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Category: biotech/medical – Page 246

Without Gene Therapies it Will Not be Possible to Extend Life | 071 Liz Parrish, Mba

Dr. Esra Çavuşoğlu, PhD’s 71st Ayık Kafa podcast guest is Liz Parrish explores the transformative potential of gene therapy in extending human longevity and enhancing healthspan.

Liz Parrish MBA, is the Founder and CEO of BioViva Sciences USA Inc. BioViva is committed to extending healthy lifespans using gene therapy and works on combinatorial gene therapies with its proprietary CMV gene therapy delivery platform.

Liz is a humanitarian, entrepreneur, author, and innovator. In addition, she is a proponent of the Best Choice Medicine plan (BCM), a more efficient and streamlined regulatory model around the use of genetic therapies.

She shares her personal journey, the scientific basis for gene therapy, and the economic implications of aging-related diseases. The podcast also takes a closer look at the four different gene therapies that Liz Parrish administered to herself: Klotho, Follistatin, PGC-1α, and Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase. The discussion covers the various gene therapies being developed, their safety, ethical considerations, and the importance of early intervention. Liz emphasizes the need for public awareness and investment in longevity research to make these therapies accessible to all.

#EsraÇavuşoğlu #AyıkKafa #ElevatingLifeEvolvingHealth #Longevilab #LizParrish #Longevity #genetherapy.

Liz Parrish:

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The Cerebral Cortex Ages Less than Thought

The human cerebral cortex is only a few millimetres thick and arranged in numerous folds. This tissue usually becomes thinner with age. “This is a hallmark of aging. It is attributed, among other things, to the loss of neurons. As a result, some abilities deteriorate. In any case, it is generally assumed that less brain volume means reduced function,” explains Prof. Esther Kühn, a neuroscientist at DZNE and the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research. “However, little is known about how exactly the cortex actually ages. This is remarkable, given that many of our daily activities depend on a functioning cortex. That’s why we examined the situation with high-resolution brain scans.”

Together with colleagues from Tübingen and Magdeburg, Esther Kühn focused on a part of the cerebral cortex where signals from the tactile sense are processed. This “primary somatosensory cortex” is located on the left and right side of the top of the head and extends along a strip about a finger’s width wide towards each ear. “This brain area is relevant for the perception of one’s own body and for interacting with the environment,” explains the neuroscientist. “When I pick up a key, grasp a door handle or even walk, I constantly need haptic feedback to control my movements. The corresponding stimuli converge in this area and are also processed here”

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the researchers were able to map this area of the cerebral cortex with unprecedented accuracy. To do this, they employed a particularly sensitive scanner with a magnetic field strength of seven Tesla, enabling them to image minute brain structures about the size of a grain of sand. A total of around 60 women and men between the ages of 21 and 80 were examined. “Until now, it had not been considered that the primary somatosensory cortex consists of a stack of several extremely thin layers of tissue, each with its own architecture and function. We have now found that these layers age differently. Although the cerebral cortex becomes thinner overall, some of its layers remain stable or, surprisingly, are even thicker with age. Presumably because they are particularly solicited and thus retain their functionality. We therefore see evidence for neuroplasticity, that is, adaptability, even in senior people.”

Elongated skull from Italian cave reveals earliest European evidence of cranial modification

A University of Florence–led team reports early Eurasian evidence of artificial cranial modification (ACM) in a Late Upper Paleolithic individual from Arene Candide Cave, Italy. Shape analyses place the specimen within the ACM cluster and radiocarbon dates to 12,620–12,190 years ago.

Body culturalization runs deep in human history, from adornments to permanent modifications recorded in archaeological contexts. More than just stylistic choices, transformations in appearance impart cultural values and symbolic meanings through the physical body, serving as a living artifact of cultural practices and societal beliefs, perpetuating shared values and collective identity.

Searching for these cultural clues with archaeology can be tricky. Tattoos require rare forms of soft-tissue preservation (Ötzi the iceman, for example) and adornments like piercings fall away with deteriorating flesh, whereas skeletal markers such as intentional dental modification and cranial modifications offer more lasting evidence of practices that shaped identity over millennia.

‘Skin in a syringe’: Researchers develop wound treatment with injectable cell technology

Researchers have created what could be called “skin in a syringe.” The gel containing live cells can be 3D printed into a skin transplant, as shown in a study conducted on mice. This technology may lead to new ways to treat burns and severe wounds. The study was led by the Center for Disaster Medicine and Traumatology and Linköping University in Sweden.

As long as we have healthy skin, we do not give it much thought. However, if we get major wounds or other injuries, it becomes clear that the skin is the body’s protection from the outside world. Helping the body restore the skin barrier after a serious burn can therefore be a matter of life and death.

Large burns are often treated by transplanting a thin layer of the top part of the skin, the epidermis. This is basically composed of a single cell type. Transplanting only this part of the skin leads to severe scarring.

New Study Demonstrates Improved Survival With Combination of Lurbinectedin and Atezolizumab for Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

“Immunotherapy has improved survival outcomes for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), marking meaningful progress in a historically challenging disease. However, despite these advances, long-term outcomes remain suboptimal, underscoring the need for better strategies. The integration of lurbinectedin—a novel DNA-damaging agent—into the maintenance setting alongside atezolizumab following initial chemo-immunotherapy represents an important next step. This approach offers a way to extend disease control and may signal a shift toward more durable benefit for patients,” said Charu Aggarwal, MD, MPH, FASCO, Leslye M Heisler Professor of Lung Cancer Excellence at University of Pennsylvania – Abramson Cancer Center, and an ASCO Expert in lung cancer.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Results from a global phase 3 clinical trial found that maintenance therapy with a combination of lurbinectedin and atezolizumab helped some patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) live longer compared to maintenance therapy with atezolizumab alone. The research will be presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, taking place May 30-June 3 in Chicago.

About the Study

“While the introduction of immunotherapy in first-line treatment has improved outcomes, advanced small cell lung cancer remains difficult to treat. The phase 3 IMforte trial shows that the new treatment combination of lurbinectedin and atezolizumab given as maintenance therapy after first-line treatment helps people live longer and reduces the risk of disease progression or death. This outcome represents a major milestone and could provide a much-needed option for advancing the treatment of this aggressive disease,” said lead study author Luis G. Paz Ares, MD, PhD, 12 de Octubre University Hospital in Madrid, Spain.

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