Podcast Summary
Choosing the length and quality of life: Aubrey de Grey advocates for extending high-functioning life, emphasizing the importance of having the choice to determine the length and quality of one's life, rather than just increasing lifespan.
Aubrey de Grey, the chief science officer at the SENS Research Foundation, advocates for extending high-functioning life rather than focusing solely on increasing lifespan. He believes that people should have the choice to decide how long they want to live based on their quality of life at the time. This perspective differs from the standard approach before de Grey presented his ideas, which focused on slowing down the aging process. By 10 years ago, de Grey had won the argument in the scientific community, as evidenced by the publication of the "Hallmarks of Aging" paper in 2013, which describes a damage repair approach to aging. De Grey argues that reversing aging, though challenging, is a more viable solution than trying to slow it down. He emphasizes the importance of having the choice to determine the length and quality of one's life.
Understanding the difference between reversing and retarding aging: Reversing aging involves repairing damage caused by aging processes, while retarding aging focuses on interfering with those processes. Both concepts face challenges, but progress is being made in damage repair technologies.
Reversing aging and retarding aging are two different concepts. While retarding aging involves interfering with the processes that drive aging, reversing aging focuses on repairing the damage caused by those processes. The idea that reversing aging would be harder than retarding aging is a common misconception. The initial pushback against this idea may have stemmed from a lack of awareness of the relevant biology or skepticism about the possibility of rejuvenating old tissues. However, the most significant obstacle was the politically incendiary nature of the potential consequences, such as indefinite life extension. The speaker's conviction in the possibility of repairing aging damage came from a belief that the body, made of atoms and molecules, could be restored to its youthful structure and function, with no inherently unrepairable aspects. While there is still debate about the timeframes for developing damage repair technologies, there is a shared belief that progress is being made in this area.
The fragmented understanding of aging among experts: Experts focus on specific areas of aging, skepticism towards each other's findings, and the 'divide and conquer' mentality can hinder progress towards solving aging as a whole. The concept of 'escape velocity' offers hope, but its attainment is uncertain.
The complexity of aging and the various types of damage it entails have led to a fragmented understanding among experts, with each focusing on their specific area and being skeptical of others. This "divide and conquer" mentality, as the speaker calls it, can hinder progress towards finding solutions to aging as a whole. The speaker's optimism about potential advancements is often met with skepticism from those outside their area of expertise, leading to a general reluctance to make bold claims about human longevity. The concept of "escape velocity," or the point at which advancements in technology and science outpace the aging process, is a hopeful yet uncertain goal. The speaker acknowledges the inherent damage the body inflicts upon itself as a natural consequence of its functions, making the repair of this damage a crucial aspect of extending human life.
Damage repair therapies could help restore individuals to their prime years, but the damage will continue to accumulate over time.: Damage repair therapies offer additional healthy years, but ongoing damage requires continuous improvement to maintain a youthful state indefinitely.
Our bodies have a certain threshold of damage before function begins to decline significantly. Damage repair therapies could help restore individuals to their prime years, but the damage will continue to accumulate over time. However, advancements in therapy will outpace the damage, allowing individuals to stay one step ahead and maintain a youthful state indefinitely. The first generation damage repair therapies may only provide 20-30 years of additional healthy life, but this is enough to reach a state of longevity escape velocity, where the rate of improvement never falls below the minimum required to prevent further damage.
Understanding the 7 types of aging damage: Research on aging damage identifies 7 categories: damage repair, cell loss, cancer, mutations, extracellular damage, telomere shortening, and epigenetic damage. Each requires specific therapies, but focusing on commonalities can lead to faster, more efficient development of treatments.
That aging is not just about individual actions like eating well or exercising, but also about the intrinsic damage that accumulates over time. Dr. Aubrey de Grey's research identifies seven categories of damage, which can be classified into 7 types: damage repair, cell loss, cancer, mutations, extracellular damage, telomere shortening, and epigenetic damage. Each type requires specific therapies, but understanding the commonalities between them can lead to faster and more efficient development of treatments. For instance, stem cell therapies are essential for addressing cell loss in various tissues. Similarly, cancer immunotherapy and telomerase inhibitors are effective against cancer and telomere maintenance, respectively. By focusing on these categories, researchers can develop multiple therapies that can be applied to the same individuals simultaneously, making the process more efficient. Ultimately, this approach aims to extend healthy human lifespan by addressing the root causes of aging.
Targeting telomerase and senescent cells for cancer treatment: Researchers are developing drugs to target and kill cancer cells by inhibiting telomerase expression and eliminating senescent cells. These approaches spare normal cells and have potential to improve overall cellular health.
Researchers are developing new drugs to target and kill cancer cells by inhibiting their telomerase expression, a process that allows cancer cells to maintain their telomeres and continue dividing. This approach spares normal cells, which have minimal telomerase expression. Additionally, scientists are exploring methods to eliminate senescent cells, which are not cancerous but can promote cancer growth and secrete harmful chemicals. Another area of focus is mitochondrial mutations, which can damage the DNA within mitochondria and lead to cellular dysfunction. Researchers are actively investigating potential pharmaceutical solutions to address these issues and improve overall cellular health.
Exploring new ways to repair or replace damaged mitochondrial DNA: Researchers are investigating introducing backup copies of mitochondrial DNA into the nucleus and using the cell's machinery to import proteins, addressing competition between mutant and healthy mitochondria, and dealing with waste products that accumulate over time and are not easily eliminated.
Scientists are working on finding ways to repair or replace damaged mitochondrial DNA, which is currently not possible through traditional gene therapy methods. Instead, they are exploring the idea of introducing backup copies of mitochondrial DNA into the nucleus and using the cell's existing machinery to import the proteins into the mitochondria. Although this approach is challenging, significant progress has been made, and it has the potential to solve the issue of competition between mutant and healthy mitochondria within cells. Another challenge is dealing with waste products that accumulate slowly over time and are not easily eliminated by the cell. These waste products, which become more problematic in old age, are not a priority for evolution since it only focuses on the propagation of genetic information. By understanding these challenges and potential solutions, we gain insight into the complexities of mitochondrial DNA repair and the ongoing research in this field.
Innovative solutions to eliminate waste products causing health issues: Researchers are discovering bacteria-derived enzymes for macular degeneration, extracting oxidized cholesterol for atherosclerosis, and exploring enzymes/antibodies for Alzheimer's, offering hope for eliminating unwanted substances and improving overall health.
Researchers are developing innovative solutions to address health issues caused by the buildup of waste products in the body. In the case of macular degeneration, they've identified bacteria-derived enzymes that can break down a specific waste product, preventing blindness. For atherosclerosis, another company is focusing on extracting oxidized cholesterol from affected cells. These approaches offer promising solutions to eliminate unwanted substances, improving overall health. Researchers are also exploring the possibility of using enzymes or antibodies to break down proteins that accumulate and cause diseases like Alzheimer's. These discoveries represent significant progress in understanding and addressing various health conditions caused by the accumulation of waste products or unwanted molecules within the body.
Struggling to eliminate misfolded proteins outside the cell, particularly in Alzheimer's disease: Vaccines to help immune system eliminate amyloid proteins outside the cell have shown limited benefits, multiple approaches including addressing other damaging processes in the brain are likely needed, and progress is expected within the next 15 years
While our bodies have powerful mechanisms for breaking down and eliminating misfolded proteins inside cells, it's much harder to do so outside the cell. This is particularly relevant to Alzheimer's disease, where the buildup of amyloid proteins outside the cell is a major issue. Vaccines that trick the immune system into engulfing these proteins can help get rid of them, but they haven't yet been shown to provide significant medical benefits for Alzheimer's patients. Instead, it's likely that multiple approaches, including addressing other damaging processes in the brain, will be needed to make a meaningful impact. The timeline for achieving this is uncertain, but there's a good chance it will happen within the next 15 years.
Exciting Advancements in Aging Research: Significant progress in stem cell therapy for Parkinson's disease, small molecules addressing senescence cells, and breakthroughs in mitochondrial mutations and the stiffening of the extracellular matrix are transforming the field of aging research. Engage with SENS Research Foundation for valuable insights.
The field of aging research has seen significant progress in the last 15 years, with increased acceptance and funding from the private sector. However, there is still a long way to go as researchers work to combine various therapies and address unanticipated interactions. Exciting advancements include progress in stem cell therapy for Parkinson's disease and small molecules addressing senescence cells. Breakthroughs in mitochondrial mutations and the stiffening of the extracellular matrix are also on the horizon. Aubrey de Grey, a leading figure in this field, is excited about the progress being made and encourages engagement with his organization, SENS Research Foundation, to learn more. His book and talks provide valuable insights into the promising world of aging research.
