Centenarians, once considered rare, have become commonplace. Indeed, they are the fastest-growing demographic group of the world’s population, with numbers roughly doubling every ten years since the 1970s.

How long humans can live, and what determines a long and healthy life, have been of interest for as long as we know. Plato and Aristotle discussed and wrote about the ageing process over 2,300 years ago.

The pursuit of understanding the secrets behind exceptional longevity isn’t easy, however.

Transiently reprogramming human fibroblasts up to the maturation phase rejuvenates cells according to several aging markers whilst enabling them to return to their original identity.

In this edition, we’ll take a look at a Canadian study which shows that reducing a worm’s ability to fight free radicals in a specific organ could increase it’s lifespan. Does this have any implications for humans?

Contents:

Intro 0:00
Graphical Abstract 1:49
Figure 1. Tissue-specific re-expression of sod-2 rescues deficits in fertility and embryonic lethality in clk-1;sod-2 mutants 2:28
Figure 2. Tissue-specific re-expression of sod-2 can decrease stress resistance in clk-1;sod-2 worms 5:37
Figure 3. Tissue-specific re-expression of sod-2 is not sufficient to reduce clk-1;sod-2 lifespan 6:41
Figure 4. Disruption of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase in the intestine is sufficient to increase lifespan 7:33
Figure 5. Intestine-specific knockdown of sod-2 is sufficient to enhance resistance to heat stress 9:33
Figure 6. Intestine-specific knockdown of sod-2 does not affect physiologic rates 10:29
Conclusion & Next Steps 11:40

Study reviewed:
Intestine-specific disruption of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase extends longevity.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891584925000383

2009 paper from the same authors:
Deletion of the Mitochondrial Superoxide Dismutase sod-2 Extends Lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans.
https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.

General overview of the pros and cons of free radicals for lifespan:

Introducing a new weekly video series showcasing the latest impactful longevity related studies.

” +Study reviewed: Reducing functionally defective old HSCs alleviates aging-related phenotypes in old recipient mice.

A new weekly series showcasing the latest and most impactful longevity studies.

In this first edition, we’ll take a look at how a subset of blood stem cells from old mice can be used to rejuvenate the blood & immune systems of other old mice and increase their lifespans.

Study reviewed:

Reviewing a trial where young blood plasma was used during joint replacement surgery in older adults, reducing immune system related inflammation and speeding up recovery. This is one of the first human trials of young plasma after many positive results in mice.

Contents:

Intro 0:00
Study Overview 1:07
Proteomic Changes 1:45
Immune Response 3:07
Specific Immune Cell Changes 4:22
Patient Outcomes 6:09
Conclusion 7:44

Study reviewed:
Infusion of young donor plasma components in older patients modifies the immune and inflammatory response to surgical tissue injury: a randomized clinical trial.
https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10…45;06215-w.

If you liked this video, please consider supporting its creation via a donation to the Canadian Longevity Association, which will not only help create these videos, but also help our other advocacy and outreach efforts:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/donation-form/c47dd699-b5bd-4d28…26f77ddcf3

Or, order something from our new merchandise shop:

Kicking off the first Longevity Review of 2025 with a look at how exosomes can reverse cellular senescence and lengthen lifespan; how there is a subset of youthful stem cells in older animals which can increase lifespan; the most comprehensive study of life extending molescules in the roundworm; and, in the Canadian content study, how disrupting antioxidant defences in a single organ can extend longevity. https://youtu.be/uiEcPFH0EDk

Kicking off the new year with a lifespan special, we will take a look at reversing the senescence of senescent cells to increase mouse lifespan; the discovery and beneficial effects of a subset of youthful stem cells which can also increase mouse longevity; the most comprehensive study of life-extending molecules in the roundworm c.elegans ; and in the Canadian Content study, how disrupting the antioxidant defences in a specific organ in c.elegans can increase its lifespan.