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Category: biotech/medical – Page 304

They say aging is just a part of life, but have you ever wondered if it really has to be? What if getting older isn’t just something we accept but something we could actually treat?

In this riveting episode of Peak Human Labs Podcast, Dr. Sanjeev Goel, sits down with Dr. Aubrey de Grey, a trailblazing biomedical gerontologist and Chief Science Officer of the SENS Research Foundation. They dive deep into the revolutionary idea of treating aging as a medical condition. They explore how damage accumulates in our bodies over time and discuss the groundbreaking medical advancements that could extend our healthy lifespans. Dr. de Grey sheds light on the crucial need for investing in underfunded research and shares insights into the future of longevity science. Tune in and envision a future where health and longevity are not just aspirations but achievable realities!

Click https://dublinlongevitydeclaration.or… to sign in for Dublin Longevity Declaration.

In This Episode:

[00:00:00] Introduction to longevity research.
[00:00:51] Guest introduction.
[00:01:17] Personal connection.
[00:02:04] Dr. de Grey’s background.
[00:03:14] Early research stages.
[00:04:05] Understanding aging as a machine.
[00:05:22] Accumulated damage mechanism.
[00:06:15] Comprehensive medical control.
[00:07:13] Categories of damage.
[00:07:55] Wear and tear concept.
[00:09:20] Epigenetic changes discussion.
[00:11:31] Partial reprogramming concept.
[00:13:30] Addressing multiple mechanisms.
[00:14:31] Longevity escape velocity.
[00:15:43] Initial pushback on longevity ideas.
[00:17:51] Positive outlook on aging research.
[00:19:51] The future of longevity research.
[00:20:54] Funding disparities in research.
[00:21:10] Business models in longevity research.
[00:21:58] Combining existing therapies.
[00:23:47] Current longevity therapies.
[00:24:56] Caloric restriction vs. drugs.
[00:25:36] Dublin Longevity Declaration.
[00:26:39] Community building through conferences.
[00:28:09] Anticipating longevity breakthroughs.
[00:29:12] Access to longevity therapies.
[00:30:58] Epigenetic clocks and age reversal.
[00:32:24] Retroviruses and aging.
[00:34:56] Persistent viral infections.
[00:37:24] Hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
[00:37:49] Therapeutic blood exchange.
[00:39:37] Discussion on active ingredients.
[00:40:41] Bone marrow transplant experimentation.
[00:42:09] Health benefits of bone marrow transplants.
[00:43:05] Personal health practices.
[00:43:55] Advice for maximizing healthy lifespan.
[00:45:01] Microbiome and longevity.

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At the recent annual International AIDS Conference, a startling presentation about the newest wonder drug in HIV prevention brought a raucous standing ovation.

But some of us in the public health community are now starting to wonder what all the cheering was about. Although the scientific results were impeccable, the process for translating those results into action for young women in Africa has been left to our imaginations. And if history is any guide, this could be a nightmare.

When the results first came out, Gilead, the manufacturer of lenacapavir, stated it was too early to discuss licensing and offering vague plans about its production and availability in Africa. Just recently, a second study among men who have sex with men and predominantly conducted in the Northern Hemisphere showed similarly promising results. While Gilead now says they have sufficient data to move ahead with licensing and manufacturing worldwide, they have offered no timeline to do so. Urgency to report trial results has not been mirrored by the urgency to provide access. Unanswered questions remain about why another study was needed to move ahead with approvals for use in African women, and if and when lenacapavir will be made available at an affordable price in the African region.

The drug, which has a manufacturing cost estimated at about $40 per year, is currently licensed as an HIV treatment for more than $42,000 per year in the United States. In South Africa, health care expenditures in the public sector are approximately $230 per person per year. Advocates and the study scientists have strongly urged Gilead to make lenacapavir swiftly available in sub-Saharan Africa at an affordable price. But with over 3,000 women infected with HIV each week in the region according to UNAIDS estimates, there is no time to waste.

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Scientists have used gene-editing techniques to boost the repair of nerve cells damaged in multiple sclerosis, a study shows. The innovative method, which was tested in mice, supports the development of cells that can repair the protective myelin coating around nerves, restoring their ability to conduct messages to the brain.

The findings, now published in Nature Communications, offer a potential route for future treatments to stop disability progression, experts say.

Our bodies have the ability to repair myelin, but in multiple sclerosis (MS), and as we age, this becomes less effective. There are currently no treatments to boost this process.

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Now a team of engineers and scientists from Caltech and the Keck School of Medicine of USC has developed a headset-based device that can be used to noninvasively assess a patient’s stroke risk by monitoring changes in blood flow and volume while a participant holds their breath.

Researchers in the lab of Caltech’s Changhuei Yang, along with colleagues from the Keck School of Medicine of USC, have developed a laser-based device that can measure blood flow noninvasively and differentiate stroke risk based on current physiological conditions.

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Mamma bears press pause on their early pregnancies, so that their cubs are born closer to a food filled spring. Researchers led by a team in Germany have now found this same pregnancy pause button exists in human cells too.

“Although we have lost the ability to naturally enter dormancy, these experiments suggest that we have nevertheless retained this inner ability and could eventually unleash it,” says molecular geneticist Nicolas Rivron from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA).

“Triggering a dormant state during an IVF procedure could provide a larger time window to assess embryo health and to synchronize it with the mother for better implantation inside the uterus.”

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