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Rejuvenation Roundup December 2020

We conclude 2020 with plenty of exciting research.

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Happy holidays from the Lifespan Extension Advocacy Foundation! While 2020 has been a trying year in many respects, rejuvenation research has continued throughout, and we are pleased to announce that we have plenty to discuss before we part for the holiday season.

LEAF News

We would like to remind you once again that on January 26-28, 2021, the third annual Longevity Therapeutics Summit will commence! This fully online event will feature more than a hundred leaders in the longevity industry, including researchers and biotech executives, and will discuss ways to target, reverse, and delay the onset of age-related diseases.

Lifespan News

Oxygen Therapy and Telomeres: The hyperbaric oxygen study, a longevity-focused school for doctors, inflammation and its effects on NAD+, aged blood and old brains, and the Longevity Dialogues featuring Dr. Aubrey de Grey.

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Eterna is a clothing company with a focus on longevity.

Osteoporosis and Alpha-Ketoglutarate: Elevian’s $15 million equity financing, osteoporosis and AKG, a new scaffold for liver regeneration, a gene that protects against the negative effects of obesity, and healthy longevity for all.

Reversing Cellular Age in Mice Restores Vision: The restoration of vision through reversing cellular age, a drug that reverses cognitive decline within days, a gene that links diet and longevity, kidney progenitor cells in urine, and the relationship of epigenetics to Alzheimer’s disease.

Interviews

Biohackers Perform First Plasma Dilution Experiment on Humans: Alexander Fedintsev conducted this plasma dilution experiment, which was similar to the Conboys’ mouse research, on a pair of biohackers in Russia. We interviewed all three of these men about the nature of the experiment and why they underwent it.

Lifespan Docs

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Meds and Foods for Kids: In this premiere episode of Lifespan Docs, a new series created by Tim Maupin, Dr. Patricia Wolff talks about the important work she does in helping impoverished kids and what a longer life thanks to science would mean.

EARD2020

This month, we are releasing a video from Ending Age-Related Diseases 2020 on every weekday! Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see even more videos from our annual conference.

Steve Horvath on Epigenetic Clocks: Dr. Horvath discussed the GrimAge epigenetic clock and how it can predict death. Such a clock can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of rejuvenation biotechnology therapies, providing useful clinical endpoints that don’t involve waiting for people to age and die.

Polina Mamoshina on Deep Biomarkers: Deep learning, an advancement over older algorithms of artificial intelligence, has allowed for the useful collection of various data. It allows slightly inaccurate biomarkers to be combined for greater effectiveness.

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Alexander Fedintsev on Cross-Linked Collagen: Dr. Fedintsev provides evidence showing that the stiffened extracellular matrix leads to stem cell depletion, cellular senescence, and the failure of neurons to form synapses. Reversing this process could reverse some aspects of aging.

Gabriela Bunu on Longevity Genes: SynergyAge is a database designed to calculate which genes are responsible for longevity, and which genes have been associated with a lack of longevity, in several distinct organisms, including mice.

Judith Campisi on Senescent Cells: Prof. Campisi discussed the effects of senescent cells, including the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) along with senolytics, the drugs that remove these aged cells.

Alexey Moskalev on Drosophila Genetics: Drosophila is a common subject for aging research, as it is a short-lived insect that shares many of the same aging-related genetic pathways as larger animals, and the genetic effects of certain interventions can be mapped in detail.

Jonathan Clark on Cross-Linked Collagen: This presentation was on the effects of cross-linked collagen on the elastic deformation of our tendons, which connect muscles and bones. The information presented here may be surprising.

Eric Leire on Genflow Biosciences: Genflow is intervening directly in the biology of aging, affecting SIRT6, which, like other sirtuins, is a known regulator of aging. The company intends to develop its SIRT6 plasmid as an epigenomic therapy that will affect downstream hallmarks of aging

Kris Verburgh on Multiple Approaches: Both high-technology and low-technology approaches have their uses in fighting aging, and Dr. Verburgh suggests that we ought to use what we have available right now.

Tyler Gelato on Decentralized Development: Dr. Golato advertises Molecule as a method of fostering collaboration between early developers and pharmaceutical companies in order to bridge the gap between research and business.

Thomas Weldon on Reversing Epigenetic Age: Ponce de Leon Health intends to substantially increase human healthspan by using compounds that are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as a polytherapy.

Gordan Lauc on Glycans: Dr. Lauc expresses the idea that, as we age, our glycoproteome becomes destabilized and that glycans can be used to return this neglected aspect of aging to a more youthful state.

Michael Geer on Increasing Healthspan: His company, Humanity, intends to allow people to monitor their rates of aging, as doing so can encourage the development of therapies and technologies that prevent age-related diseases.

Paul Spiegel Goes Beyond Retirement: As Mr. Spiegel explains, we may need a new social contract in which radical life extension is given freely in order to remove the problems and expenses posed by pensions and retirement funds and to allow citizens to live happier, consistently productive, and much longer lives.

Sajad Zalzala on a Human Rapamycin Trial: PEARL is a human trial of rapamycin that uses the participation of ordinary people in order to get a large sample size without the expense of a traditional clinical trial.

Science to Save the World

Blood Transformation: We discuss the various blood types and showcase a new approach to transforming type A positive blood into valuable type O negative blood that can be given to anyone, revolutionizing the blood donation system.

Rejuvenation Roundup Podcast

Ryan O’Shea of Future Grind hosts this month’s podcast, showcasing the events and research discussed here.

Helpful Information

Neurological Aging and the Lifespan Limit: Nina Khera returns with information suggesting that our lifespans may be intrinsically limited if we can’t do something about ordinary neurological aging.

Research Roundup

CRISPR Successfully Deployed Against Two Cancer Types: Scientists have successfully tested a new nanoparticle-based delivery system for CRISPR kits, achieving drastic improvements in mouse models of glioblastoma and ovarian cancer.

A Key Gene Links Diet and Longevity: A key gene mediating the effect of dietary restriction on longevity has been identified, improving our understanding of the link between the two and raising the prospect of more targeted therapeutic interventions.

A New Biomaterial for Thymic Cells: This new biomaterial, which encourages the growth and development of cells specific to the thymus, makes it more feasible to regenerate the human thymus in its entirety.

Reversing Cellular Age in Mice Restores Vision: Researchers at the Sinclair Lab at Harvard Medical School have restored lost vision to old mice, and mice with damaged retinal nerves, using partial cellular reprogramming.

Study Links Glucosamine and Chondroitin to Reduced Mortality: Glucosamine and chondroitin are commonly bundled together as a dietary supplement. This study suggests that taking it may reduce all-cause mortality.

Reviewing CD38, a Regulator of NAD+: This review focuses on one of the primary culprits of NAD+ decline: the enzyme CD38, which actively consumes NAD+ in ever-increasing amounts as we get older.

Kidney Progenitor Cells Derived from Urine: This study, published in Scientific Reports, has characterized human urine-derived renal stem cells, a potential non-invasive source for kidney tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Aging Brain Function Partially Restored With Small Molecule: Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco have discovered that a small molecule partially restores the cognitive abilities of mice suffering from age-related memory decline.

Gene Therapy Trial Successfully Improves Vision: Researchers have successfully treated 37 participants suffering from Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). The results of this phase 3 clinical trial are a very important milestone in gene therapy, particularly the treatment of mitochondrial diseases.

New Aging Clock May Be Most Accurate to Date: DeepMAge, a DNA methylation aging clock developed using deep learning, has recently been created by the Hong Kong-based company Deep Longevity.

New Discovery in How Stem Cells Protect Telomeres: Scientists have discovered a new telomere-protecting mechanism in embryonic stem cells. This discovery can bring us closer to solving the notorious problem of telomere attrition and to understanding the immortality of cancer cells.

Decellularized, Functional Thymus Regeneration in Mice: Recent research published in Nature Communications has regenerated a functional thymus in mice, making several other discoveries along the way.

MYSM1 Prolongs Lifespan by Regulating DNA Repair: New research has shown that a DNA repair gene modulates lifespan in mice. This may serve as a therapeutic avenue or at least open the way towards dissecting the links between DNA damage and senescence.

Stem Cell Growth Factors Treat Alzheimer’s in Aged Mice: Two stem cell-activating growth factors have shown promise in treating Alzheimer’s, as they are effective in older mice.

Inhibition of prostaglandin-degrading enzyme rejuvenates aged muscle: Inhibition of 15-PGDH, by targeted genetic knockdown or a small molecule inhibitor, increases aged muscle mass, strength, and exercise performance.

Autologous adipose mesenchymal stem cell administration in arteriosclerosis and potential for anti-aging application: This treatment significantly improved HDL, LDL, and remnant-like particle (RLP) cholesterol levels, with no adverse effects or toxicity.

Autophagy in T cells from aged donors is maintained by spermidine and correlates with function and vaccine responses: Autophagy, a critical function for immune and overall health, occurs in healthy humans when an antigen, such as a vaccine, is applied. Spermidine may aid older people in this response.

The melatonin metabolite N1-acetyl-5-methoxykynuramine facilitates long-term object memory: Overall, these results support this compound as a potential therapeutic agent to improve or prevent memory decline.

Carnitine promotes recovery from oxidative stress and extends lifespan in C. elegans: This study suggests an important role of L-carnitine in oxidative stress recovery that might be important for healthy aging in humans.

Resveratrol confers neuroprotection against high-fat diet in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease: This study suggests that resveratrol can correct the harmful effects of HFD in the brain and may be a potential therapeutic agent against obesity-related disorders and AD pathology.

The Gut Microbiome, Aging, and Longevity: A Systematic Review: The researchers integrated findings of microbial composition and downstream functional pathways and metabolites, offering possible explanations regarding age-related processes.

Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes as Therapeutic Approach for Neurodegenerative Disorders: This review aims to revisit biogenesis and the content of exosomes, showing ways in which such approaches might be used to treat debilitating brain diseases.

Genetic Factors of Alzheimer’s Disease Modulate How Diet is Associated with Long-Term Cognitive Trajectories: These researchers have found that adding cheese and red wine to the diet daily, and lamb on a weekly basis, may improve long-term cognitive outcomes.

Coffee Extends Yeast Chronological Lifespan through Antioxidant Properties: Coffee infusions significantly extend the lifespan of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells by protecting cells against reactive oxygen species.

News Nuggets

AI Cracks the Protein Folding Problem: Alphabet’s subsidiary DeepMind has all but solved the problem of predicting a protein’s shape from its amino acid sequence. DeepMind’s program AlphaFold reached close to 90% average accuracy, which is comparable to experimental structural analysis.

NOVOS Plans to Launch a Nutraceutical for Aging: NOVOS is a nutraceutical company that is focused on developing science-based nutraceuticals to slow down aging and will offer tests to track people’s aging processes and get a better picture of their health.

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