The latest on Methuselah, health span research, and regenerative medicine
Having a “glass half full” outlook can add years to your life. A recent Harvard study found that women with higher optimism were associated with a longer lifespan and a greater likelihood of achieving exceptional longevity overall.
Read MoreUniversity of California, Los Angeles scientists believe there is a link between hibernation and long life. They found that yellow-bellied marmots can virtually halt the aging process during the seven to eight months they spend hibernating each year. These rodents can live up to 15 years longer than expected for their body weight.
Read MoreScientists have long suspected that the anti-malarial drug chloroquine may be helpful in treating senescence, the gradual, age-related deterioration of function in living organisms. The problem is that research has found the drug comes with some nasty side-effects, including liver damage, an increased risk of cardiac arrythmia, and gastrointestinal issues.
Read MoreAmericans want to live longer, but are split on whether government should make public health a priority.
Read MoreControlled cellular reprogramming is getting long-overdue attention as a powerful strategy to help fight the effects of aging. The interest is encouraging because it can help us reach the day when we restore the body’s ability to heal itself.
Read MoreWe often hear talk of slowing down our epigenetic, (or aging) clock… but what exactly does that entail? And how can we go about executing this feat? A paper published in 2017 by Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP), lays a foundation to “understand the epigenetic contribution to healthy aging and longevity and the molecular basis of the DNA methylation clock.”
Read MoreOur PubMed screening during February 2020 had several especially noteworthy papers to choose from to highlight in our blog. Ultimately however, we decided to focus on this report of a remarkable 36% extension of average female mouse lifespan when given an ovarian transplant in middle-age. These results suggest that, at least in females, ovarian function may affect healthspan and lifespan to a greater extent than is usually appreciated at the present time.
Read MoreWhat do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you see more wrinkles than yesterday? Can you tell if your hairline has receded slightly? Isn’t it impossible to perceive these subtle visual queues that we’re getting older? Noah Kalina, a photographer, found a way to document the changes we all experience in a timelapse video spanning the last 20 years.
Read MoreCancer, Alzheimers, Cardiovascular diseases… as a scientific community it feels as though we’re always playing catch up. How many more people could be saved, how much more could we extend the healthspan (or healthy human lifespan) if instead we focused on being proactive? This article, written by a doctor at the University of Washington, focuses on the importance of targeting aging when discussing adding years to human life expectancy.
Read MoreWe had had the pleasure of attending the conference titled “Master Investor: Investing in the Age of Longevity” that took place in London, England.
Read MoreThe carotid body is a small organ that plays a role in controlling the breathing rate. In this paper, Di Giulio describes a part of the carotid body that becomes infiltrated with lymphocytes and fibrosis during aging. Much is still unknown about this organ and the effects that it’s aging has on us. As such, we think it is important to monitor scientific literature for data that tells us something we didn’t know, or that contradicts our current understanding of degenerative aging and how we might bring it under complete medical control.
Read MoreWe need blood, it delivers nutrients and removes waste. However, there is considerable evidence that during human aging, the network of the smallest blood vessels, microvasculature, atrophy with age. The research group in this paper reported that topical application vitamin C to the skin caused significant regression of senile purpura. For the sake of our mission to Renew the Rivers, we hope to see more research on the aging human microvasculature and what we can do about it.
Read MoreIn a recent trial conducted in California, researchers investigated the effects that a recombinant human growth hormone had on the immune systems of 9 healthy men in their 50’s and 60’s. Over the course of one year, on average the trial members shed 2.5 years off of their ‘biological age’. It’s hoped that this newly acquired information regarding the effects these three drugs have on the body could be beneficial for people with under active immune systems, the elderly, and research into infectious diseases, cancer, and aging in general.
Read MoreWhen you hear the phrase, “Making 90 The New 50 By 2030”, does your mind go to the future? Thinking about the deadline? The work left to do? Or do you think about what’s already been accomplished? The progress already made? Because despite the work left to do, science has already come a long way towards reaching the goal. A study from 2018 conducted by Yale and USC Professors shows that in American males 60 might already be the new 50.
Read MoreSince these “biomarkers” shorten as we age, many companies have begun to offer home tests to potentially show the users “true” biological age, how healthy they are, and their susceptibility to various diseases. But are these tests ready for the public? And is it worth your money to try one?
Read MoreIn the last 50 years the average life expectancy has been extended from 65 to 85, giving us an extra third of our life. Can we enjoy this substantial new chapter of life if we’re slowly being shackled by the bonds of aging? This article by the New Yorker discusses this intriguing topic!
Read MoreOne of our partners, Leucadia Therapeutics, is pleased to announce that Project Cribrose is now live! They are recruiting participants for a 2000 person study, including healthy people from 20-90 years old, those with Alzheimer’s disease, Frontotemporal dementia, or Down Syndrome and people over 50 with mild cognitive impairment.
Read MoreResearchers at EPFL recently found that the RNA-binding protein PUM2 contributes to the accumulation of defective mitochondria, a key feature of the aging process. Targeting this protein in old animals protects against age-related mitochondrial dysfunction. What can this mean for humans though?
Read MoreThe four "Yamanaka factors" have been known to induce pluripotency for some time. Forced expression of these four genes has been reported to turn an adult cell into what appears to be a pluripotent stem cell, with all that entails. However, this report illustrates that stem cell differentiation is a continuum.
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