayed onset of cataracts.
Continue reading “Ageing in Human Cells Successfully Reversed in the Lab” »
Citi has produced another of its Disruptive Innovations publications, which takes a look at what it considers to be the top ten disruptive technologies. It is a sign of the changing times that anti-aging medicines are number 2 in its list.
1. All-Solid-State Batteries 2. Anti-Aging Medicines 3. Autonomous Vehicle Networks 4. Big Data & Healthcare 5. Dynamic Spectrum Access 6. eSports 7. 5G Technology 8. Floating Offshore Wind Farms 9. Real Estate Market Disruptors 10. Smart Voice-Activated Assistants.
What was considered fringe science a decade ago is now rapidly becoming a mainstream industry. Our understanding of aging has advanced quickly in the last 10 years, and the tools and innovations seem to come more quickly with each passing year. A variety of therapies that target different aging processes are in development, and some are at fairly advanced stages; if you are interested in their progress, check out the Rejuvenation Roadmap.
Researchers have demonstrated that telomerase gene therapy does not increase the risk of cancer, even in strains of mice that are particularly susceptible to cancer [1].
A tale of telomeres
Short telomeres trigger cellular senescence and are thought to be one of the primary hallmarks of aging, which has led to various researchers seeking ways to restore the telomeres in order to prevent cells from dying and to encourage division and tissue regeneration. We won’t go over the basics of telomeres and how they influence aging here, but if you would like to learn more, check out our telomeres article, which explains it all.
Our ultimate mission is to make 100 years old the new 60.”
A new exploration of stem cells from placentas could drastically advance regenerative medicine. Peter Diamandis, X-Prize and Singularity University founder, recently teamed up with Robert Hariri, the founder of Celgene Cellular Therapeutics, to study these specific stem cells in the hopes of discovering new regenerative therapies.
Continue reading “Startup Proposes Using Stem Cells From Placentas for Regenerative Medicine” »
The following is the third and last part of a short fictional story about a man realizing for the first time his deep desire to avoid aging and death. We published the first and second parts of the story on the last two Fridays, so check them out if you missed them.
Right after you wake up, there is a brief moment when you don’t yet know how you feel. That Sunday morning, that moment was even shorter than usual. The same anxiety as the previous night assailed me even before I could get out of bed.
The clock on the shelf said it was 11:30. I had slept almost 12 hours straight, but I wasn’t rested at all. Tired and depressed, I got up with difficulty, with a constant feeling of imminent catastrophe. I cast a glance out the window, and I noticed that the sky was clear and bright again. Upon closer inspection, I noticed the streets too were perfectly dry, as if it hadn’t rained for days. Indeed, the sun seemed to be very hot.
