Lifeboat Foundation

It’s not every day that police storm through the doors of a scientific session and eject half the audience.

But that is what occurred on Friday at the Boston Convention and Exhbition Center during a round of scientific presentations featuring Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a specialist in “rejuvenation” technology at a secretive, wealthy, anti-aging startup called Altos Labs.

A major limitation in aging research is the lack of reliable biomarkers to assess phenotypic changes with age or monitor response to antiaging interventions. This study investigates the role of intracellular ferrous iron (Fe₂⁺) as a potential biomarker of senescence. Iron is known to accumulate in various tissues with age and recent studies have demonstrated that its level increases dramatically in senescent cells. The current techniques used to measure the accumulation of iron are cumbersome and only measure total iron not specific isotopes such as the redox reactive Fe₂⁺. It is still to be determined whether the damaging form of iron (Fe₂⁺) is specifically elevated in senescent cells. In this study, we assessed the potential use of a newly discovered Fe₂⁺ reactive probe (SiRhoNox-1) for selective labeling of senescent cells in vitro. For this we have generated various senescent cell models and subjected them to SiRhoNox-1 labeling. Our results indicate that SiRhoNox-1 selectivity labels live senescent cells and was more specific and faster than current staining such as SA-βGal or a derived fluorescent probe C₁₂ FDG. Together these findings suggest that SiRhoNox-1 may serve as a convenient tool to detect senescent cells based on their ferrous iron level.

Keywords: SiRhoNox-1; aging; biomarker; iron; senescence.

Scientists from a collection of Chinese research institutions collaborated on a study of organ regeneration in mammals, finding deer antler blastema progenitor cells are a possible source of conserved regeneration cells in higher vertebrates. Published in the journal Science, the researchers suggest the findings have applications in clinical bone repair. With the activation of key characteristic genes, it could potentially be used in regenerative medicine for skeletal, long bone or limb regeneration.

Limb and organ regeneration is a long coveted technology in medical science. Humans have some limited regenerative abilities, mostly in our livers. If a portion of the liver is removed, the remaining liver will begin to grow until it reaches its original functional size. Lungs, kidneys, and pancreas can do this also, though not as thoroughly or efficiently.

Continue reading “Regenerating bone with deer antler stem cells” »

Population aging is the top global demographic trend; the pandemic can teach us how to prepare for it.

Total world population passed the 8 billion milestone on November 15, 2022. The progression from 7 to 8 billion people took a mere 12 years, conjuring up long-standing fears associated with rapid population growth, including food shortages, rampant unemployment, the depletion of natural resources, and unchecked environmental degradation.

But the most formidable demographic challenge facing the world is no longer rapid population growth, but population aging. Thoughtful preparedness—combining behavioral changes, investment in human capital and infrastructure, policy and institutional reforms, and technological innovations—can enable countries to meet the challenge and take advantage of the opportunities presented by demographic change.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and its latest contribution to the development of anti-aging drugs has paved the way for breakthrough discoveries in modern medicine.

Researchers, using AI technology, have successfully identified three chemicals that specifically target malfunctioning cells, believed to be associated with certain cancers and Alzheimer’s disease.

A group of scientists from the University of Edinburgh developed an AI algorithm to screen a collection of over 4,300 chemical compounds.

In situ bioprinting, which involves 3D printing biocompatible structures and tissues directly within the body, has seen steady progress over the past few years. In a recent study, a team of researchers developed a handheld bioprinter that addresses key limitations of previous designs, i.e., the ability to print multiple materials and control the physicochemical properties of printed tissues. This device will pave the way for a wide variety of applications in regenerative medicine, drug development and testing, and custom orthotics and prosthetics.

The emergence of regenerative medicine has resulted in substantial improvements in the lives of patients worldwide through the replacement, repair, or regeneration of damaged tissues and organs. It is a promising solution to challenges such as the lack of organ donors or transplantation-associated risks. One of the major advancements in regenerative medicine is on-site (or “in situ”) bioprinting, an extension of 3D printing technology, which is used to directly synthesize tissues and organs within the human body. It shows great potential in facilitating the repair and regeneration of defective tissues and organs.

Although significant progress has been made in this field, currently used in situ bioprinting technologies are not devoid of limitations. For instance, certain devices are only compatible with specific types of bioink, while others can only create small patches of tissue at a time. Moreover, their designs are usually complex, making them unaffordable and restricting their applications.

Clinical stage generative AI-driven drug discovery company Insilico Medicine has today published a paper on a new multimodal transformer-based aging clock; the new clock is capable of processing diverse data sets and providing insights into biomarkers for aging, mapping them to genes relevant to both aging and disease, and discovering new therapeutic targets to slow or reverse both aging and aging-related diseases.

Insilico calls the aging clock Precious1GPT, in a nod to the powerful “One Ring” in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings; the findings have been published in the journal Aging.

Longevity. Technology: Insilico has been at the forefront of both generative AI and aging research, and has been publishing studies on biomarkers of aging using advanced bioinformatics since 2014. Later, the company trained deep neural networks (DNNs) on human “multi-omics” longitudinal data and retrained them on diseases to develop its end-to-end Pharma. AI platform for target discovery, drug design, and clinical trial prediction.

The current understanding of the biology of aging is largely based on research aimed at identifying factors that influence lifespan. However, lifespan as a sole proxy measure of aging has limitations because it can be influenced by specific pathologies (not generalized physiological deterioration in old age). Hence, there is a great need to discuss and design experimental approaches that are well-suited for studies targeting the biology of aging, rather than the biology of specific pathologies that restrict the lifespan of a given species. For this purpose, we here review various perspectives on aging, discuss agreement and disagreement among researchers on the definition of aging, and show that while slightly different aspects are emphasized, a widely accepted feature, shared across many definitions, is that aging is accompanied by phenotypic changes that occur in a population over the course of an average lifespan. We then discuss experimental approaches that are in line with these considerations, including multidimensional analytical frameworks as well as designs that facilitate the proper assessment of intervention effects on aging rate. The proposed framework can guide discovery approaches to aging mechanisms in all key model organisms (e.g., mouse, fish models, D. melanogaster, C. elegans) as well as in humans.

Keywords: Aging; experimental design; lifespan; models; phenotypes.

Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Type 2 diabetes is a significant global health concern, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. The disease is associated with numerous complications, as well as an increased risk of premature mortality. Recent research conducted by the University of Sydney has shed light on the potential of physical activity in preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes, even in individuals with a high genetic risk for the disease [1]. This study underscores the importance of exercise as a key strategy for chronic disease prevention and offers promising news for individuals seeking to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Longevity. Technology: The worldwide burden of type 2 diabetes is substantial, and the disease carries significant implications for public health. Type 2 diabetes is associated with various complications, including cardiovascular diseases, kidney problems and nerve damage. Moreover, individuals with type 2 diabetes often experience a shortened lifespan and reduced healthspan due to the increased risk of developing other chronic conditions. The study’s findings add to the clarion call for effective prevention strategies that alleviate this burden on individuals, families and healthcare systems worldwide.

The research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, involved 59,325 adults enrolled in the UK Biobank project. Participants wore accelerometers on their wrists to measure their physical activity levels and the researchers also considered genetic markers associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. The study followed the participants for up to seven years to assess their health outcomes.