Longevity - Live Longer - Life Extension
The quality of your life life is more important than how long you live.
So don't spend your whole life trying to live longer without actually
living your life. Plan to live long, but don't forget to
live your life. And remember that
you can't do everything. So trying to do it all
might end up being nothing at all. So choose what you do with your life
wisely and carefully.
Seek Balance
-
Diet -
Exercise.

Life Expectancy is a statistical measure of
the average time an
organism is expected to live, based on the year of their birth, their
current age,
environmental factors,
education
factors, and other
demographic factors including
sex.
Human Lifespan (wiki) -
Animal
Lifespans (image graph)
Life Expectancy Rates (Long Life
Statistics by Country) -
Life Expectancy Map
Longevity is the
length of life, the average number of years remaining at a given age.
How many Years do you have left to Live
-
Longevity MemeHealthspan
is the part of a person’s life during which they are generally in good
health. Lifespan is the total number of years we live whereas healthspan
is how many of those years we remain healthy and free from disease.
Baseline.
Elder Knowledge -
Wisdom does not
always come with Age
Premature Deaths -
Causes of Death
-
Death
Cognitive Decline -
Biomarkers of Aging -
Cells -
DNA -
Inflammation -
Food -
Resilience
U.S. life
expectancy estimates have fallen to the worst levels since 1996,
according to a new federal report, marking the second straight year of
plummeting estimates in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Health
officials say the drop in life expectancy from 2019 to 2021 – falling by
2.7 years to
76.1 – is now the country's
worst two-year decline on record since 1923, according to provisional
estimates published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
National Center for Health Statistics.
U.S. life expectancy forecasted to stall by 2050, reasons being poorer
health from over consumption of
processed
food, contaminated drinking
water, foods
contaminated with
pesticides,
pollution,
heart disease,
cancer, strokes,
lack of knowledge and
public awareness, lack
of
affordable
healthcare, high body mass index, high blood sugar, high blood
pressure, and
pharmaceutical drug adverse side effects, all are driving mortality
and disability higher across the U.S. Future scenarios for health outcomes
identify the states that are forecasted to gain ground, face stagnation,
or grow worse. Scientific evidence underscores the urgent need to
prioritize public health to prevent the economic consequences of sickness,
disabilities, and premature mortality in the U.S.
Immortality
is eternal life, the ability to live forever.
But
no one really wants to live forever.
Biological
Immortality is a state in which the
rate of mortality from
senescence is stable or
decreasing, thus decoupling it from chronological age. Various unicellular
and multicellular species, including some vertebrates, achieve this state
either throughout their existence or after living long enough. A
biologically immortal living being can still die from means other than
senescence, such as through injury or disease.
Regenerative.
Videos about Longevity:
Cynthia Kenyon (youtube)
Tony Wyss: Young Blood (video
and text)
Dan Buettner:
Live over 100 (youtube)
Live Long, Die Young (youtube)
Blue Zone is a concept used to identify
a demographic and/or geographic area of the world where people live
measurably longer lives. The concept grew out of demographic work done by
Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain, who identified Sardinia's Nuoro province as
the region with the highest concentration of male centenarians. As the two
men zeroed in on the cluster of villages with the highest longevity, they
drew concentric blue circles on the map and began referring to the area
inside the circle as the Blue Zone.
Blue Zones -
Environment is key to Longevity.
Life Extension
is the study of slowing down or reversing the processes of aging to extend both the maximum and average lifespan.
Anti-Aging Medicine organization that promotes the field of anti-aging medicine and trains and certifies
physicians in this specialty.
Elixir of Life.
Rejuvenation is a medical discipline
focused on the practical
reversal of the aging process to repair of the
damage that is associated with aging or replacement of damaged tissue with new tissue.
Stem Cells.
Longevity Escape Velocity is a hypothetical situation in which life
expectancy is being extended longer than the time that is passing because
technological advances would increase life expectancy more than the year
that just went by. So the longer you live the more opportunities you will
have to use life extension technologies. But you will still need to learn
how to make the right life choices that would benefit you the most and
help maintain your optimal health.
Freezing the Body.
Personalized Nutrition
-
Exercise -
Playing -
Avoiding Toxins -
Fasting
Growing Old -
Senior
Citizens -
Caregiving
Aging happens at different rates in different animals, without
following any clear rules. It's not the heart rate that predicts lifespan
or an animal's size, because some animals defy that pattern. And even more
perplexing are animals that don't seem to age at all, like a tiny sea
creature called a
hydra.
Chronological Age is the
age measured by the
time in years and months that something or someone has
existed.
Biological Age
is how old your body seems and how fast your body has aged based on a
number of factors such as lifestyle, diet, exercise and sleeping habits,
which could effect how your chromosomes and cells have changed over time.
Bio-Markers.
Measuring Biological Age using the model organism Caenorhabditis
elegans, the biological age of an organism can be read directly from its
gene expression, the transcriptome. Until now, aging clocks such as
Horvath's epigenetic clock have been based on the pattern of methylations,
small chemical groups that attach to DNA and change with age. Using the
transcriptome, the new clock takes into consideration the set of genes
that are read from DNA (messenger RNA) to make proteins for the cell.
Binarized transcriptomic aging clock age is based exclusively on
approximately 1,000 different transcriptomes of C. elegans, for which the
lifespan is precisely known. Model organisms such as the nematode provide
a controllable view of the aging process, allowing biomarkers to be
discovered and the effects of external influences such as UV radiation or
nutrition on longevity to be studied.
Brain Health.
New epigenetic clocks reinvent how we measure age. New models predict
biological age more robustly by distinguishing between harmful and
adaptive changes during aging. Previous clocks considered the relationship
between
methylation patterns and features we know are correlated with aging,
but they don't tell us which factors cause one's body to age faster or
slower. We have created the first clock to distinguish between cause and
effect.
Biogerontology is the sub-field of gerontology concerned with the
biological aging process, its evolutionary
origins, and potential means to intervene in the process. It involves
interdisciplinary research on the causes, effects, and mechanisms of
biological aging.
What standing on one leg can tell you about your biological age. How
long a person can stand on one leg is a more telltale measure of aging
than changes in strength or gait, according to new research.
Gerontology is the study of the social, cultural, psychological,
cognitive, and
biological aspects of aging.
High optimism linked with longer life and living past 90 in women
across racial, ethnic groups.
Healthy Aging.
Only 1 in 10 people age gracefully and are free of disease with no
physical problems and no mental problems.
Live longer, die healthier. Everyone wants to live to a ripe old age,
but no one wants to be decrepit. A monthly treatment can help mice not
only live longer, but maintain good health and vigor into advanced old
age.
Study finds slowing of age-related declines in older adults.
Improvements in education, nutrition and sanitation across the 20th
Century likely play key role in improving cognitive, locomotive,
psychological, and sensory capacities.
Early life experiences can have long-lasting impact on genes. The
scientists were building on their previous research in which they found
that fruit flies fed a high-sugar diet early in life lived shorter lives,
even after their diets were improved in adulthood. They found that these
early-life experiences caused changes to chromatin -- a mixture of DNA and
proteins that can be seen as the 'packaging' of DNA -- that persisted and
resulted in genes being expressed differently late in life. This
counteracted some changes that would be expected as part of the normal
ageing process, eventually improving health in late life and impacting the
fruit flies' lifespan more than a month (half a fruit fly lifetime) later.
Getting good sleep could add years to your life. Having five low-risk
sleep habits may have long-term benefits. Factors included: 1) ideal sleep
duration of seven to eight hours a night; 2) difficulty falling asleep no
more than two times a week; 3) trouble staying asleep no more than two
times a week; 4) not using any sleep medication; and 5) feeling well
rested after waking up at least five days a week. Each factor was assigned
zero or one point for each, for a maximum of five points, which indicated
the highest quality sleep. Compared to individuals who had zero to one
favorable sleep factors, those who had all five were 30% less likely to
die for any reason, 21% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease,
19% less likely to die from cancer, and 40% less likely to die of causes
other than heart disease or cancer. Among men and women who reported
having all five quality sleep measures (a score of five), life expectancy
was 4.7 years greater for men and 2.4 years greater for women compared
with those who had none or only one of the five favorable elements of
low-risk sleep.
Stress accelerates immune aging, study finds. Traumatic life events,
discrimination prematurely weaken body's mix of immune cells. Stress -- in
the form of traumatic events, job strain, everyday stressors and
discrimination -- accelerates aging of the immune system, potentially
increasing a person's risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and illness
from infections such as COVID-19, according to a new study. The research
could help explain disparities in age-related health, including the
unequal toll of the pandemic, and identify possible points for
intervention.
Volunteering in late life may protect the brain against cognitive
decline and dementia. Volunteering in late life is associated with better
cognitive function -- specifically, better executive function and episodic
memory.
Volunteer activities
-- such as supporting educational, allow older adults to be more
physically active, increase social interaction and provide cognitive
stimulation that may protect the brain.
More schooling is linked to slowed aging and increased longevity. 2
years of education translated to a 2-3 percent slower pace of aging.
Participants in the Framingham Heart Study who achieved higher levels of
education tended to age more slowly and went on to live longer lives as
compared to those who did not achieve upward educational mobility.
Life expectancy may depend
on the color of your skin and where you live. A startling analysis
from the Boston Public Health Commission shows the longest average life
expectancy is nearly 92 years, for residents in a section of the Back Bay.
Residents near Nubian Square in Roxbury have the shortest expected life
span, just under 69 years. The median household income of the census tract
within Roxbury is $42,211, versus $141,250 in the Back Bay tract. Rates of
homeownership in the Back Bay are more than double those in Roxbury. A
vast majority, some 91%, of Back Bay residents over the age of 25 have a
college degree, compared to 44% in Roxbury. And 82% of residents in the
Back Bay tract are white, while 87% in the Roxbury tract are people of
color, predominantly Black or Latinx, the report said. Chronic stress
leads to higher blood pressure and an increased risk for cardiovascular
disease.
Abuse -
Body Burden
Weathering Hypothesis proposes that early health deterioration is a
result of cumulative exposure to experiences of social, economic and
political adversity. It is well documented that minority groups and
marginalized communities suffer from poorer health outcomes. This may be
due to a multitude of stressors including prejudice, social alienation,
institutional bias, political oppression, economic exclusion and racial
discrimination. The weathering hypothesis proposes that the cumulative
burden of these stressors as individuals age is "weathering," and the
increased weathering experienced by minority groups compared to others can
account for differences in health outcomes. In recent years, the
biological plausibility of the weathering hypothesis has been investigated
in studies evaluating the physiological effects of social, environmental
and political stressors among marginalized communities. This has led to
more widespread use of the weathering hypothesis as a framework for
explaining health disparities on the basis of differential exposure to
racially based stressors. Researchers have also identified patterns
connecting weathering to biological phenomena associated with stress and
aging, such as allostatic load, epigenetics, telomere shortening, and
accelerated brain aging. Maternal mortality is three to four times higher
for Black mothers than white mothers in the United States. Infant
mortality is also twice as high for infants born to non-Hispanic Black
mothers compared to infants born to non-Hispanic white mothers.
Additionally, there are racial disparities for negative birth outcomes
like low birth weight, which has been found to influence risk of infant
mortality and developmental outcomes after birth, and preterm birth.
Allostatic load is "the wear and tear on the body" which accumulates
as an individual is exposed to repeated or
chronic
stress.
Study finds that experiences of daily stress decrease as people age.
Stories about how daily stress can negatively impact people's lives, from
physical health to mental and emotional well-being, are frequently in the
media. But there is good news about the experience of daily stress as
people age.
National
Study of Daily Experiences.
As you age, you have to live
smarter. You have to make better decisions. The things that you still love
to do, they need to be controlled, because you can no longer afford to be
controlled by your desires and pleasures. You must take the reins. The
horse of desire can no longer run free. There are many predators who will
see the old as easy kill or easy prey. And these predators come in many
forms. They are sometimes disguised as old friends, or disguised as old
pleasures. Pleasures were fun when we were young and dumb, but now, we're
all grown up. So it's time to act like an adult. It's time to take
responsibility for your body, and for your mind. You had a good run, so
don't push your luck. Everyone has to make sacrifices, and these
sacrifices are a benefit to you. So this is for you own good. The faster
that you can get over this fact, the fact that the aging body needs
special attention and special care, the sooner you will understand how
important it is to age gracefully, and not age disgracefully. You can do
it. You have to do it. So do it, or else, the predators will hunt you down
and take everything you have, and not just take your life, they will take
your soul, and leave you with nothing, not even meaning.
Reins are
a pair of long straps connected to the headpiece on a horses head that are
used to control the horse. The person riding the horse can use the straps
to steer the horse left or right, or to slow or stop the horse by pulling
back on the reins. Reins can also mean to control and direct something, or
to keep something in check.
Cells and Aging
Epigenetic Clock is a type of DNA clock based on measuring natural
DNA
Methylation levels to estimate the biological age of a tissue, cell type
or organ.
DNA Clock can help to measure a
persons lifespan by studying chemical changes to their
DNA that takes place over a lifetime, which can help predict an
individual's age and possibly predict how long they will live.
Programed Cell Death
(cells) -
Cell Aging -
Telomeres (biological clock) -
Food
Apoptosis is a process of
programmed cell death that occurs in
multicellular organisms.
Naturally occurring p16Ink4a-positive cells
shorten healthy lifespan.
Cellular Stress Response is the wide range of molecular changes that
cells undergo in response to environmental stressors, including extremes
of temperature, exposure to toxins, and mechanical damage. The various
processes involved in cellular stress responses serve the
adaptive purpose of protecting a cell
against unfavorable environmental conditions, both through short term
mechanisms that minimize acute damage to the cell's overall integrity, and
through longer term mechanisms which provide the cell a measure of
resiliency against similar adverse conditions.
Manipulating stress response in cells could help slow down aging.
Findings from lab studies on roundworms could open the door to therapies
for age-related disorders. Scientists have found that a stress response in
cells, when 'switched on' at a post-reproductive age, could be the key to
slow down ageing and promote longevity.
Internal Clock within Live Human Cells (nyu)
Death Resistant Cells is removing dysfunctional cells.
Senescent Cells are
cells that have lost their ability to
divide. These
zombie cells increase
with age and are major contributors to age-related illnesses such as
cancer, dementia, and cardiovascular disease.
Cellular
Senescence or replicative
senescence is one phenomenon by which
normal cells cease to divide.
Mechanistically, replicative senescence is triggered by a
DNA damage response which results from the
shortening of
telomeres during each cellular
division process. Cells can also be induced to senesce independent of the
number of cellular divisions via DNA damage in response to elevated
reactive oxygen species (ROS), activation of
oncogenes
and cell-cell fusion. The number of senescent cells in tissues rises
substantially during normal aging. Although senescent cells can no longer
replicate, they remain metabolically active and commonly adopt an
immunogenic phenotype consisting of a pro-inflammatory secretome, the
up-regulation of immune ligands, a pro-survival response, promiscuous gene
expression (pGE) and stain positive for
senescence-associated β-galactosidase
activity. Senescence-associated beta-galactosidase, along with p16Ink4A,
is regarded to be a biomarker of cellular senescence. This results in
false positives for maturing tissue macrophages and senescence-associated
beta-galactosidase as well as for T-cells.
Diabetes (DAF-2).
Senolytic is among a class of small molecules under basic research to
determine if they can
selectively induce death of
senescent cells and improve health in humans. A goal of this
research is to discover or develop agents to delay, prevent, alleviate, or
reverse age-related diseases. A related concept is "senostatic", which
means to suppress senescence. (senolytic comes from the words senescence
and -lytic, "destroying").
Senolytics are a class of drugs that
selectively clear senescent cells. The first senolytic drugs
Dasatinib, Quercetin, Fisetin and Navitoclax were discovered using a
hypothesis driven approach. SC accumulate with ageing and at causal sites
of multiple chronic disorders, including diseases accounting for the bulk
of morbidity, mortality and health expenditures. The most deleterious SC
are resistant to apoptosis and have up regulation of anti apoptotic
pathways which defend SC against their own inflammatory
senescence associated secretory phenotype
or SASP, allowing them to survive, despite killing neighbouring cells.
Senolytics transiently disable these SCAPs, causing apoptosis of those SC
with a tissue destructive SASP. Because SC take weeks to reaccumulate,
senolytics can be administered intermittently – a ‘
hit
and run’ approach. In preclinical models, senolytics delay, prevent
or alleviate frailty, cancers and cardiovascular, neuropsychiatric, liver,
kidney, musculoskeletal, lung, eye, haematological, metabolic and skin
disorders as well as complications of organ transplantation, radiation and
cancer treatment. As anticipated for agents targeting the fundamental
ageing mechanisms that are ‘root cause’ contributors to multiple
disorders, potential uses of senolytics are protean, potentially
alleviating over 40 conditions in preclinical studies, opening a new route
for treating age related dysfunction and diseases. Early pilot trials of
senolytics suggest they decrease senescent cells, reduce inflammation and
alleviate frailty in humans. Clinical trials for diabetes, idiopathic
pulmonary fibrosis, Alzheimer’s disease, COVID-19, osteoarthritis,
osteoporosis, eye diseases and bone marrow transplant and childhood cancer
survivors are underway or beginning. Until such studies are done, it is
too early for senolytics to be used outside of clinical trials. Senolytics
compounds can target the pathways activated in senescent cells. The
senolytics kill the
zombie cells, then the
immune system comes in and removes them from the tissue in order to make
room for new cells.
Selenoproteins: The fountain of youth? Researchers find that certain
antioxidant enzymes, called selenoproteins, significantly contribute to
fighting cell aging. The team used a gene knockout mouse model to help
them study the effects of disrupting
selenoprotein synthesis. This knockout negatively impacted
hematopoietic stem cells and B cell-lineage immune cells, which was driven
by the lack of selenoprotein-mediated fighting of lipid peroxides. These
phenotypes mimic what is observed in age-related diseases, emphasizing the
importance of selenoproteins in these disorders. Many foods are often
advertised for their antioxidant properties. Antioxidants counteract what
are known as reactive oxygen species or ROS, chemically reactive molecules
that can disrupt the normal functions of lipids, proteins, and DNA in
human cells. Accumulation of ROS contributes to the development of
age-related diseases, including cancer, emphasizing the importance of
keeping the oxidant/antioxidant balance in check. In a recent article
published in Blood, researchers from Osaka University and other
institutions in Japan describe the key antioxidant role of molecules
called selenoproteins and how disrupting their production can affect
various cell types and hematopoiesis, which is the production of blood
cells. Human cells have 25 different selenoproteins. These antioxidant
enzymes help convert dangerous ROS, such as lipid peroxides, into a safer
form. Buildup of lipid peroxides can affect critical cells called
hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), a phenomenon observed in aging diseases.
Resurrection Plant -
Stem Cells
Scientists have found a way to reprogram T cells to fight aging. After
using them to eliminate specific cells in mice, the scientists discovered
they lived healthier lives and didn't develop aging-associated conditions
like obesity and diabetes. Just one dose provided young mice with lifelong
benefits and rejuvenated older mice. They discovered
CAR T cells could be manipulated to
eliminate senescent cells in mice. Senescent cells are those that stop
replicating. As we age, they build up in our bodies, resulting in harmful
inflammation.
Old Human Cells Rejuvenated in breakthrough discovery on Ageing. A
class of genes called splicing factors are progressively switched off as
we age. found that splicing factors can be switched back on with
reversatrol analogue chemicals, making senescent cells not only look
physically younger, but start to behave more like young cells and start
dividing. Chemicals based on a substance naturally found in red wine, dark
chocolate, red grapes and blueberries.
Turning off a newly identified enzyme could reverse a natural aging
process in cells. An enzyme called
PDK1, in incubated senescent skin fibroblasts and three-dimensional
skin equivalent tissue models. They found that blocking PDK1 led to the
inhibition of two downstream signaling molecules, which in turn restored
the cells’ ability to enter back into the cell cycle. Notably, the cells
retained their capacity to regenerate wounded skin without proliferating
in a way that could lead to malignant transformation.
Scientists slow aging by engineering longevity in cells. Studying
yeast cells, researchers build a biosynthetic genetic 'clock' to extend
lifespan. Researchers have developed a
biosynthetic 'clock' that keeps cells from reaching normal levels
of deterioration related to aging. They engineered a gene oscillator that
switches between the two normal paths of aging, slowing cell degeneration
and setting a record for life extension. After identifying two distinct
directions that cells follow during aging, the researchers genetically
manipulated these processes to extend the lifespan of cells. They
developed and employed microfluidics and time-lapse microscopy to track
the aging processes across the cell's lifespan.
Old skins cells reprogrammed to regain youthful function. Findings
could lead to targeted approach for treating aging. The new method, based
on the Nobel Prize winning technique scientists use to make stem cells,
overcomes the problem of entirely erasing cell identity by halting
reprogramming part of the way through the process. This allowed
researchers to find the precise balance between reprogramming cells,
making them biologically younger, while still being able to regain their
specialised cell function. The full process of stem cell reprogramming
takes around 50 days using four key molecules called the Yamanaka factors.
The new method, called 'maturation phase transient reprogramming', exposes
cells to Yamanaka factors for just 13 days. At this point, age-related
changes are removed and the cells have temporarily lost their identity.
The partly reprogrammed cells were given time to grow under normal
conditions, to observe whether their specific skin cell function returned.
Genome analysis showed that cells had regained markers characteristic of
skin cells (fibroblasts), and this was confirmed by observing collagen
production in the reprogrammed cells.
Life span increases in mice when specific brain cells are activated.
Brain cells communicate with fat tissue to produce cellular fuel,
counteract effects of aging. A new study identifies, in mice, a critical
communication pathway connecting the brain and the body's fat tissue in a
feedback loop that appears central to energy production throughout the
body. The research suggests that the gradual deterioration of this
feedback loop contributes to the increasing health problems that are
typical of natural aging.
Cellular secrets of aging unlocked by researchers. Researchers have
discovered how genetic mutations accumulated slowly over a lifetime lead
to dramatic changes in how blood is formed after the age of 70, providing
a new theory for aging.
Longevity gene from naked mole rats extends lifespan of mice. A gene
responsible for making high molecular weight
hyaluronic acid or HMW-HA led to improved health and an approximate
4.4 percent increase in median lifespan for the mice.
Switching off inflammatory protein leads to longer, healthier lifespans in
mice. Scientists have discovered that 'switching off' a protein called
IL-11 can significantly increase the healthy lifespan of mice by almost 25
percent. The scientists, working with colleagues at Duke-NUS Medical
School in Singapore, tested the effects of
IL-11 by creating mice that had the gene producing IL-11 (interleukin
11) deleted. This extended the lives of the mice by over 20% on average.
Study uncovers hundred-year lifespans for three freshwater fish species in
the Arizona desert.
Splicing Factor is a protein involved in the removal of introns from
strings of messenger RNA, so that the exons can bind together; the process
takes place in particles known as spliceosomes.
Exon is
any part of a gene that will encode a part of the final mature RNA
produced by that gene after introns have been removed by RNA splicing.
RNA Splicing is the editing of the nascent precursor messenger RNA
(pre-mRNA) transcript into a mature messenger RNA (mRNA).
Intron
is any nucleotide sequence within a gene that is removed by RNA splicing
during maturation of the final RNA product.
Nucleic Acid Sequence is a succession of letters that indicate the
order of nucleotides within a DNA (using GACT) or RNA (GACU) molecule.
Post-Transcriptional Modification is the process in eukaryotic cells
where primary transcript RNA is converted into mature RNA.
Platelet Rich Plasma is
blood plasma
that has been enriched with platelets. As a concentrated source of
autologous platelets, PRP contains several different growth factors and
other cytokines that can stimulate
Healing of soft tissue. Platelet-rich
plasma therapy is an old therapy and used extensively in specialities of
dermatology, orthopedics and dentistry. Platelet rich plasma therapy
utilizes growth factors present in alpha granules of platelets in an
autologous manner. Main indications in dermatology for PRP are
androgenetic alopecia, wound healing, face rejuvenation etc. For
preparation of PRP, various protocols are used and no standard protocol
exists but main principles essentially involve concentrating platlets in a
concentration of 3–5 times the physiological value and then injecting this
concentrated plasma in the tissue where healing or effect is desired. As
of 2016, no large-scale randomized controlled trials have confirmed the
efficacy of PRP as a treatment for musculoskeletal or nerve injuries, the
accelerated healing of bone grafts, or the reduction of androgenic hair
loss.
Energy Metabolism -
Ambrosia.
Parabiosis is a class of techniques in which two living organisms are
joined together surgically and develop single, shared physiological
systems, such as a shared circulatory system. Getting a
Blood Transfusion
from a younger person can be dangerous.
Transplanting Marrow from young lab mice to old mice preserves memory and
learning skills.
Autophagy is the natural, regulated, destructive mechanism of the cell
that disassembles unnecessary or dysfunctional components. Allows the
orderly degradation and recycling of cellular components. In
macroautophagy, targeted cytoplasmic constituents are isolated from the
rest of the cell within a double-membraned vesicle known as an
autophagosome. The autophagosome eventually fuses with lysosomes and
the contents are degraded and recycled. Two additional forms of autophagy
are also commonly described: microautophagy and chaperone-mediated
autophagy (CMA). In disease, autophagy has been seen as an adaptive
response to
stress, which promotes survival,
whereas in other cases it appears to promote cell death and morbidity. In
the extreme case of starvation, the breakdown of cellular components
promotes cellular survival by maintaining cellular energy levels.
Immune System Cells
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide or NAD is a
coenzyme found in all
living
cells. The compound is a dinucleotide, because it consists of two
nucleotides joined through their phosphate groups. One nucleotide contains
an adenine base and the other nicotinamide. Nicotinamide adenine
dinucleotide exists in two forms, an oxidized and reduced form abbreviated
as NAD+ and NADH respectively. In metabolism, nicotinamide adenine
dinucleotide is involved in redox reactions, carrying electrons from one
reaction to another. The coenzyme is, therefore, found in two forms in
cells: NAD+ is an oxidizing agent – it accepts electrons from other
molecules and becomes reduced. This reaction forms NADH, which can then be
used as a reducing agent to donate electrons. These electron transfer
reactions are the main function of NAD. However, it is also used in other
cellular processes, the most notable one being a substrate of enzymes that
add or remove chemical groups from proteins, in posttranslational
modifications. Because of the importance of these functions, the enzymes
involved in NAD metabolism are targets for drug discovery. In organisms,
NAD can be synthesized from simple building-blocks (de novo) from the
amino acids tryptophan or aspartic acid. In an alternative fashion, more
complex components of the coenzymes are taken up from food as the vitamin
called niacin. Similar compounds are released by reactions that break down
the structure of NAD. These preformed components then pass through a
salvage pathway that recycles them back into the active form. Some NAD is
also converted into
nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate
or NADP;
the chemistry of this related coenzyme is similar to that of NAD, but it
has different roles in metabolism. Although NAD+ is written with a
superscript plus sign because of the formal charge on a particular
nitrogen atom, at physiological pH for the most part it is actually a
singly charged anion (charge of minus 1), while NADH is a doubly charged
anion.
Nicotinamide Mononucleotide or NMN is a derivative of vitamin B3, also known
as niacin. Found in peanuts, mushrooms (portobello, grilled), avocados,
green peas (fresh), and certain fish and animal meats.
Nicotinamide Riboside
is a pyridine-nucleoside form of vitamin B3 that functions as a precursor
to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide or NAD+. According to the
peer-reviewed literature, NR was discovered as a human vitamin precursor
of NAD+ in 2004 and as a sirtuin-activating compound in 2007 by Charles
Brenner.
Anti-aging compound improves muscle glucose metabolism in people. In
the first clinical trial of nicotinamide mononucleotide, researchers have
found that the compound previously demonstrated to counteract aspects of
aging and improve metabolic health in mice also has clinically relevant
effects in people.
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate abbreviated NADP+ or, in
older notation, TPN (triphosphopyridine nucleotide), is a cofactor used in
anabolic reactions, such as lipid and nucleic acid synthesis, which
require NADPH as a reducing agent. NADPH is the reduced form of NADP+.
NADP+ differs from NAD+ in the presence of an additional phosphate group
on the 2' position of the ribose ring that carries the adenine moiety.
Nicotinamide Riboside is a pyridine-nucleoside form of vitamin B3 that
functions as a precursor to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide or NAD+.
Metformin marketed under the tradename Glucophage among others, is the
first-line medication for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. This is
particularly true in people who are overweight. It is also used in the
treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome. Limited evidence suggests
metformin may prevent the cardiovascular disease and cancer complications
of diabetes. It is not associated with weight gain. It is taken by mouth.
RNA Polymerase III transcribes DNA to synthesize ribosomal 5S rRNA,
tRNA and other small RNAs."housekeeping" genes primarily tied to the
regulation of cell growth and the cell cycle.
Sirtuin
1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SIRT1 gene that
contribute to cellular regulation (reaction to stressors, longevity).
Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 also called somatomedin C, is a protein
that in humans is encoded by the IGF1 gene. IGF-1 has also been referred
to as a "sulfation factor" and its effects were termed "nonsuppressible
insulin-like activity" (NSILA) in the 1970s. IGF-1 is a hormone similar in
molecular structure to insulin. It plays an important role in childhood
growth and continues to have anabolic effects in adults. A synthetic
analog of IGF-1, mecasermin, is used for the treatment of growth failure.
IGF-1 consists of 70 amino acids in a single chain with three
intramolecular disulfide bridges. IGF-1 has a molecular weight of 7,649
Dalton.
Anti-Aging Strategies Based on Cellular Reprogramming.
Clusters of genes help mice live longer. Researchers have announced
the discovery of multiple candidate genes that influence longevity. The
discovery of
genetic loci that influence longevity only in females is interesting
and important, according to the researchers. Genetic loci are clusters of
between 10 and 100 genes.
New cause of cell aging discovered. The research team discovered that
the aging, senescent cells stopped producing a class of chemicals called
nucleotides, which are the building blocks of DNA. When they took young
cells and forced them to stop producing nucleotides, they became
senescent, or aged.
Scientists discover how cells repair longevity-promoting 'recycling system'.
Researchers described a pathway by which cells repair damaged lysosomes,
structures that contribute to longevity by recycling cellular trash. The
findings are an important step towards understanding and treating
age-related diseases driven by leaky lysosomes. an enzyme called PI4K2A
accumulated on damaged lysosomes within minutes and generated high levels
of a signaling molecule called PtdIns4P.
Phosphatidylserine also activates a protein called ATG2, which acts
like a bridge to transfer other lipids to the lysosome, the final membrane
repair step in the newly described PITT -- or phosphoinositide-initiated
membrane tethering and lipid transport -- pathway.
Reprogramming
refers to erasure and remodeling of epigenetic marks, such as
DNA methylation, during mammalian development.
After fertilization some cells of the newly formed embryo migrate to the
germinal ridge and will eventually become the germ cells (sperm and
oocytes). Due to the phenomenon of genomic imprinting, maternal and
paternal genomes are differentially marked and must be properly
reprogrammed every time they pass through the germline. Therefore, during
the process of gametogenesis the primordial germ cells must have their
original biparental DNA methylation patterns erased and re-established
based on the sex of the transmitting parent. After fertilization the
paternal and maternal genomes are once again demethylated and remethylated
(except for differentially methylated regions associated with imprinted
genes). This reprogramming is likely required for totipotency of the newly
formed embryo and erasure of acquired epigenetic changes. In vitro
manipulation of pre-implantation embryos has been shown to disrupt
methylation patterns at imprinted loci and plays a crucial role in cloned
animals. Reprogramming can also be induced artificially through the
introduction of exogenous factors, usually transcription factors. In this
context, it often refers to the creation of induced pluripotent stem cells
from mature cells such as adult fibroblasts. This allows the production of
stem cells for biomedical research, such as research into stem cell
therapies, without the use of embryos. It is carried out by the
transfection of stem-cell associated genes into mature cells using viral
vectors such as retroviruses.
DNA Methylation
is an epigenetic mechanism used by cells to control
gene expression and a process by which methyl groups are added to
DNA
segments. Methylation changes the activity of a DNA segment without
changing the sequence. This is known as an epigenetic modification. DNA
methylation refers to the addition of a methyl (CH3) group to the DNA
strand itself, often to the fifth carbon atom of a cytosine ring. When
located in a gene promoter, DNA methylation typically acts to repress
gene
transcription. DNA methylation is essential for normal development and is
associated with a number of key processes including genomic imprinting,
X-chromosome inactivation, repression of repetitive elements, aging and
carcinogenesis or cancer.
Biological Clocks.
DunedinPACE -
Discover your epigenetic age and analyze your methylation markers or DNA
contained in white blood cells.
DNA Testing.
Gametogenesis is a biological process by which diploid or haploid
precursor cells undergo cell division and differentiation to form mature
haploid gametes. Depending on the biological life cycle of the organism,
gametogenesis occurs by meiotic division of diploid gametocytes into
various gametes, or by mitotic division of haploid gametogenous cells. For
example, plants produce gametes through mitosis in gametophytes. The
gametophytes grow from haploid spores after sporic meiosis. The existence
of a multicellular, haploid phase in the life cycle between meiosis and
gametogenesis is also referred to as alternation of generations.
Germ
Cell is any biological cell that gives rise to the gametes of an
organism that reproduces sexually. In many animals, the germ cells
originate in the primitive streak and migrate via the gut of an embryo to
the developing gonads. There, they undergo meiosis, followed by
cellular differentiation into mature
gametes, either eggs or sperm. Unlike animals, plants do not have germ
cells designated in early development. Instead, germ cells can arise from
somatic cells in the adult (such as the floral meristem of flowering
plants).
Genomic Imprinting is the epigenetic phenomenon by which certain genes
are expressed in a parent-of-origin-specific manner. If the allele
inherited from the father is imprinted, it is thereby silenced, and only
the allele from the mother is expressed. If the allele from the mother is
imprinted, then only the allele from the father is expressed. Forms of
genomic imprinting have been demonstrated in fungi, plants and animals. As
of 2014, there are about 150 imprinted genes known in the mouse and about
half that in humans. Genomic imprinting is an inheritance process
independent of the classical Mendelian inheritance. It is an epigenetic
process that involves
DNA methylation and histone
methylation without altering the genetic sequence. These epigenetic marks
are established ("imprinted") in the germline (sperm or egg cells) of the
parents and are maintained through mitotic cell divisions in the somatic
cells of an organism. Appropriate imprinting of certain genes is important
for normal development. Human diseases involving genomic imprinting
include Angelman syndrome and Prader–Willi syndrome.
Transcription Factor is a protein that controls the rate of
transcription of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA, by binding
to a specific DNA sequence. In turn, this helps to regulate the expression
of genes near that sequence. This is essential in embryogenesis.
Transcription factors work alone or with other proteins in a complex, by
promoting (as an activator), or blocking (as a repressor) the recruitment
of RNA polymerase (the enzyme that performs the transcription of genetic
information from DNA to RNA) to specific genes. A defining feature of
transcription factors is that they contain at least one DNA-binding domain
(DBD), which attaches to a specific sequence of DNA adjacent to the genes
that they regulate. Other proteins such as coactivators, chromatin
remodelers, histone acetyltransferases, histone deacetylases, kinases, and
methylases, while also essential to gene regulation, lack DNA-binding
domains, and, therefore, are not transcription factors.
Niacin B3
is an organic compound with the formula C6H5NO2 and, depending on the
definition used, one of the 20 to 80 essential human nutrients.
Pharmaceutical and supplemental niacin are primarily used to treat
hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) and pellagra (niacin deficiency).
Insufficient niacin in the diet can cause nausea, skin and mouth lesions,
anemia, headaches, and tiredness. The lack of niacin may also be observed
in pandemic deficiency disease, which is caused by a lack of five crucial
vitamins (niacin, vitamin C, thiamin, vitamin D, and vitamin A) and is
usually found in areas of widespread poverty and malnutrition. Niacin is
provided in the diet from a variety of whole and processed foods, with
highest contents in fortified packaged foods and meat from various animal
sources.
Taurine may be a key to longer and healthier life. A study finds that
deficiency of
taurine,
a molecule produced in our bodies, drives aging, and taurine supplements
can improve health and increase lifespan in animals.
Vampire Facelift or
Platelet-rich fibrin matrix method is a process in cosmetic surgery.
It is a way of extracting platelets from the patient's own blood and using
them as a dermal filler – that is, as a substance injected under the skin
of the face to fill out wrinkles so as to provide a more youthful
appearance.
AMP-Activated Protein Kinase is an enzyme (EC 2.7.11.31) that plays a
role in cellular energy homeostasis. It belongs to a highly conserved
eukaryotic protein family and its orthologues are SNF1 and SnRK1 in yeast
and plants, respectively. It consists of three proteins (subunits) that
together make a functional enzyme, conserved from yeast to humans. It is
expressed in a number of tissues, including the liver, brain, and skeletal
muscle. The net effect of AMPK activation is stimulation of hepatic fatty
acid oxidation, ketogenesis, stimulation of skeletal muscle fatty acid
oxidation and glucose uptake, inhibition of cholesterol synthesis,
lipogenesis, and triglyceride synthesis, inhibition of adipocyte lipolysis
and lipogenesis, and modulation of insulin secretion by pancreatic
beta-cells. It should not be confused with cyclic AMP-activated protein
kinase (protein kinase A).
Oct-4 octamer-binding transcription
factor 4) also known as POU5F1 (POU domain, class 5, transcription factor
1) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the POU5F1 gene. Oct-4 is a
homeodomain transcription factor of the POU family. This protein is
critically involved in the self-renewal of undifferentiated embryonic
stem
cells. As such, it is frequently used as a marker for undifferentiated
cells. Oct-4 expression must be closely regulated; too much or too little
will cause differentiation of the cells. The octamer (made of eight units)
in this family of transcription factors is the DNA nucleotide sequence "ATTTGCAT",
the etymology for the naming of the octamer transcription factor.
Longevity Hormone Boosts Memory and Protects against Brain Aging in mice.
A life-extending protein
hormone that a
minority of people naturally produce at high levels associations between
elevated klotho levels and better cognition.
Klotho in biology is a
transmembrane protein that, in addition to other effects, provides
some control over the sensitivity of the organism to
insulin and appears to be involved in
aging. is an
enzyme
that in humans is encoded by the KL gene. This gene encodes a type-I
membrane protein that is related to β-glucuronidases. Reduced production
of this protein has been observed in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF),
and this may be one of the factors underlying the degenerative processes
(e.g., arteriosclerosis, osteoporosis, and skin atrophy) seen in CRF.
Also, mutations within this protein have been associated with ageing, bone
loss and alcohol consumption. Transgenic mice that overexpress Klotho live
longer than wild-type mice.
FGF21 Protein is a protein that in
mammals is encoded by the FGF21 gene. The
protein encoded by this
gene is a member of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family and
specifically a member of the "endocrine" subfamily which includes FGF23
and FGF15/19.
Scientists reliably Predict People's Age by Measuring Proteins in Blood.
UCLA Biologists Slow Aging, Extend Lifespan of Fruit Flies.
DNM1L is
a GTPase that regulates mitochondrial fission. In humans, dynamin-1-like
protein, which is typically referred to as dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1),
is encoded by the DNM1L gene
Drp1, which is
a member of the dynamin superfamily of proteins, consists of a GTPase and
GTPase effector domain that are separated from each other by a helical
segment of
amino acids. There are 3 mouse and 6 human isoforms of Drp1,
including a brain-specific variant.
Telomere is a region of
repetitive nucleotide sequences at each end of a
chromosome, which
protects the end of the chromosome from deterioration or from fusion with
neighboring chromosomes. Its name is derived from the Greek nouns telos
(τέλος) "end" and merοs (μέρος, root: μερ-) "part". For vertebrates, the
sequence of nucleotides in telomeres is TTAGGG, with the complementary
DNA
strand being AATCCC, with a single-stranded TTAGGG overhang. This sequence
of TTAGGG is repeated approximately 2,500 times in humans. In humans,
average telomere length declines from about 11 kilobases at birth to less
than 4 kilobases in old age, with average rate of decline being greater in
men than in women.
New insight into how telomeres protect cells from premature senescence.
Telomeres are the caps that protect the ends of our chromosomes. An RNA
molecule called TERRA helps to ensure that very short (or broken)
telomeres get fixed again.
Telomeric Repeat-Containing RNAs is a long
non-coding RNA that forms integral part of telomeric
heterochromatin along with the telomeric binding proteins. It plays a
key role in maintaining the telomeric structure and plays an important
role during the processes like
cell differentiation and development. TERRAs are transcribed from the telomeric end of the DNA and almost all
the DNA ends have been shown to transcribe the molecule. TERRA consists of
both telomeric and subtelomeric regions. The transcription is initiated in
subtelomeric regions and proceeds in the centromere to telomere direction.
TERRA is ubiquitously expressed in most all of the tissues by almost all
of the mammals studied. TERRA is also expressed in yeasts. Several studies
have shown that TERRA is primarily transcribed by
RNA polymerase II,
though RNA polymerase I and RNA polymerase III could also play some part
in biogenesis.
Scientists make stunning discovery, find new protein activity in telomeres.
Researchers made the stunning discovery that telomeres contain genetic
information to produce two small proteins, one of which they found is
elevated in some human cancer cells, as well as cells from patients
suffering from telomere-related defects. Once thought incapable of
encoding proteins due to their simple monotonous repetitions of DNA, tiny
telomeres at the tips of our chromosomes seem to hold a potent biological
function that's potentially relevant to our understanding of cancer and
aging. Telomeres contain a unique DNA sequence consisting of endless
repeats of TTAGGG bases that somehow inhibit chromosomes from sticking to
each other. Two decades ago, the Griffith laboratory showed that the end
of a telomere's DNA loops back on itself to form a tiny circle, thus
hiding the end and blocking chromosome-to-chromosome fusions. When cells
divide, telomeres shorten, eventually becoming so short that the cell can
no longer divide properly, leading to cell death.
Telomeres lengthen with lifestyle changes in children. The new study
is the first to link a
behavioral eating
and
physical activity program for weight
management in children with
obesity to healthy
changes in average telomere length. Eating fewer high-fat or
high-sugar foods and fewer calories,
increasing physical activity, and
reducing
time sitting — can slow down biological aging associated with obesity
in children.
New Mechanism Extends Life Immune system. In the study, in vitro,
researchers initiated an immune response of
T-lymphocytes against a microbe (foreign infection). Unexpectedly,
they observed a
telomere transfer reaction
between two types of white blood cells, in ‘extracellular vesicles’ (small
particles that facilitate intercellular communication). An antigen
presenting cell (APC), consisting either of B cells, dendritic cells or
macrophages, functioned as a ‘telomere donor’, to the T lymphocyte – the
telomere recipient cell. Upon transfer of the telomeres, the recipient
T cell became long-lived and possessed
memory and stem cell attributes, enabling the T cell to protect a host
against a lethal infection in the long term. The telomere transfer
reaction extended certain telomeres about 30 times more than extension
exerted by telomerase. Telomerase is the single DNA synthesising enzyme
that is devoted to telomere maintenance in stem cells, cells of the immune
systems and found in fetal tissue, reproductive cells and sperm. However,
it does not provide this function in other cells, leading to telomere
attrition. Even in immune cells where the enzyme is naturally active,
continuous immune reactions cause progressive telomerase inactivation
leading to telomere shortening, when cells stop dividing, and replicative
senescence occurs.
Potential role of 'junk DNA' sequence in aging, cancer. Researchers
have recently identified a
DNA region known as VNTR2-1
that appears to drive the activity of the telomerase gene, which has been
shown to prevent aging in certain types of cells. Knowing how the
telomerase gene is regulated and activated and why it is only active in
certain cell types could someday be the key to understanding how humans
age and how to stop the spread of cancer. Almost 50% of our genome
consists of repetitive DNA that does not code for protein.
Programed Cell Death
-
Junk DNA
Pollution
-
Poor Diet -
Lack of Exercise
Telomerase is a
ribonucleoprotein that adds a species-dependent telomere repeat
sequence to the 3' end of telomeres. A telomere is a region of repetitive
sequences at each end of eukaryotic chromosomes in most eukaryotes.
Telomeres protect the end of the chromosome from
DNA damage or from fusion
with neighbouring
chromosomes. The
fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster lacks telomerase, but instead uses
retrotransposons to maintain telomeres. Telomerase is a reverse
transcriptase enzyme that carries its own RNA molecule (e.g., with the
sequence "CCCAAUCCC" in vertebrates) which is used as a template when it
elongates telomeres. Telomerase, active in normal
stem cells and most cancer cells, is
normally absent from, or at very low levels in, most somatic cells.
Exercise and
Meditation helps to protect telomere tips.
Enzyme Telomerase research has recently uncovered a crucial step in
the telomerase enzyme catalytic cycle. This catalytic cycle determines the
ability of the human telomerase enzyme to synthesize DNA. Telomerase has a
built-in braking system to ensure precise synthesis of correct telomeric
DNA repeats. This safe-guarding brake, however, also limits the overall
activity of the telomerase enzyme. Finding a way to properly release the
brakes on the telomerase enzyme has the potential to restore the lost
telomere length of adult stem cells and to even reverse cellular aging
itself.
Tetrahymena is a genus of free-living ciliates that can also switch
from commensalistic to pathogenic modes of survival. They are common in
freshwater ponds (pond scum). Tetrahymena species used as model organisms
in biomedical research are T. thermophila and T. pyriformis. Tetrahymena
cells never got old and died. Their telomeres weren't shortening as time
marched on. Sometimes they even got longer.
Every time the cell
divides and the DNA is copied, some of that DNA from the ends gets worn
down and shortened, some of that telomere DNA. And when that tip gets too
short, it falls off, and that worn down telomere sends a signal to the
cells. "The DNA is no longer being protected." So it sends a signal. Time
to die.
Cell Death.
Hayflick Limit
is the number of times a normal human cell population will divide until
cell division stops. Empirical evidence shows that the telomeres
associated with each cell's DNA will get slightly shorter with each new
cell division until they shorten to a
critical length.
Biplastiq
Mitochondrion is a double
membrane-bound organelle found in all eukaryotic organisms, although some
cells in some organisms may lack them (e.g. red blood cells). A number of
organisms have reduced or transformed their mitochondria into other
structures. To date, only one eukaryote, Monocercomonoides, is known to
have completely lost its mitochondria.
Researchers have reversed wrinkled skin and hair loss, hallmarks of aging,
in a mouse model. When a mutation leading to mitochondrial dysfunction
is induced, the mouse develops wrinkled skin and extensive, visible hair
loss in a matter of weeks. When the
mitochondrial function is restored
by turning off the gene responsible for mitochondrial dysfunction, the
mouse returns to smooth skin and thick fur, indistinguishable from a
healthy mouse of the same age.
Mitochondrial Disease are a group of disorders caused by dysfunctional
mitochondria, the organelles that generate energy for the cell.
Mitochondria are found in every cell of the human body except red blood
cells, and
convert the energy of food
molecules into the ATP that powers most cell functions. Mitochondrial
diseases are sometimes (about 15% of the time) caused by
mutations in the mitochondrial DNA
that affect
mitochondrial function. Other mitochondrial diseases are
caused by mutations in genes of the nuclear DNA, whose gene products are
imported into the mitochondria (mitochondrial proteins) as well as
acquired mitochondrial conditions. Mitochondrial diseases take on unique
characteristics both because of the way the diseases are often inherited
and because mitochondria are so critical to cell function. The subclass of
these diseases that have neuromuscular disease symptoms are often called a
mitochondrial myopathy.
Mitochondrial DNA is the DNA located in
mitochondria, cellular
organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food
into a form that cells can use, adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Mitochondrial DNA is only a small portion of the DNA in a eukaryotic
cell; most of the
DNA can be found in the cell
nucleus and, in plants and algae, also in plastids such as chloroplasts.
In humans, the 16,569 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA encode for only 37
genes. Human mitochondrial DNA was the first significant part of the human
genome to be sequenced. In most species, including humans,
mtDNA is
inherited solely from the mother. Since animal mtDNA evolves faster than
nuclear genetic markers, it represents a mainstay of phylogenetics and
evolutionary biology. It also permits an examination of the relatedness of
populations, and so has become important in anthropology and biogeography.
Bacterial Rhodopsins
are a family of bacterial opsins. They are retinal-binding proteins that
provide light-dependent ion transport and sensory functions to a family of
halophilic and other bacteria. They are integral membrane proteins with
seven transmembrane helices, the last of which contains the attachment
point for retinal (a conserved lysine). The
proteins from halobacteria
include bacteriorhodopsin and archaerhodopsin, which are light-driven
proton pumps; halorhodopsin, a light-driven chloride pump; and sensory
rhodopsin, which mediates both photoattractant (in the red) and
photophobic (in the ultra-violet) responses. Proteins from other bacteria
include proteorhodopsin.
Turritopsis Dohrnii is a species of
small, biologically immortal jellyfish found in the Mediterranean Sea and
in the waters of Japan. It is one of the known cases of animals capable of
reverting completely to a sexually immature, colonial stage after having
reached sexual maturity as a solitary individual.
Brain Cells Found to Control Aging. Scientists have found that stem
cells in the brain's
hypothalamus govern how fast aging occurs in the body.
Scientists Decipher Mechanisms Underlying the Biology of Aging. Cells
periodically switch between "on" and "off" in their chromatin state during
aging. Aged cells lose this switching capability, resulting in cell death.
As cells age, damage in their DNA accumulates over time, leading to decay
in normal functioning and eventually resulting in death. A natural
biochemical process known as "chromatin silencing" helps protect DNA from
damage. The silencing process converts specific regions of DNA from a
loose, open state into a closed one, thus shielding DNA regions. Among the
molecules that promote silencing is a family of proteins -- broadly
conserved from bacteria to humans -- known as sirtuins.
Chromatin is a complex of macromolecules found in cells, consisting of
DNA, protein, and RNA. The primary functions of chromatin are 1) to
package DNA into a more compact, denser shape, 2) to reinforce the DNA
macromolecule to allow mitosis, 3) to prevent DNA damage, and 4) to
control
gene expression and DNA
replication. The primary protein components of chromatin are histones that
compact the DNA. Chromatin is only found in eukaryotic cells (cells with
defined nuclei). Prokaryotic cells have a different organization of their
DNA (the prokaryotic chromosome equivalent is called genophore and is
localized within the nucleoid region).
Researchers have identified 16 Genetic Markers associated with a decreased
lifespan, including 14 new to science.
New Player in Human Aging. Scientists pinpoint neural activity's role
in human longevity. Researchers discover that the activity of the nervous
system might influence human longevity. Neural excitation linked to
shorter life, while suppression of overactivity appears to extend life
span. Protein REST, previously shown to protect aging brains from dementia
and other diseases, emerges as a key player in molecular cascade related
to aging. Findings suggest future avenues for intervention in diseases
ranging from Alzheimer's to bipolar disorder.
Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) is a variation in a single
nucleotide that occurs at a specific position in the genome, where each
variation is present to some appreciable degree within a population (e.g. > 1%).
Key aspects of human cell ageing reversed by new compounds AP39, AP123
and RT01 that have been designed by the Exeter team to selectively deliver
minute quantities of the gas
hydrogen sulfide to the
mitochondria in
cells and help the old or damaged cells to generate the 'energy'
needed for survival and to reduce
senescence. Our compounds provide
mitochondria in cells with an
alternative fuel to help them function properly.
Molecular 'switch' reverses chronic inflammation and aging. Scientists
have identified a molecular 'switch' that controls the
immune machinery responsible for chronic
inflammation in the body. The finding could lead to new ways to halt or
even reverse many age-related conditions, from from Alzheimer's and
Parkinson's to diabetes and cancer. In the study, a team show that a bulky
collection of immune proteins called the
NLRP3
inflammasome -- responsible for sensing potential threats to the body and
launching an
inflammation response
-- can be essentially switched off by removing a small bit of molecular
matter in a process called deacetylation. Overactivation of the NLRP3
inflammasome has been linked to a variety of chronic conditions,
including multiple sclerosis, cancer, diabetes and dementia.
Eosinophil Cell Therapy Promotes Rejuvenation. Researchers
investigated the possibility to reverse age-related impairments by
restoring the immune cell balance in visceral adipose tissue.
Eosinophil is a
white
blood cell containing granules that are readily stained by eosin.
Acidophils are a variety of white blood cells and one of the
immune system components responsible for
combating multicellular parasites and certain infections in vertebrates.
Along with mast cells and basophils, they also control mechanisms
associated with allergy and asthma. They are granulocytes that develop
during hematopoiesis in the bone marrow before migrating into blood, after
which they are terminally differentiated and do not multiply.
Worms live longer lives if they produce excess levels of a protein p62,
which recognizes toxic cell proteins that are tagged for destruction. The
discovery could help uncover treatments for age-related conditions, such
as Alzheimer's disease, which are often caused by accumulation of
misfolded proteins.
Old Genes Help Keep Sea Anemones Young. Highly conserved genes ensure
lifelong differentiation of neurons and glandular cells in sea anemones.
Deep-water sea anemone with a two-chromosome mitochondrial genome.
Old human cells rejuvenated with stem cell technology. The proteins,
known as Yamanaka factors, are commonly used to transform an adult cell
into what are known as induced
pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells
can become nearly any type of cell in the body, regardless of the cell
from which they originated. They've become important in regenerative
medicine and drug discovery. The study found that inducing old human cells
in a lab dish to briefly express these proteins rewinds many of the
molecular hallmarks of aging and renders the treated cells nearly
indistinguishable from their younger counterparts.
Diluting blood plasma rejuvenates tissue, reverses aging in mice. A
new study reveals that replacing half of the blood plasma with a mixture
of saline and albumin reverses signs of aging and rejuvenates muscle,
brain and liver tissue in old mice. In humans, the composition of blood
plasma can be altered in a clinical procedure called
therapeutic plasma exchange, or
plasmapheresis, which is currently FDA-approved in the U.S. for
treating a variety of autoimmune diseases.
Pathways that extend lifespan by 500% identified. Discovery of
cellular mechanisms could open door to more effective anti-aging
therapies. The new research uses a double mutant in which the insulin
signaling (IIS) and TOR pathways have been genetically altered. Because
alteration of the IIS pathways yields a 100 percent increase in lifespan
and alteration of the TOR pathway yields a 30 percent increase, the double
mutant would be expected to live 130 percent longer. But instead, its
lifespan was amplified by 500 percent.
Age-related impairments reversed in animal model. Researchers
demonstrate in an animal model that age-related frailty and immune decline
can be halted and even partially reversed using a novel cell-based
therapeutic approach. Visceral adipose tissue, known as
belly fat, crucially contributes to
the development of
chronic low-grade
inflammation. Certain immune cells in the belly fat play and an
essential role in regulating chronic low-grade inflammation and downstream
aging processes. a certain kind of
immune
cells, known as
eosinophils, which are predominantly found in the
blood
circulation, are also present in belly fat of both humans and mice.
Although classically known to provide protection from parasite infection
and to promote allergic airway disease, eosinophils located in belly fat
are responsible to maintain local immune homeostasis. With increasing age
the frequency of eosinophils in belly fat declines, while the number of
pro-inflammatory macrophages increases. Owing to this immune cell
dysbalance, belly fat turns into a source of pro-inflammatory mediators
accumulating systemically in old age. Elderly people are more prone to
infectious diseases as the function of their immune system continuously
declines with progression of age.
Eating Healthier - Over Eating Decreases Life Span
How Eating Less can Slow the Aging Process. When
Ribosomes, the cell’s protein makers
slow down, the aging process slows too. The decreased speed lowers
production but gives ribosomes extra time to repair themselves.
Live Long, Die Young (youtube) - Eat Less and Live
More.
Scientifically Designed Fasting Diet Lowers Risks for Major Diseases,
three cycles of a low-calorie, “
fasting-mimicking” diet for five days each
month.
Cancer and Nutrition -
Personalized Nutrition
Fasting-Mimicking Diet may Reverse Diabetes. Periodic cycles of
fasting
reprogram pancreatic cells and restore insulin production,
USC
researchers find. Low Insulin Growth Factor may increase longevity.
Link between Biological Clock and Aging revealed -
Over Eating
A Fasting-Mimicking
diet may Reduce Disease risk factors and Reverse Diabetes (youtube)
Some stress in early life extends lifespan, research in roundworms shows.
Moderate Consumption of Fats and Carbohydrates Best for Health.
Calorie restriction study reveals complexities in how diet impacts aging.
The rate at which human cells age is influenced by multiple interconnected
factors. New research examined how restricting calories influences
telomere length and biological aging.
ProLon is a 5-day
Fasting Mimicking Diet program for people seeking healthy aging, managing
body weight, and maintaining healthy levels of cholesterol, blood
pressure, glucose, C-reactive protein (CRP), and insulin-like growth
factor 1 (
IGF-1).
Valter Longo is an Italian-American biogerontologist and cell
biologist known for his studies on the role of
starvation and nutrient
response genes on cellular protection aging and diseases and for proposing
that longevity is regulated by similar genes and mechanisms in many
eukaryotes. He is currently a professor at the USC Davis School of
Gerontology with a joint appointment in the department of Biological
Sciences as well as serving as the director of the USC Longevity
Institute.
Changing
your diet could add up to a decade to life expectancy. A young adult
in the U.S. could add more than a decade to their life expectancy by
changing their diet from a typical Western diet to an optimized diet that
includes more legumes, whole grains and nuts, and less red and processed
meat, according to a new study. For older people, the anticipated gains to
life expectancy from such dietary changes would be smaller but still
substantial.
Study links nutrients, brain structure, cognition in healthy aging.
Scientists found that blood markers of two saturated fatty acids along
with
certain omega-6, -7 and -9
fatty acids correlated with better scores on tests of memory and were
associated with larger brain structures in the frontal, temporal, parietal
and insular cortices. The researchers collected data from 111 healthy
older adults with MRI structural scans, blood-based biomarkers of 52
dietary nutrients and cognitive performance on tests of memory and
intelligence. Data-fusion allows researchers to look across multiple data
sets to map traits or features that have common patterns of variability.
Secret to Longevity may lie in the Microbiome and the Gut. Experiments
in fruit flies show increased lifespan thanks to a combination of
probiotics and an herbal
supplement
Triphala,
which is an Ayurvedic herbal rasayana formula consisting of equal parts of
three myrobalans, taken without seed: n traditional Ayurvedic medicine,
triphala is believed to be useful for: immune system stimulation,
improvement of digestion, relief of constipation, gastrointestinal tract
cleansing, relief of gas (carminative), treatment of diabetes, treatment
of eye disease.
Fecal transplants reverse hallmarks of aging.
Diet trumps drugs for anti-aging and good metabolic health. A study
comparing the impact of diet versus drugs on the inner workings of our
cells has found nutrition has a much stronger impact. One anti-ageing drug
had a bigger effect on changes in the cells caused by dietary fat and
carbohydrates, while a cancer and another diabetes drug both blocked the
effects of dietary protein on the energy-producing
mitochondria.
Calorie Restricted Diet
- Fasting intermittently is a natural way to get rid of
senescence cells.
Fisetin
is a plant flavonol from the
flavonoid group of
polyphenols. It
can be found in many plants, where it serves as a colouring agent. It is
also found in many fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries, apples,
persimmons, onions and cucumbers. Its chemical formula was first described
by Austrian chemist Josef Herzig in 1891. The biological activity of
fisetin has been studied in many laboratory assays; like other polyphenols
it has many activities. Fisetin, like other polyphenols such as
resveratrol, is a sirtuin-activating compound and has been shown in
laboratory studies to extend the life of yeast, worms, flies and mice.
Like the other compounds, it has also been shown to be reactive in many
different assays of biological activities, raising the possibility that
any drug generated from fisetin would have too many side effects to be
useful. Fisetin can be found in a wide variety of plants. It is found in
Eudicotyledons, such as trees and shrubs in the family Fabaceae, such as
the acacias Acacia greggii and Acacia berlandieri, the parrot tree (Butea
frondosa), the honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), members of the family
Anacardiaceae such as the Quebracho colorado and species of the genus Rhus,
which contains the sumacs.
Pigment
Epithelium-Derived Factor is an endogenously produced protein that
contributes to cell growth arrest, and reduced levels of PEDF are
associated with the progression of
cellular senescence
and the aging process.
PEDF
is a multifunctional secreted protein that has anti-angiogenic,
anti-tumorigenic, and neurotrophic functions. Found in vertebrates, this
50 kDa protein is being researched as a therapeutic candidate for
treatment of such conditions as choroidal neovascularization, heart
disease, and cancer. In humans, pigment epithelium-derived factor is
encoded by the SERPINF1 gene.
Pigment epithelium-derived factor. Clinical significance in
estrogen-dependent tissues and its potential in cancer therapy.
Scientists can reverse brain aging in fruit flies by preventing buildup of
a common protein. Buildup of a protein called
filamentous
actin, or F-actin, in the brain inhibits the removal of cellular
wastes, including DNA, lipids, proteins and organelles. The resulting
accumulation of waste diminishes neuronal functions and contributes to
cognitive decline. By tweaking a few very specific genes in the neurons of
aging fruit flies, the researchers prevented F-actin buildup, maintained
cellular recycling and extended the healthy lifespan of fruit flies by
approximately 30%.
Taurine is an organic
compound that is widely distributed in animal tissues. It is a major
constituent of bile and can be found in the large intestine, and accounts
for up to 0.1% of total human body weight. Taurine has many biological
roles, such as conjugation of bile acids, antioxidation, osmoregulation,
membrane stabilization, and modulation of calcium signaling. It is
essential for cardiovascular function, and development and function of
skeletal muscle, the retina, and the central nervous system. It is an
unusual example of a naturally occurring sulfonic acid. Taurine occurs
naturally in fish and meat. The mean daily intake from omnivore diets was
determined to be around 58 mg (range from 9 to 372 mg) and to be low or
negligible from a strict vegan diet. In another study, taurine intake was
estimated to be generally less than 200 mg/day, even in individuals eating
a high-meat diet. According to a third study, taurine consumption was
estimated to vary between 40 and 400 mg/day. The availability of taurine
is affected depending on how the food is prepared, raw diets retaining the
most taurine, and baking or boiling resulting in the greatest taurine
loss. Taurine levels were found to be significantly lower in vegans than
in a control group on a standard American diet. Plasma taurine was 78% of
control values, and urinary taurine was 29%. Prematurely born infants are
believed to lack the enzymes needed to convert cystathionine to cysteine,
and may, therefore, become deficient in taurine. Taurine is present in
breast milk, and has been added to many infant formulas, as a measure of
prudence, since the early 1980s. However, this practice has never been
rigorously studied, and as such it has yet to be proven to be necessary,
or even beneficial. Taurine is essential for cardiovascular function and
development and function of skeletal muscle, the retina, and the central
nervous system. It is a biosynthetic precursor to the bile salts sodium
taurochenodeoxycholate and sodium taurocholate. Taurine functions as an
antioxidant, suppressing the toxicity of hypochlorite and hypobromite
produced physiologically. Taurine reacts with these halogenating agents to
form N-chloro- and N-bromotaurine, which are less toxic than their
precursors hypohalides. Taurine has been shown to reduce the secretion of
apolipoprotein B100 and lipids in HepG2 cells. Taurine is necessary for
normal skeletal muscle functioning. Mice with a genetic taurine deficiency
had a nearly complete depletion of skeletal and cardiac muscle taurine
levels and a reduction of more than 80% of exercise capacity compared to
control mice. Taurine can influence (and possibly reverse) defects in
nerve blood flow, motor nerve conduction velocity, and nerve sensory
thresholds in experimental diabetic neuropathic rats. In diabetic rats,
taurine supplementation slightly reduced abdominal body fat while
improving glucose tolerance. Taurine is effective in removing fatty liver
deposits in rats, preventing liver disease, and reducing cirrhosis in
tested animals. Evidence indicates taurine may be beneficial for blood
pressure in male rats. A single intravenous taurine supplementation
resulted in measurable decreases in blood pressure. However, when rats
were supplemented with taurine in their drinking water, only female rats
showed an increase in blood pressure. Both genders showed significant
tachycardia. Likewise, taurine administration to diabetic rabbits resulted
in 30% decrease in serum glucose levels.
Sirtuin-Activating Compound are chemical compounds having an effect on
sirtuins, a group of enzymes that use NAD+ to remove acetyl groups from
proteins. They are
caloric
restriction mimetic compounds that may be helpful in treating various
aging-related diseases.
Sirtuin
are a class of proteins that possess either mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase,
or deacylase activity, including deacetylase, desuccinylase, demalonylase,
demyristoylase and depalmitoylase activity. The name Sir2 comes from the
yeast gene 'silent mating-type information regulation 2', the gene
responsible for cellular regulation in yeast. From in vitro studies,
sirtuins are implicated in influencing cellular processes like aging,
transcription, apoptosis, inflammation and stress resistance, as well as
energy efficiency and alertness during
low-calorie situations. As of
2018, there was no clinical evidence that sirtuins affect human aging.
Cutting down the amount of a single amino acid called
isoleucine, can extend their lifespan, make them leaner and less frail
as they age and reduce cancer and prostate problems, all while the mice
ate more calories. Dietary amino acids are linked to a gene called mTOR
that appears to be a lever on the aging process in mice and other animals
as well as to a hormone that manages the body's response to cold and has
been considered a potential diabetes drug candidate for human patients.
But the mechanism behind the stark benefits of low-isoleucine intake is
not well understood. Lamming thinks the new study's results may help
future research pick apart causes.
Resveratrol is a type of
natural
phenol, and a phytoalexin produced by several plants in response to
injury or, when the plant is under attack by pathogens such as bacteria or
fungi. Sources of resveratrol in food include the skin of grapes,
blueberries, raspberries, mulberries. Although it is used as a dietary
supplement, there is no good evidence that consuming resveratrol affects
life expectancy or human health.
Pterostilbene is a
stilbenoid chemically related to resveratrol. In plants, it serves a
defensive
phytoalexin role.
New Genetic Variations Linked to Educational Attainment: Genetic overlap
between Cognitive Ability and Longevity.
Cells
Diets
high in protein, particularly plant protein, linked to lower risk of death.
Diets high in protein, particularly protein from plants such as legumes
(peas, beans and lentils), whole grains and nuts, have been linked to
lower risks of developing diabetes, heart disease and stroke, while
regular consumption of red meat and high intake of animal proteins have
been linked to several health problems.
Three years younger in just eight weeks. A groundbreaking clinical
trial shows we can reduce
biological age, as
measured by the Horvath 2013
DNAmAge clock, by more
than three years in only eight weeks with diet and lifestyle through
balancing DNA methylation. The 8-week treatment program included diet,
sleep, exercise and relaxation guidance, and supplemental probiotics and
phytonutrients, resulting in a
statistically significant reduction of
biological
age -- over three years younger, compared to controls.
Amazon indigenous group's lifestyle may hold a key to slowing down aging.
Tsimane people are unique for their healthy brains that age more slowly.
The Tsimane indigenous people of the Bolivian Amazon experience less brain
atrophy than their American and European peers. The decrease in their
brain volumes with age is 70% slower than in Western populations.
Ascidiacea are
sac-like marine invertebrate filter feeders.
Sea
squirts feed by taking in water through a tube, the oral siphon.
The water enters the mouth and pharynx, flows through mucus-covered gill
slits (also called pharyngeal stigmata) into a water chamber called the
atrium, then exits through the atrial siphon.
Various ascidians are used as food.
You want to eat more greens and colorful veggies like beets, and different
herbs or botanicals like turmeric, which is in curry, and green tea – all
of these have the ability to change our genetic expression towards
something more youthful when taken together. Other nutrient-rich health
foods includes low-sugar fruits like avocado, blood oranges, blueberries,
grapefruit and green apples; clean animal proteins like eggs, grass-fed
beef, pastured chicken, organic pork (if possible), lamb and salmon; and
healthy monosaturated, saturated, omega-3 and omega-6 fats" that can be
found in a variety of nuts and seeds. Daily carb consumption shouldn’t
exceed 35% of your caloric intake and most can be eaten through fruit and
veggie servings rather than grains, which often contain gluten – a wheat
protein that can cause inflammation in some. Getting moderate exercise
each day promotes cellular repair, detoxification via sweat and burns
pro-inflammatory fats while also building heart muscle.
Life Extension Foundations
Methuselah Foundation is a non-profit
organization dedicated to extending the healthy human lifespan by
advancing tissue engineering and regenerative medicine therapies. It was
co-founded in 2003 by Aubrey de Grey and David Gobel, and is based in
Springfield, Virginia, United States. According to its website, Methuselah
has given more than $4 million to support research and development in
regenerative medicine.
Methuselah Foundation
SENS Research Foundation
researches and treats age-related disease.
Gerontology Research Group
Alcor Life Extension Foundation
Institute for Aging Research
National Institute on Aging: Healthy Aging: Lessons from the Baltimore
Longitudinal Study of Aging.
National Institutes of
HealthRaad Fest
cutting-edge methods to reverse aging are presented for all interest
levels, from beginner to expert.
The Albert Einstein College of Medicine ("Einstein")
einstein.yu.edu
U.S.
Department of Health & Human Services
Baltimore Longitudinal
Study of Aging
Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary
field that develops methods and software tools for understanding
biological data.
Parabiosis meaning "living beside", is a
technical term in various contexts in fields of study related to ecology
and physiology. It accordingly has been defined independently in at least
three disciplines, namely experimental or medical physiology, the ecology
of inactive physiological states, and the ecology of certain classes of
social species that share nests.
Young Blood -
Platelet.
Elixir of Life,
also known as elixir of immortality, and sometimes equated with the
philosopher's stone, is a
mythical potion that supposedly grants the drinker eternal life and/or
eternal youth. This elixir was also said to cure all diseases. Alchemists
in various ages and cultures sought the means of formulating the elixir.
Elixir of Life is a potion that supposedly grants the drinker eternal
life and/or eternal youth. This elixir was also said to cure all diseases.
Alchemists in various ages and cultures sought the means of formulating
the elixir. The concept originated in ancient India or China where the
concept preceded that in Europe by millennia.
Eternal Youth is the concept of human physical immortality free of
ageing. The youth referred to is usually meant to be in contrast to the
depredations of aging, rather than a specific age of the human lifespan.
Achieving eternal youth so far remains beyond the capabilities of
scientific technology. However, much research is being conducted in the
sciences of genetics which may allow manipulation of the aging process in
the future. Eternal youth is common in mythology, and is a popular theme
in fiction.
Fountain of
Youth is a mythical spring that restores the youth of anyone who
drinks or bathes in its waters.
Ambrosia (classical mythology) the food and drink of the gods; mortals
who ate it became
immortal.
Longevity Meme
Long life only comes to those people who make an
effort to do all the right things, like eating healthy, exercising,
avoiding toxic substances, and also continually educating themselves. Long
life does not come to those who believe that they can just take a pill and
live over 100 years in good physical and mental health. That is a lie.
Longevity pills will not protect you from diseases like heart disease or
cancers. You have to do all the right things. There's no pill that will
stop you from being stupid. You have to learn how not to be stupid.
Longevity pills will mostly benefit the people who are doing the necessary
work and
maintenance
that comes with the
responsibilities for living a long and beautiful life. But even then,
there is still no guarantees for a long life, just better
odds. And I will do my best to
increase those odds as much as I possibly can, for myself and for others.
Higher IQ in Childhood is Linked to a Longer Life (learning to be
intelligent does have its
advantages)
Book readers reading around 3.5 hours a
week
live an average of two years longer than people who don't read at
all. But only if you
read the
right books at
the right times in
your life.
Turtles and Tortoises may exhibit slower or even absent senescence when
their living conditions improve. Out of 52 species, 75 % of them show
extremely slow senescence, while 80% of them have slower senescence than
modern humans.
Secrets of aging revealed in largest study on longevity, aging in reptiles
and amphibians. An international team of 114 scientists reports the
most comprehensive study of aging and longevity to date of reptiles and
amphibians worldwide. Among their many findings, they document for the
first time that turtles, crocodilians and salamanders have particularly
low aging rates and extended lifespans for their sizes. The team also
finds that protective phenotypes, such as the hard shells of most turtle
species, contribute to slower aging, and in some cases even 'negligible
aging' -- or lack of biological aging. At 190 years old, Jonathan the
Seychelles giant tortoise recently made news for being the "oldest living
land animal in the world."
Related Subject Pages -
Ageing
(caregiving) -
Growing Old -
Senior Citizen Stories
(Still Going Strong) -
Nutrition -
Vitamins -
Brain
Food -
Exercise -
Learning -
Traveling -
Hobbies -
Meditation -
Relationships -
Population Growth.