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Summary: Regenerative reprogramming of the body with injections could turn back the clock in our organs, say scientists in a Jan 2018 report. Prematurely aged mice lived 30% longer after Salk Institute researchers genetically reprogrammed their cells while still in the body. [This article first appeared on the website LongevityFacts.com. Author: Brady Hartman. ]

Imagine a time in the future when the doctor gives you the bad news: you need a heart transplant. In the past, this would be an expensive and drastic procedure. Instead, the doctor gives you an injection that rejuvenates your heart. In time, your heart eventually mends itself, reverting to the strength and vigor of your youth.

The dream is closer to reality than you think, thanks to a novel technique developed by a team researchers headed by Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte at the Salk Institute in La Jolla.

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A new study says that our aging immune system plays a larger role in explaining cancer than genetic mutations. The new findings support the idea of rejuvenating the thymus — an essential immune system organ — as a strategy to prevent cancer.


Summary: A new study says that our aging immune system plays a larger role in explaining cancer than genetic mutations. The new findings support the idea of rejuvenating the thymus – an essential immune system organ – as a strategy to prevent cancer. [This article first appeared on LongevityFacts. Author: Brady Hartman. ]

A new study suggests that our aging immune system plays a larger role in cancer than previously thought, challenging the conventional notion that genetic mutations are the primary driver of tumors.

The research suggests that the key to cancer prevention and treatment may lie in bolstering the immune system, using techniques such as restoring thymus function, rather than addressing genetic mutations. The genetic mutations that occur as the result of DNA damage are the current focus of most anti-cancer efforts throughout the world. These new findings could have significant implications for the fight against cancer if borne out by additional studies.

Could a protein called klotho block aging and dementia?


Summary: More klotho means better cognitive function says a scientist. By injecting the protein Klotho into mice with Alzheimer’s, a UCSF researcher improved their brain function. The researcher hopes to eventually apply the treatment to humans to treat aging and dementia. [Introduction by Brady Hartman, followed by a link to the full article.]

Neurologist and neuroscientist Dr. Dena Dubal wants to prevent dementia and aging with a protein called Klotho. Dr. Dubal, MD, Ph.D. – an associate professor of neurology at UC San Francisco – aims to use this novel approach to battle neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Rather than battle these diseases head-on, professor Dubal aims to block the aging process itself. Dr. Dubal is testing the protein’s potential as a therapeutic. The researcher found that by administering the protein to mice, she gave them a cognitive boost, equivalent to genetically increasing klotho. In fact, after injecting the protein into mice that had a condition similar to Alzheimer’s, Dr. Dubal remarked.

Researchers solved a problem that has been holding back the use of viral vectors for cancer therapy. They re-engineered viruses with a novel stealth technique that enables them to be used to treat cancer.


Up until now, viral vectors couldn’t be used widely in cancer therapy. Researchers just announced that they re-engineered an adenovirus with a novel stealth technique that enables it to be used to fight tumors. [This article first appeared on the website LongevityFacts.com. Author: Brady Hartman. ]

Viral vectors are well-developed tools used by scientists to deliver genetic material into cells. Unfortunately, they haven’t worked well to treat cancer until a group of researchers in Switzerland re-engineered them to enable them to be used in cancer therapy.

Researchers from the University of Zurich have re-engineered an adenovirus for use in cancer therapy. To achieve this, scientists developed a new protein shield that hides the virus and protects it from being eliminated by the body. Moreover, adapters on the surface of the virus enable the reconstructed virus to target and infect tumor cells.