Lifeboat Foundation

Reducing naturally occurring errors in protein synthesis (production) improves both health and lifespan, finds a new study in simple model organisms led by researchers at UCL and MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences.

The novel findings, published in Cell Metabolism, are the first to demonstrate a direct link between fewer protein mistakes and longevity.

Explaining the study, lead author Dr. Ivana Bjedov (UCL Cancer Institute), said: We commonly hear about DNA mutations, which can cause cancer, and are considered one of the underlying causes of ageing.

Citicoline, a drug that is naturally found in the body, is commonly used to treat a number of brain injuries and illnesses. For quite some time, doctors have prescribed it for strokes, vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and general aging of the brain. Patients usually see improvement when taking the drug because the body uses it to create and repair cell membranes and lower the presence of free radicals, as noted in the Clinical Interventions in Aging Journal. (Free radicals, which are unstable molecules, can damage cells in the body and are associated with aging and illness.)

Now, researchers from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine have found evidence that citicoline can also be used to treat glaucoma. Normally, glaucoma is treated by removing fluid buildup in the eye, which creates pressure and wears down the cells in the eye and the nerves connecting to the brain. Though monitoring fluid buildup is important, glaucoma can still worsen after the pressure on the eye has been relieved.

Because the herpesvirus sits in neurons forever, there is speculation it is connected to neurodegenerative diseases. The immune system requires inflammation to constantly fight off the virus, and neurons have some degree of damage because of this continuous immune response, according to Dr. Tibor Valyi-Nagy, professor of pathology, director of neuropathology at UIC and research collaborator on the study.

Summary: Researchers discovered mutations of the OPTN gene resulted in increased herpesvirus 1 growth in the brains of mice, leading to the death of local neurons. This resulted in accelerated neurodegeneration. OPTN deficiency was also associated with impairments in immune response. While these findings are specific to the HSV-1 virus, researchers believe the findings may apply to up to eight herpesvirus infections.

Source: University of Illinois at Chicago

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The billionaires’ race to reconfigure death is the latest manifestation of a timeless human fascination.

By Harold Katcher.

The book The Illusion of Knowledge, by Harold Katcher, was launched on September 4th 2021 at Book Passage Ferry Building, San Francisco/CA. The book was published by NTZ, a publisher specialized on the rejuvenation field.

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Longer, Healthier, And More Productive Lives — Dr. Jean Accius Ph.D., Senior Vice President, AARP

Dr. Jean C. Accius, PhD, is Senior Vice President, AARP Global Thought Leadership (https://www.aarp.org/). Dr. Accius leads a team in positioning AARP (formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons) as a global thought leader, identifying emerging trends around the world, cultivating and elevating new ideas, forging global strategic alliances that become the foundation for collaboration and sparking bold solutions to change systems and improve the lives of the global population as it ages.

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While is seems like the majority of the longevity space is currently overly captivated by the Aubrey de Grey/SENS debacle, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Healthy Longevity Global Innovator Summit is now beginning — Most interestingly, former R&D Head at PepsiCo, Dr. Mehmoud Khan, will be speaking in his new role as CEO of the Hevolution Foundation; a potential multi-billion $$$ initiative with a longevity angle — Everyone should keep their eye on this one…

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) will hold its inaugural Healthy Longevity Global Innovator Summit in September 2,021 with support from Johnson and Johnson Innovation and The John A. Hartford Foundation. The event will be virtual and held over three days, September 13 14, and 22 and feature an immersive, interactive digital venue with unique opportunities to engage and connect.

The Innovator Summit will honor the 154 international Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awardees from 2020 and bring together industry leaders, academics, researchers, scientists, and entrepreneurs whose work contributes to the field of healthy longevity. Attendees will learn about the early-stage, award-winning innovations, hear from leaders in the field of healthy longevity, and take advantage of various opportunities to interact directly with other attendees, with a view to fostering interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration.

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As we age, our bones become thinner, we suffer fractures more often, and bone-diseases such as osteoporosis are more likely to occur. One responsible mechanism involves the impaired function of the bone-marrow stem cells, which are required for the maintenance of bone integrity. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing and CECAD Cluster of Excellence for Ageing Research at the University of Cologne have now shown that the reduced stem cell function upon aging is due to changes in their epigenome. They were able to reverse these changes in isolated stem cells by adding acetate. This fountain of youth for the epigenome could become important for the treatment of diseases such as osteoporosis.

Aging Researchers have been looking at epigenetics as a cause of aging processes for some time. Epigenetics looks at changes in genetic information and chromosomes that do not alter the sequence of the genes themselves, but do affect their activity. One possibility is changes in proteins called histones, which package the DNA in our cells and thus control access to DNA. The Cologne research group of Peter Tessarz has now studied the epigenome of mesenchymal stem cells. These stem cells are found in bone marrow and can give rise to different types of cells such as cartilage, bone and fat cells.

With all that said, it’s natural for humans to crave and eat limited amounts of sugar. After going through all the research, here’s what I am doing for myself.

For example, foods high in fructose stimulate ghrelin while suppressing leptin—hormones responsible for hunger and satiety. Sugar can promote chronic hyperglycemia, which can both lead to weight gain and is another risk for diabetes. And sugary drinks, especially, are tied directly to obesity.

Sugar and aging: a bad combination (so what should we do?)

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