Month: August 2017

The following is an update from MitoSENS scientist Dr. Matthew "Oki" O'Connor: Hi, everyone! Long time, no update - my fault! As you all saw, our manuscript that was supported by Lifespan.io donors was published last fall. Dr. Boominathan and I have been presenting our results at conferences around the world, and I can tell...

Why we Age: Cellular SenescenceAs your body ages, more of your cells become senescent. Senescent cells do not divide or support the tissues of which they are part; instead, they emit potentially harmful chemical signals, collectively known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which encourages nearby cells to enter the same senescent state. Their presence...

Coming from a fusion of the words ‘protein’ (a molecule that a cell uses as a machine or scaffolding) and ‘stasis’ (meaning to keep the same), the term ‘proteostasis’ can essentially be simplified into “Each function reliant on proteins is running as it should. There are enough proteins to serve a function, and the concentrations...

As we age, our brains lose their flexibility; this, in turn, affects our ability to learn, to remember things and to adapt to new situations. The classic example is of older people who are stuck in a rut and unable to change how they think. Some people raise this possibility when any discussion of healthy,...

Why we Age: Cellular SenescenceAs your body ages, more of your cells become senescent. Senescent cells do not divide or support the tissues of which they are part; instead, they emit potentially harmful chemical signals, collectively known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which encourages nearby cells to enter the same senescent state. Their presence...

Many of you will likely already know who Professor George Church is, and that he is an important and senior member of the research community engaged in treating the aging processes to prevent or reverse age-related diseases, not to mention all kinds of other applications for genetic engineering. For those who are not familiar with...