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Category: life extension

Harvard Publishes a Longevity Report for the General Public

The report, titled “Pathways to Longevity”, introduces several important longevity concepts to the general reader and is another sign that the field is coming of age and entering the mainstream.

People do want to live longer

From time to time, Harvard Health Publishing issues Special Health Reports – consumer-facing, doctor-reviewed guides translating medical research for general readers. Previous reports included topics such as Alzheimer’s and heart disease. This new one, presented to the public earlier this week, is dedicated to healthy longevity. While this report, aimed mostly at curious laypeople and priced at $29, might not reveal a trove of new information to a longevity-savvy reader, it is an unmistakable sign that longevity science and the very idea of extending lifespan and healthspan are finally entering the mainstream.

New laser heat treatment could stop blindness before it starts

A new experimental treatment could finally offer hope for millions of people with dry age-related macular degeneration — one of the leading causes of blindness in older adults. Researchers at Aalto University discovered a way to gently heat tissue at the back of the eye using near-infrared light, triggering the cells’ natural “cleanup and repair” systems before major damage occurs.

New eye drops with oxysterol compound (VP1-001) may treat cataracts without surgery

A study from Anglia Ruskin University showed that eye drops with oxysterol compound (VP1-001) may treat cataracts without surgery. The study’s results were published on May 2nd, 2022, in the peer-reviewed journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. A cataract is an eye disorder in which clouding of the eye lens worsens over time and disrupts the quality of vision. A cataract is a disorder in which the proteins in the lens accumulate & make a cluster or cloud. This cloud scatters light and significantly limits its transmission to the retina. Cataract is the most common cause of visual loss in the world. According to the report of WHO (10 August 2023), 17% of people are globally affected with vision impairment due to cataracts at age 40 or older. At present, cataract surgery is the only way for the treatment of cataracts. In this surgical procedure the hazy lens is replaced with an artificial intraocular lens. Including economical burdens, cataract surgery has many complications like inflammation, xerophthalmia macular oedema, and posterior capsular opacificationHowever, a few scientists at Anglia Ruskin University under the supervision of Prof. Barbara, Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine, and Social Care, conducted optical tests on an oxysterol compound that is considered an anti-cataract drug. They prepared new eye drops that could get rid of cataracts without surgery. VP1-001 is a chemical that is in these drops. It works by repairing the protein clumps in the eye lens that make it cloudy. A single drop increased the lens’s clarity and focusing capacity when tested on mice with cataracts. The study’s results were published on May 2nd, 2022, in the peer-reviewed journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. Outcomes of optical tests with eye drops The outcomes were good: 61% of the eyes that were treated were better able to focus due to the improvement in the refractive index profiles 46% of them became clearer and more transparent. Results: This is a huge advance since it means that some cataracts might be able to be cured with drugs instead of surgery. But the drops didn’t work on all kinds of cataracts, so additional research is needed to find therapies that work for everyone. Moreover, these drops aren’t available for individuals now. More research is needed These drops aren’t available for individuals now, but this is a big step forward, especially in countries where eye surgery is hard to get. This study is a hope towards non-surgical treatment of cataracts with the oxysterol compound (VP1-001). Cataract surgery is a safe and effective solution, as it completely replaces the clouded lens with an artificial one. The oxysterol compound (VP1-001) is still in the preclinical stage and not approved for human use. It’s under clinical trials. Moreover, safety testing will be confirmed before public availability. 📌 Published in: Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science (May 2, 2022) by Anglia Ruskin University Frequently asked questions 1. What are the types of cataracts? Caract can be classified by many wayss; however, it can be categorised into three types, on the basis of cloud location/formation, that are Posterior subcapsular cataract Age-related cataracts. Cortical cataracts. Nuclear Cataracts. 2. What are the risk factors of cataracts? Age is the major factor of cataracts, especially at 40 or above. other factors include diabetes, smoking, obesity, hypersensitivity, excessive exposure to sunlight, eye injury or inflammation, etc. 3. Are there any eye drops or drugs to treat cataracts without surgery? As of now (2025), there is no approved eye drop or drug that can treat or reverse cataracts without surgery, but research at Anglia Ruskin University showed that the experimental drug VP1-001 (oxysterol-based eye drops) works as an anti-cataract in animal trials. 4. What are the complications of cataract surgery? Many complications, like inflammation, xerophthalmia, and macular oedema, can occur as post-surgical conditions. 5. What is the oxysterol compound VP1-001? Oxysterol compound VP1-001, also known as compound 29, has shown a significant effect on the treatment of cataracts in a trial on mice. It reduces the opaqueness of the lens that may occur due to risk factors like ageing & mutation. Premium SEO Backlinks

Extracellular vesicles derived from senescent hepatocytes drive pan-cancer metastasis in aging

Investigating how aging predisposes individuals to a higher metastatic risk, the authors identify that extracellular vesicles secreted by senescent hepatocytes carry miRNAs that enhance metastatic potential in tumor-bearing aged mice, with relevance for older adults with cancer.

Mitochondrial clonal mosaicism encodes a biphasic molecular clock of aging

Wang et al. profile mitochondrial RNA across 47 human tissues from 838 individuals, observing that mitochondria keep two different aging clocks: proliferative tissues accumulate many random mutations, whereas nondividing tissues progressively acquire recurrent hotspot mutations.

The Bortz Biological Age Clock: Better Than PhenoAge?

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Discount Links/Affiliates:
Blood testing (where I get the majority of my labs, for those who blood test with Quest): https://www.ultalabtests.com/partners/conqueragingordietryin…-age-panel Calculate your biological age using the Bortz clock: https://www.longevity-tools.com/humanitys-bortz-blood-age.

Blood Testing Essentials (Biological Age, CVD-Risk, Kidney Health and Function):
PhenoAge (Biological Age): https://www.ultalabtests.com/partners/conqueragingordietryin…-age-panel

Risk-weighted ApoB (a better CVD predictor than LDL, non-HDL cholesterol, and ApoB): https://www.ultalabtests.com/partners/conqueragingordietryin…-age-panel

Kidney health and function: https://www.ultalabtests.com/partners/conqueragingordietryin…-age-panel

Longevity-linked APOE2 gene variant helps neurons repair DNA and resist aging

People who carry the APOE2 version of the apolipoprotein E gene are more likely to live to advanced age and are partly protected against Alzheimer’s disease, but scientists have struggled to explain why. A new study from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, now published in Aging Cell, offers a mechanistic answer: APOE2 helps human neurons keep their DNA intact and resist becoming senescent, a damaged, dysfunctional state that accumulates with age and contributes to neurodegeneration.

The findings shift attention away from APOE’s well-known role in cholesterol transport and toward a previously underappreciated function of the gene: shaping how brain cells maintain the integrity of their genome as they age.

“We’ve known for years that APOE2 carriers tend to live longer and have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s, but the protective mechanism has been a black box,” says senior author Lisa M. Ellerby, Ph.D., professor at the Buck Institute. “Our work shows that APOE2 neurons are better at preventing and repairing DNA damage, and they resist the cellular aging program that drives so much of late-life decline. Our findings point to entirely new therapeutic directions.”

Unprecedented view inside live stem cells reveals aging process and loss of regenerative capacity

Scientists have developed a powerful new technique that allows them to observe how individual cells manufacture proteins during aging, offering an unprecedented glimpse into the hidden molecular activity of stem cells in living tissue. As a result of the research, conducted at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine in Switzerland, scientists were able to observe aging unfold inside individual epidermal stem cells.

What scientists saw was the intricate choreography within stem cells and how those molecular dance steps slow and change with age. The team of Swiss scientists has concluded that the process of aging reshapes how skin stem cells manufacture proteins. The findings are published in the journal Molecular Cell.

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