Nobel Prize-winning molecular biologist Venki Ramakrishnan sat down with ABC News Live to discuss the science and ethics of extending the human lifespan.
In his new book, “Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality,” Ramakrishnan explains why we may not want to lengthen our lives much longer.
Ramakrishnan’s thought-provoking argument is that a society where people lived for hundreds of years could potentially become stagnant, as it would consist of the same group of people living longer, raising important questions about societal dynamics and progress.
An increase in cancers among people 55 years old and younger may be related to accelerated aging in recent generations, according to a study presented at a conference earlier this month.
Experts say years of research support this, though more questions remain to be answered.
Researchers from the Washington University in St. Louis’s medical school presented the findings from their study on accelerated aging earlier this month at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting.
Scientists have tested a novel method of providing cells with healthy mitochondria to fight Parkinson’s disease [1].
Parkinson’s disease is the second-most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, and it affects 10 million people worldwide. The disease is age-related, as its prevalence rises rapidly in people older than 65, although some people are diagnosed much earlier. Parkinson’s disease is characterized by both motor and mental problems: tremor, rigidity (stiffness), and slowness of movement along with memory and thinking deficits.
Parkinson’s disease is caused by the loss of dopamine-producing (dopaminergic) neurons in a brain region called the substantia nigra. Therapeutic options are limited, and some of the existing ones cause nasty side effects.
We depend on our cells being able to divide and multiply, whether it’s to replace sunburnt skin or replenish our blood supply and recover from injury. Chromosomes, which carry all of our genetic instructions, must be copied in a complete way during cell division. Telomeres, which cap the ends of chromosomes, play a critical role in this cell-renewal process—with a direct bearing on health and disease.
Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine suggest accelerated biological aging may be driving early-onset cancer rates in young people.
Is Chief Impact Officer for StartUp Health’s Alzheimer’s Moonshot (https://www.startuphealth.com/alzheimers), a new global initiative created to develop a collaborative innovation community alongside leading companies, research teams, and stakeholders, with a mission to accelerate progress in prevention, diagnosis, and management of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. With support from the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) and Gates Ventures, StartUp Health is looking to break down silos and foster meaningful collaboration between mission-aligned founders, funders, and partners.
Dr. Ferrell also serves as Strategic Advisor, Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (https://www.davosalzheimerscollaborat…) which is building a global clinical trial network and technology platform that will link trial sites around the world.
Prior to these roles, Dr. Ferrell served almost three decades at multiple roles at Eli Lilly including as Global Head External Engagement, Alzheimer’s and Neurodegeneration, Chief Commercial Services Officer, and Vice President, Global Alzheimer’s Disease Platform Team Leader in Lilly BioMedicines, where her team were responsible for the late-stage development, global registration and launch of 4 late-stage assets including Solanezumab, Amyvid and AZD3293.
Dr. Ferrell received a DrPH, Public Health from Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, an MBA in General Management and a certificate in Public Management from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and management from DePauw University.
Dr. Ferrell was recognized with the Rising Star Award from the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association and the Indianapolis Star Top 40 Under 40. She serves as a member of the World Dementia Council, a steering committee member of the Milken Institute Center for Aging Alliance for Dementia Care and National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) Alzheimer’s Disease Index working groups, and a strategic reviewer for the Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Discovery Foundation Diagnostics Accelerator. She is also a member of the Indiana Chapter of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association; on the Boards of Directors for Alzheimer’s Research UK EDoN, Gates Ventures Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative, the Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, Stanford Associate Board of Governors, Indianapolis 500 Festival, and the Lebanon Area Boys \& Girls Club. She is a founding member of Women Against Alzheimer’s and Women of Impact Boone County; co-chair of the Women’s Leadership Council; the alumna sponsor of the Women in Economics and Business Program at DePauw University; a member of the Washington C. DePauw Society; a Tocqueville donor to United Way; an active supporter of Boone County Special Olympics and the Boone County Community Foundation.
The extracellular matrix is an essential component of the tumor microenvironment and affects cancer progression. Weeraratna and colleagues have now uncovered that age-related reductions in the level of hyaluronan and proteoglycan link protein 1 (HAPLN1) stimulate neoangiogenesis and compromise the vascular integrity of intratumoral blood vessels. These biological modifications converge to fuel distant melanoma metastasis.
