On May 16-19th, renowned researchers and advocates of healthy life extension will gather in Paris to discuss recent breakthroughs in regenerative medicine. The conference organized by the International Cell Senescence Association (ICSA), “The Ins and Outs of Cellular Senescence: Understanding the Biology to Foster Healthy Aging and Suppression of Disease”, will take place in the famous Pasteur Institute in Paris.
In addition to the main conference, an open public event will be held on the afternoon of May, 19th: an international panel of experts in aging research led by Eric Gilson from the Ircan Research Institute on Cancer and Aging in Nice will reveal what we know about biological aging today and what medicine can do to prevent age-related diseases.
The conference
The main event will feature the latest cutting-edge findings in cellular senescence, which is one of this year’s hottest topics in aging research, with a host of guest speakers and discussions taking place over the four days. It will also explore recent findings such as the fact that some kinds of senescent cell appear to have positive effects, such as suppressing tumor development or helping with regenerating tissues or wound healing, but seem to be different from the damaging cells that accumulate in the body.
The conference is being organized by Pasteur Institute biologist Oliver Bischof, whose previous experience includes working at the lab of Judy Campisi in Berkeley, California. Dr. Campisi is one of the pioneers of work on senescent cell clearance in mice. It was discovered that the accumulation of age-damaged cells in the body appears to be a key factor for poor health in later years and that removing them can increase the healthy period of life in mice.
Dr. Bischof has helped assemble a multidisciplinary group of researchers interested in aging studies at the Institute. Apart from cellular senescence, they are studying areas such as DNA mutations, inflammation and oxidative stress, the immune system, stem cells, and their role in tissue regeneration. They are investigating the benefits of transferring certain factors in young blood and intestinal flora associated with youthful good health from younger people to older people.
The researchers hope that all this could lead to clinical results such as being able to apply rejuvenating treatments, oxidative stress inhibitors and treatments to repair DNA; eliminate senescent cells; reintroduce stem cells; and manipulate the microbiota, so people can age in good health.
Dr. Bischof said, “In America, at the Mayo Clinic and the Campisi labs, they genetically engineered mice where senescent cells could be eliminated from the animals’ bodies at will with a drug, and there was a clear benefit to health and lifespan – they lived up to 25% longer. Now, we need to find drugs which may have the same effects on us.” The main conference will be in English. For more details and to get a ticket, please visit the event website here.
The free public event
The free event will include a panel of experts from the conference hosted by Eric Gilson, director of the Ircan Research Institute on Cancer and Aging in Nice. It will take place from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM on Friday, May 19th. The guests will learn what is currently known about biological aging and the methods that international academia considers the most promising for slowing down aging processes and preventing age-related diseases.
The attendance is free, but due to reinforced security measures, the preliminary registration is obligatory. All guests are kindly asked to have an ID on them and to register here. The public session will be mostly in French; however, in the Q&A part, questions can be in English, and the panel will be international. There may also be a chance to chat with the scientists afterwards.