Lifeboat Foundation

With a disabled AIDS virus, doctors supply a gene to boys with a degenerative neural condition.

Researchers map human genome in 4D as it folds.

Time-lapse view reveals new mechanism that brings DNA elements together.

A multi-institutional team spanning Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, Stanford University and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has created the first high-resolution 4D map of genome folding, which tracks an entire human genome as it folds over time. The report, which may lead to new ways of understanding genetic diseases, appears on the cover of Cell.

Continue reading “Researchers map human genome in 4D as it folds” »

LEAF board director Elena Milova is featured today on the KP website talking about life extension. The page is in Russian but google translate does a reasonable job.

Публикация под заголовком «Мне 32 года, и я потратил $200 тысяч на «биохакинг» произвела в соцсетях эффект разорвавшейся бомбы. Ее автор бизнесмен Сергей Фаге (его состояние оценивается в $45 миллионов) создатель интернет сервисов «Островок» и TokBox рассказал об эксперименте, который он поставил на собой. Его цель ни много ни мало — вечная жизнь. Последние 4–5 лет он изменяет свое тело с помощью биотехнологий. На эту затею он потратил около $200 тысяч, львиная доля из них ушла на тысячи диагностических тестов и консультации врачей. Каждые несколько дней он сдает анализы и изучает детальную картину того, что происходит в его организме. Будучи здоровым человеком, ежедневно принимает несколько десятков разных лекарственных препаратов и, естественно, занимается спортом по собой программе.

One startup company is repurposing the gene-editing tool.

The link between inflammation, cellular senescence, aging, and cancer is a complex relationship, but a new study sheds light on how these four interact.

The light and dark side of inflammation and cellular senescence

Cellular senescence is a protective mechanism that helps us to stay healthy and avoid cancer by removing damaged and aged cells from the cell cycle while preventing them from creating damaged copies of themselves. Senescent cells are disposed of via a self-destruct process known as apoptosis.

By scanning the brains of healthy volunteers, researchers at the National Institutes of Health saw the first, long-sought evidence that our brains may drain some waste out through lymphatic vessels, the body’s sewer system. The results further suggest the vessels could act as a pipeline between the brain and the immune system.

Dr. Daniel S. Reich, Ph.D., M.D., discusses how his team discovered that our brains may drain waste through lymphatic vessels, the body’s sewer system.

Continue reading “The Brain’s Meninges Harbour its Lymphatic System” »

Whenever the topic of increasing human lifespan is discussed the concern is sometimes raised that a longer life would mean a life spent frail and decrepit. This is sometimes known as the Tithonus error and shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the aims of rejuvenation biotechnology. The concern is based on the ancient Greek myth of Tithonus which might be thought of as a cautionary tale warning seekers of an eternal life of its alleged inherent dangers.

The myth of Tithonus in brief

Tithonus, the story goes, was a mere mortal who was in love with Eos, the beautiful titan of the dawn. His feelings were requited, but, unfortunately, their idyll was not destined to last. Being a titan, Eos was also a deity and thus immortal, unlike Tithonus, who one day would die of old age if not of some other cause. Eos thus turned to Zeus and asked him to make Tithonus immortal as well. Zeus granted Eos’ wish, but even this did not solve the two lovers’ problem; the father of the gods had granted Tithonus immortality, not eternal youth.

Continue reading “Why a Longer Life Does Not Mean Longer Decrepitude” »

As we age, the thymus begins to shrink, and fewer numbers of T cells are created and trained to fight. This structural decay of the thymus is one of the main reasons why we become increasingly vulnerable to infectious diseases, such as influenza and pneumonia. The other reason is immune cells becoming senescent.

So, what can we do about it? Check out our new exclusive interview and find out.

As we age, the thymus begins to shrink, and fewer numbers of T cells are created and trained to fight. This structural decay of the thymus is one of the main reasons why we become increasingly vulnerable to infectious diseases, such as influenza and pneumonia. The other reason is immune cells becoming senescent.

There are a number of possible solutions to this problem. Firstly, engineering new healthy and youthful thymic tissue might help to restore the immune system, and indeed a number of groups are working towards this.

Secondly, some researchers are focused on encouraging the aged thymus to regrow using various approaches, such as stem cell transplants, cellular reprogramming or chemical compounds. Dr. Greg Fahy is involved in researching this second approach, and we had the opportunity to speak to him about this work.