Read the first part here.
The last two decades of aging research have been rife with discoveries. AI-based tools and their broadened use in the healthcare sector have helped spark several of these breakthroughs. AI is instrumental in digesting and extracting vast amounts of heterogeneous data, helping us transform healthcare and facilitating a departure from conventional disease-prevention strategies to predictive diagnostics (watch this clip of our Scientific Advisory Board Chair, Dr. Evelyne Bischof to learn more).
You can find out more about some of the exciting developments in the field of longevity below. We intend to follow the progress of these trials and studies closely, as all of them are likely to revolutionize our understanding of aging and introduce new ways of extending the human healthspan and lifespan.
A new take on what constitutes aging
There is a new, updated version of the Hallmarks of Aging, a principal document in the longevity space, co-authored by our Visionary Board Member Dr. Eric Verdin. Introduced in 2013 by Carlos Lopez-Ostin and his colleagues, the paper outlined nine hallmarks of the aging process. During the 2022 ARDD meeting, the panelists reached a consensus on including five additional factors to characterize aging, resulting in a more thorough evaluation of the aging process.
Drugs with life-extension properties
Scientists have successfully identified drugs capable of extending lifespan in animals. One of these drugs, rapamycin, has already displayed extraordinary aging-prevention characteristics in mice, decreasing cognitive decline and delaying the onset of Alzheimer's. Its properties are currently being examined as a part of the Dog Aging Project, run by our Visionary Board Member, Dr. Matt Kaeberlein, and his colleague Dr. Daniel Promislow. A different drug, the FDA-approved Metformin, is being tested by Dr. Nir Barzilai in a program called TAME for its capacity to mitigate and delay age-related conditions.
Senescent cells and senolytics
Cells that become senescent do not partake in healthy metabolic activity and negatively impact the body's functioning. However, a class of drugs termed senolytics is capable of clearing these cells out. Dr. James L. Kirkland and his team discovered that dasatinib (a drug used to combat leukemia), combined with quercetin (a chemical compound found in plants), could extend both the healthspan and lifespan of mice. Dr. Kirkland and his colleagues identified senolytic properties in another flavonoid compound - fisetin, with first clinical trials launched in 2018.
Cell reprogramming
Studies in mice have shown that cell reprogramming through gene manipulation can restore function in cells. Dr. David Sinclair has been leading research on epigenetics and exploring the possibilities of resetting epigenomes to achieve rejuvenation. Check out Dr. Sinclair's book, 'Lifespan: The Revolutionary Science of Why We Age and Why We Don't' to learn more about these exciting developments.
Rejuvenation with young blood
The young blood of mice can reverse aging effects in older mice. This blood contains molecules that actively repair key bodily organs and muscle tissue. Dr. Thomas Rando's research investigates possible remedial characteristics of young blood and rejuvenation patterns on a molecular level.
Aging research and longevity are becoming increasingly prominent, both in the scientific world and society as a whole. Here at the LSF we not only want to fund early-stage research but also promote our mission to advance the field of longevity as a whole. If you would like to contribute and have a say in the future of longevity, be sure to check out our widget to make crypto donations or drop us a letter at donations@longevity.foundation to contribute in fiat. Keep up with recent developments in the sphere of longevity and learn more about the work we do here at the LSF by subscribing to our newsletter.