Aging ⯀  

Researchers have found that stem cells in the brain’s hypothalamus govern how fast aging occurs in the body. The finding, made in mice, could lead to new strategies for warding off age-related diseases and extending lifespan. 

In the brain, the hypothalamus is known to regulate important processes including growth, development, reproduction and metabolism. In a 2013 Nature paper, scientists made the surprising finding that the hypothalamus also regulates aging throughout the body.

Now, the researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have precisely identified the cells in the hypothalamus that control aging: a tiny population of adult neural stem cells, which were known to be responsible for forming new brain neurons.

The team's work has been published in the journal Nature.

"Our research shows that the number of hypothalamic neural stem cells naturally declines over the life of the animal, and this decline accelerates aging."

"Our research shows that the number of hypothalamic neural stem cells naturally declines over the life of the animal, and this decline accelerates aging," says senior author Dongsheng Cai, M.D., Ph.D., professor of molecular pharmacology at the school. "But we also found that the effects of this loss are not irreversible. By replenishing these stem cells or the molecules they produce, it’s possible to slow and even reverse various aspects of aging throughout the body."

The researchers first looked at the fate of those cells as healthy mice got older to see if stem cells in the hypothalamus held the key to aging. The number of hypothalamic stem cells began to diminish when the animals reached about 10 months, which is several months before the usual signs of aging start appearing. "By old age—about two years of age in mice—most of those cells were gone," says Dr. Cai.

Next, the researchers wanted to learn whether this progressive loss of stem cells was actually causing aging and was not just associated with it. They observed what happened when they selectively disrupted the hypothalamic stem cells in middle-aged mice. "This disruption greatly accelerated aging compared with control mice, and those animals with disrupted stem cells died earlier than normal," says Dr. Cai.

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The team hypothesized that adding stem cells to the hypothalamus could counteract aging. To test that experiment, the researchers injected hypothalamic stem cells into the brains of middle-aged mice whose stem cells had been destroyed as well as into the brains of normal old mice. In both groups of animals, the treatment slowed or reversed various measures of aging.

Dr. Cai and his colleagues found that the hypothalamic stem cells appear to exert their anti-aging effects by releasing molecules called microRNAs (miRNAs). They are not involved in protein synthesis but instead play key roles in regulating gene expression. miRNAs are packaged inside tiny particles called exosomes, which hypothalamic stem cells release into the cerebrospinal fluid of mice.

The researchers extracted miRNA-containing exosomes from hypothalamic stem cells and injected them into the cerebrospinal fluid of two groups of mice: middle-aged mice whose hypothalamic stem cells had been destroyed and normal middle-aged mice.

This treatment significantly slowed aging in both groups of animals as measured by tissue analysis and behavioral testing that involved assessing changes in the animals’ muscle endurance, coordination, social behavior and cognitive ability.

Dr. Cai and his team are now trying to identify the particular populations of microRNAs and perhaps other factors secreted by these stem cells that are responsible for these anti-aging effects—a first step toward possibly slowing the aging process and treating age-related diseases.

SOURCE  Albert Einstein College of Medicine

By  33rd Square	Embed

Longevity ⯀  

Research into longevity indicates that changes in your diet can have a dramatic effect on your ability to resist disease and live a longer, more active life. Moreover, the way you think about and interact with the foods you eat can also improve your health and increase your ability to function more effectively.

When you give more thought to the way you eat, you change your relationship with food in a broader sense. Here are 3 ways you can be more mindful in your eating habits, to improve your health and longevity.

1 – Eat A Plant-Based Diet

Research into longevity has discovered “blue zones” in the world where people seem to live the longest number of years. In these areas of the world, cultures rely on heavily on plants to make up the bulk of their diets. These individuals have less heart disease, less diabetes, lower blood pressure and generally live longer than those in areas of the world where high meat consumption is the norm. The use of high-quality vitamin and mineral supplements can be used to provide that additional nutrients needed when foregoing meat in your diet.

2 – Eat More Slowly

Too often, people gulp down their meals while sitting at their desks at work, or grab a bite from the local fast food establishment. This habit can affect your digestion, making it difficult for your body to absorb the nutrients it needs from the food that is consumed. When you slow down your eating, you taste the food more completely. You chew the food into smaller bits, which makes it easier for your gastrointestinal system to function. You will feel fuller sooner, which can help to manage your weight more effectively. Slower eating has a number of benefits that can help you to live a longer and healthier life. If you’re concerned that your foods aren’t providing the necessary nutrients that you need, you could try adding supplements, like those at AlgaeCal, to your diet.

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3 - Eat Mindfully

Mindfulness is a mental state of being “in the moment.” This condition means you have to let go of your busy thoughts and make a conscious of feeling your existence, moment by moment. This mental habit is somewhat contrary to what people normally do, thinking about what they will do next and remembering what happened the day before. Mindful eating means you put all other thoughts aside for a period of time and focus on the experience of taking nutrition into your body. This action helps you to enjoy your food more, and allows you to get the greatest benefit from your nutrition.

Healthy eating habits are more than just the foods you choose. These habits also involve making the experience of eating a more beneficial action. Although, people now engage in more hectic lifestyles, the act of eating remains a critical part of maintaining good health. When you eat more mindfully, you learn to value both the food itself and its power in allowing you to live a long and healthy life.

By  Emma Sturgis	Embed
Emma is a freelance writer currently living in Boston. When not writing, she enjoys baking and indoor rock climbing. Find her on Google +.

Life Extension –  

One day, humans could live to 150 years or beyond, according to new study. The work stands in stark contrast to another recent paper that have set an upper limit of 115 years on human lifespans. 

Last October, a study published in Nature concluded that the upper limit of human age is peaking at around 115 years.

Now, however, a new study published in Nature by McGill University biologists Bryan G. Hughes and Siegfried Hekimi comes to a remarkably different conclusion. Through an analysis of the lifespan of the longest-living individuals from the USA, the UK, France and Japan for each year since 1968, Hekimi and Hughes found no evidence for such a limit, and if such a maximum exists, it has yet to be reached or identified, Hekimi says.

"Extending trend lines, we can show that maximum and average lifespans, could continue to increase far into the foreseeable future."

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“We just don’t know what the age limit might be. In fact, by extending trend lines, we can show that maximum and average lifespans, could continue to increase far into the foreseeable future,” Hekimi says.

The observable trend of average lifespans is widely known. In 1920, for example, the average newborn Canadian could expect to live 60 years; a Canadian born in 1980 could expect 76 years, and today, life expectancy has jumped to 82 years. Maximum lifespan seems to follow the same trend.

It’s impossible to predict what future lifespans in humans might look like, Hekimi says. Some scientists argue that technology, medical interventions, and improvements in living conditions could all push back the upper limit.

“It’s hard to guess,” Hekimi adds. “Three hundred years ago, many people lived only short lives. If we would have told them that one day most humans might live up to 100, they would have said we were crazy.”

SOURCE  McGill University

By  33rd Square	Embed

Anti-Aging  

Anti-aging pioneer David Sinclair and his research team have identified a critical step in the molecular process that allows cells to repair damaged DNA – and it could mean big things for the future of anti-ageing drugs, childhood cancer survivors and even astronauts.

Researchers at Australia's University of New South Wales (UNSW), led by David Sinclair have made a discovery that could lead to a revolutionary drug that actually reverses ageing, improves DNA repair and could even help NASA get its astronauts to Mars.

In a paper published in Science recently, the team identifies a critical step in the molecular process that allows cells to repair damaged DNA.

Their experiments in mice suggest a treatment is possible for DNA damage from ageing and radiation. It is so promising it has attracted the attention of NASA, which believes the treatment can help its Mars mission.

While our cells have an innate capability to repair DNA damage − which happens every time we go out into the sun, for example – their ability to do this declines as we age. The scientists identified that the metabolite NAD+, which is naturally present in every cell of our body, has a key role as a regulator in protein-to-protein interactions that control DNA repair.

David Sinclair (front) and Dr Lindsay Wu (far left) with the UNSW research team. Image Source: Britta Campion - UNSW

Treating mice with a NAD+ precursor, or “booster,” called NMN improved their cells’ ability to repair DNA damage caused by radiation exposure or old age.

"The cells of the old mice were indistinguishable from the young mice, after just one week of treatment."

“The cells of the old mice were indistinguishable from the young mice, after just one week of treatment,” said lead author Sinclair of UNSW School of Medical Sciences and Harvard Medical School Boston.

Human trials of NMN therapy will begin within six months.

“This is the closest we are to a safe and effective anti-ageing drug that’s perhaps only three to five years away from being on the market if the trials go well,” says Sinclair, who maintains a lab at UNSW in Sydney.

 The work has excited NASA, which is considering the challenge of keeping its astronauts healthy during a four-year mission to Mars.

Even on short missions, astronauts experience accelerated ageing from cosmic radiation, suffering from muscle weakness, memory loss and other symptoms when they return. On a trip to Mars, the situation would be far worse: five per cent of the astronauts’ cells would die and their chances of cancer would approach 100 per cent.

Professor Sinclair and his UNSW colleague Dr. Lindsay Wu were winners in NASA’s iTech competition in December last year.

“We came in with a solution for a biological problem and it won the competition out of 300 entries,” Dr Wu says.

Cosmic radiation is not only an issue for astronauts. We’re all exposed to it aboard aircraft, with a London-Singapore-Melbourne flight roughly equivalent in radiation to a chest x-ray.

In theory, the same treatment could mitigate any effects of DNA damage for frequent flyers.

The other group that could benefit from this work is survivors of childhood cancers. Wu says 96 per cent of childhood cancer survivors suffer a chronic illness by age 45, including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancers unrelated to the original cancer.

“All of this adds up to the fact they have accelerated ageing, which is devastating,” he says.

“It would be great to do something about that, and we believe we can with this molecule.”

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For the past four years, Professor Sinclair and Dr Wu have been working on making NMN into a drug substance with their companies MetroBiotech NSW and MetroBiotech International.

The human trials will begin this year at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in Boston.

The findings on NAD+ and NMN add momentum to the exciting work the UNSW Laboratory for Ageing Research has done over the past four years. They’ve been looking at the interplay of a number of proteins and molecules and their roles in the ageing process.

They had already established that NAD+ could be useful for treating various diseases of ageing, female infertility and also treating side effects of chemotherapy.

In 2003, Professor Sinclair made a link between the anti-ageing enzyme SIRT1 and resveratrol, a naturally occurring molecule found in tiny quantities in red wine.

“While resveratrol activates SIRT1 alone, NAD+ boosters activate all seven sirtuins, SIRT1-7, and should have an even greater impact on health and longevity,” he says.

SOURCE  University of New South Wales

By  33rd Square	Embed

Body Modification  

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in 2015 there were almost 16 million surgical and minimally-invasive cosmetic procedures performed in the U.S. solely. If we take into consideration the fact that since 2000 the number of overall procedures has risen by 115%, it is evident that the industry is experiencing a significant growth.

What triggered this shift at the start of the new millennium is, among other things, the change in the doctor-patient relationship. Namely, patients today have more options regarding cosmetic surgery than ever before and are being provided with the opportunity to work closely with the surgeon of their choice, what allows them to focus on specific areas on their body they wish to improve. The following article will provide you with the reasons behind the popularity of cosmetic surgery, the most popular types of procedures, as well as all the benefits that come with them.

The Psychology behind Cosmetic Surgery

What many emphasize as the most prominent benefit of cosmetic surgery is its ability to boost one’s self-image, ultimately having positive impact on a person’s mental health. There are also various researches proving that there is a correlation between going under knife to improve appearance and our emotional state.

Naturally, a number of psychologist comment on the fact that cosmetic procedures are nothing more than quick solutions and shortcuts to happiness; nevertheless, in certain cases, the procedure is justified, as the reasons for surgery are rooted in deep insecurities and represent only a small part of a much more serious psychological problem. In order to determine the patient’s real motif to undergo a certain cosmetic procedure, the surgeon in hand is obliged to conduct an interview with that patient and make the final decision whether the entire process is absolutely necessary or not.
Keeping up with the Hollywood Trends

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Beauty is subjective; yet, through history, we have idolized certain historical figures and numerous celebrities, thus stating that their looks are the definition of beauty. Starting with Cleopatra, who so boldly wore her eyeliner that even women of the 21st century are obsessed with this makeup trend, to the influential Kardashian family, their hourglass figures and luscious lips we all know are not the work of Mother Nature.

To prove that Kardashians and other 90210 residents are setting the cosmetic surgery trends, we will only mention that the buttock implants were the fastest growing type of cosmetic procedure; in fact, these procedures were so popular that on average, there was one performed every 30 minutes.

As already mentioned, it is not just the buttock lifts and implants, but we are seeing and increased interest in a multitude of different procedures. Furthermore, with Hollywood divas having a global influence, it is no wonder that people all over the world opt for different cosmetic procedures - Europe, Asia and Australia, especially the growing popularity of cheek implants Sydney area is experiencing.

Age is Just a Number

Yes, the old proverb says that you are only as old as toy feel; still, 34% of people aged 40-54 decide to go under knife in order to slow down the process of aging. The demand for rather subtle anti-aging procedures is rising, and more and more people decide they need eyelid surgery and facelifts, all because they wish to rejuvenate their face. We also see a number of people choosing non-surgical procedures, such as fillers and botox, as well as facelifts and eyelid corrections.
Most Commonly Performed Procedures

Although the term plastic surgery used to be synonymous with facelifts, a number of different types of procedures are taking the world by storm. In the past 16 years, we have witnessed an immense growth in popularity when it comes to breast augmentation, liposuction, nose reshaping, eyelid surgery and tummy tucks; when talking about minimally-invasive procedures, in 2015 there were 6.7 million botulinum toxin type A procedures, 2.4 million soft tissue fillers, 1.3 million chemical peels, as well as 1.1. million laser hair removals.

Everybody’s doing it

Many are those who assume that women are the ones who most commonly opt for some kind of surgical procedure. Still, we are seeing rising popularity of cosmetic procedures among men, and more and more of them are deciding to tighten and tone certain problem areas. Although men account for only about 10% of all cosmetic surgical procedures, ASAPS research shows that the number of male cosmetic procedures has increased by more than 100% between 1997 and 2012.

Liposuction, eyelid, nose, ear surgery and male breast reduction are currently the most popular procedures among men, however, it is interesting to mention that when it comes to Gynecomastia (breast reduction surgery), they account for around 40%. It is often younger men who face genetic challenges when it comes to the size and the shape of their breast; in such cases, plastic surgery can make a significant difference in their lives.
 

The Bottom Line

Cosmetic surgery became widely accessible and is as such no longer reserved for the celebrities, and with the number of technological advancements, the recovery period has been reduced to a minimum. Because we come across many extreme cases of ‘cosmetic surgery gone wrong’ cases, there are those who still frown upon these practices. Still, if a person thoroughly examines their reasons and consults with a reputable expert about them, a particular procedure can bring a multitude of benefits, not only to that person’s physical appearance, but mental health as well.

By  Ian Pearson	Embed
Author Bio - Aside from primary area of interest and expertise in business consulting, Ian could be tagged also as a passionate sports fan, nature and photography enthusiast, always trying to keep up to date with tech innovations and development, with particular interest in trying to master the fine art of Social intelligence.

Technology  

Senior citizens did not always embrace technology, but a recent survey shows that this trend is becoming a thing of past. Here are few examples of the kinds of technologies available for seniors that are aimed at making their lives better and safer.

There was a time when senior citizens did not embrace technology, but a recent survey shows that this is slowly changing. It is estimated that 53 percent of seniors are now online, which is a step forward. Now, it is time to take the next step by embracing the following helpful technologies.

Smart Shoes

It might be difficult to convince some senior citizens to try a different brand of shoes, but thankfully, you do not have to with the GPS SmartSole. The technology is embedded in the insoles and can be worn with any shoe. This technology allows loved ones to set a perimeter that flashes a notification if it is breached. The GPS system also helps you find your loved one. This is an invaluable gadget, especially for seniors with Alzheimer's.

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Home Monitoring

Some seniors can still live on their own, but that does not mean that they should not have a few precautions in place. Home monitoring systems install sensors throughout the house that can monitor emergencies like falls or even report strange behavior. Some sensors can detect vital signs without invading your loved one's privacy.

Smart Watches

Many smart watches come with health monitoring technology. The watch can easily remind a senior citizen about a medication that needs to be taken or of an appointment that cannot be missed. The software can also help track vital signs or assist in sticking to a particular diet. The watch comes in different styles to accommodate a senior's style. Although this can be particularly useful if he or she is living on their own, it can also be of especially great if they were living in a facility—perhaps even an AZ assisted living community—so that their nurses could much more easily help care for them.

Car-Sharing

There is no doubt that the car-sharing idea has caught communities around the United States by a storm, but most associate car-sharing apps with younger generations when older generations can take advantage of this as well. Many senior citizens who do not drive might enjoy these smartphone applications. It should be noted that one application, called Lyft Hero, could be revolutionizing these applications even further. It is attempting to hire medical professionals and students to drive senior citizens for added protection. This application is not active yet, but it is worth monitoring.

These are just a few examples of the kinds of technologies available for seniors that are aimed towards making their lives better and safer. The key is to help your loved one be open to the technologies and patient about explaining their importance.

By  Hannah Whittenly	Embed
Author Bio - Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, California.

Aging  

Researchers have discovered a new protein that fine-tunes the cellular clock involved in aging. the protein, TZAP controls a process called telomere trimming, ensuring that telomeres do not become too long.

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered a protein that fine-tunes the cellular clock involved in aging. The research, which has been published in the journal Nature, brings new understanding to how telomere length is controlled in mammals. In the study, the researchers found that the protein controls a process called telomere trimming, ensuring that telomeres do not become too long.

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This newly discovered protein, named TZAP, binds the ends of chromosomes and determines how long telomeres, the segments of DNA that protect chromosome ends, can be. Understanding telomere length is crucial because telomeres set the lifespan of cells in the body, dictating critical processes such as aging and the incidence of cancer.

"Telomeres represent the clock of a cell," said TSRI Associate Professor Eros Lazzerini Denchi, corresponding author of the new study, published online today in the journal Science. "You are born with telomeres of a certain length, and every time a cell divides, it loses a little bit of the telomere. Once the telomere is too short, the cell cannot divide anymore."

The discovery of TZAP, which binds specifically to telomeres, was a surprise since many scientists in the field believed there were no additional proteins binding to telomeres.

"There is a protein complex that was found to localize specifically at chromosome ends, but since its discovery, no protein has been shown to specifically localize to telomeres," said study first author Julia Su Zhou Li, a graduate student in the Lazzerini Denchi lab.

Eros Lazzerini Denchi (left) and Graduate Student Julia Su Zhou Li led the study at The Scripps Research Institute. (Photo by Madeline McCurry-Schmidt.)

"This protein [TZAP] sets the upper limit of telomere length," explained Lazzerini Denchi. "This allows cells to proliferate—but not too much."

Scientists are still finding out whether lengthening telomeres can slow aging, and many have looked into using a specialized enzyme called telomerase to "fine-tune" the biological clock. One drawback they've discovered is that unnaturally long telomeres are a risk factor in developing cancer.

"This cellular clock needs to be finely tuned to allow sufficient cell divisions to develop differentiated tissues and maintain renewable tissues in our body and, at the same time, to limit the proliferation of cancerous cells," said Lazzerini Denchi.

"This protein [TZAP] sets the upper limit of telomere length," explained Lazzerini Denchi. "This allows cells to proliferate—but not too much...This study opens up a lot of new and exciting questions."

SOURCE  The Scripps Research Institute

By  33rd Square

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Life Expectancy  

Despite enormous gains in life expectancy over the last few centuries, a new study finds that males still lag well behind females, and not just in humans but across the primate family tree.

Worldwide, people are living longer, healthier lives. Now, not surprisingly, a study of mortality patterns in humans, monkeys and apes suggests that the last few generations of humans have enjoyed the biggest life expectancy boost in all of primate history.

"The lives of females tend to be longer and less variable than the lives of males, suggesting deep evolutionary roots to the male disadvantage."

The increases in life expectancy are partly due to advances in medicine and public health that have increased the odds of survival for human infants and reduced the death toll from childhood illness. Yet males still lag behind females -- not just in humans but across the primate family tree, the researchers find.

“The male disadvantage has deep evolutionary roots,” said study co-author Susan Alberts, biology professor at Duke University.

For the study, an international research team from the U.S., Germany, Denmark, Kenya and Canada compiled records of births and deaths for more than a million people worldwide, from the 18th century to the present. The data included people in post-industrial societies such as Sweden and Japan, people born in pre-industrial times, and modern hunter-gatherers, who provide a baseline for how long people might have lived before supermarkets and modern medicine.

The researchers combined these measurements with similar data for six species of wild primates that have been studied continuously for three to five decades, including Verreaux's sifaka lemurs, muriqui monkeys, capuchins, baboons, chimpanzees and gorillas.

The data confirm a growing body of research suggesting that humans are making more rapid and dramatic gains than ever before seen in the primate family tree. For example, in the last 200 years life expectancy in Sweden has jumped from the mid-30s to over 80, meaning that a baby born today can hope to live more than twice as long as one born in the early 19th century.

“We’ve made a bigger journey in lengthening our lifespan over the last few hundred years than we did over millions of years of evolutionary history,” Alberts said.

One indicator of healthcare improvement is infant mortality, which strikes fewer than 3 in 1000 babies born in Sweden or Japan today. But it was more than 40 times higher for those born two centuries ago, and is still high among hunter-gatherers and wild primates.

The researchers also studied lifespan equality, a measure similar to income equality that indicates whether longevity is distributed evenly across society, or only enjoyed by a few.

They found that, for both humans and wild primates, every gain in average lifespan is accompanied by a gain in lifespan equality. That is, for a population to be very long-lived, everyone must benefit more or less equally, with fewer individuals left behind.

"Across the primate order and across human populations, the lives of females tend to be longer and less variable than the lives of males, suggesting deep evolutionary roots to the male disadvantage," write the researchers. "Our findings cast fresh light on primate evolution and human history, opening directions for research on inequality, sociality, and aging."

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The researchers were surprised to find that the longevity of human males has yet to catch up with females, and the improvements in males aren’t spread as evenly..

The life expectancy gender gap isn’t just true for humans. Females outlived males in almost every wild primate population they looked at.

“It’s puzzling,” Alberts said. “If we can make life last so long, why can’t we shrink the male-female gap?”

Numerous hypotheses have been proposed. Some pin the blame on genetics. Male primates, who carry only one copy of the X chromosome compared with two copies in females, lack a second X chromosome to compensate for any harmful gene variants their single X may have.

Another possibility, Alberts says, is that gender differences in risky behaviors like fighting continue to hold males back, even while deaths from infectious and chronic diseases that impact both sexes have declined.

If we can identify the culprit and intervene, Alberts says, we might be able to help men catch up.

SOURCE  Duke University

By  33rd Square

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Aging  

A new study using the nematode worm C. elegans indicates that vitamin D works with longevity genes to increase lifespan and prevent the accumulation of toxic proteins linked to age-related chronic diseases.

A new study indicates that vitamin D has much wider effects on the body than previously realized, and that the vitamin is deeply associated with many aging-related ailments.  The work was conducted with the nematode worm, C. elegans. Research at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging shows that vitamin D works through genes known to influence longevity and impacts processes associated with many human age-related diseases.

The study, which was published in recently in the journal Cell Reports, may help explain why vitamin D deficiency has been linked to breast, colon and prostate cancer, along with as obesity, heart disease and depression.

“Vitamin D engaged with known longevity genes – it extended median lifespan by 33 percent and slowed the aging-related misfolding of hundreds of proteins in the worm,” said Gordon Lithgow, the study's senior author. “Our findings provide a real connection between aging and disease and give clinicians and other researchers an opportunity to look at vitamin D in a much larger context.”

"Our findings provide a real connection between aging and disease and give clinicians and other researchers an opportunity to look at vitamin D in a much larger context."

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The study builds on the knowledge of the ability of proteins to maintain their shape and function over time, or protein homeostasis. This biological function is one of the main items to fail with normal aging – often resulting in the accumulation of toxic insoluble protein aggregates implicated in a number of conditions, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases, as well as type 2 diabetes and some forms of heart disease.

“Vitamin D3, which is converted into the active form of vitamin D, suppressed protein insolubility in the worm and prevented the toxicity caused by human beta-amyloid which is associated with Alzheimer’s disease,” said Lithgow. “Given that aging processes are thought to be similar between the worm and mammals, including humans, it makes sense that the action of vitamin D would be conserved across species as well.”

If he receives funding, senior author Lithgow plans to test vitamin D in mice to measure and determine how it affects aging, disease and function – and he hopes that clinical trials in humans will go after the same measurements. “Maybe if you’re deficient in vitamin D, you’re aging faster. Maybe that’s why you’re more susceptible to cancer or Alzheimer’s,” he said. “Given that we had responses to vitamin D in an organism that has no bone suggests that there are other key roles, not related to bone, that it plays in living organisms.”

"One theme continues to emerge from our work – that aging and disease stem from common mechanisms. Delaying disease by delaying the aging process is a serious proposition,” states Lithgow.

SOURCE  The Buck Institute

By  33rd Square

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Regenerative Medicine  

A new discovery may lead to treatments for atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s and other age-related disorders. The fountain of youth may reside in an embryonic stem cell gene named Nanog.

With a series of experiments at the University at Buffalo, a gene, called Nanog has reinvigorated dormant cellular processes that are key to preventing weak bones, clogged arteries and other telltale signs of growing old.

The findings, published recently in the journal Stem Cells, also show promise in counteracting premature aging disorders such as Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome.

"Our research into Nanog is helping us to better understand the process of aging and ultimately how to reverse it."

“Our research into Nanog is helping us to better understand the process of aging and ultimately how to reverse it,” says Stelios T. Andreadis, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the study’s lead author.

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To combat aging, the human body holds a reservoir of non-specialized cells that can regenerate organs. These cells are called adult stem cells, and they are located in every tissue of the body and respond rapidly when there is a need.

As people age, fewer adult stem cells perform their job well, a scenario which leads to age-related disorders. Reversing the effects of aging on adult stem cells, essentially rebooting them, can help overcome this problem.

The images above show, from left to right, functioning stem cells, stem cells no longer functioning, and stem cells functioning after being rebooted by the embryonic stem cell gene Nanog.Add caption

Andreadis previously showed that the capacity of adult stem cells to form muscle and generate force declines with aging. Specifically, he examined a subcategory of muscle cells called smooth muscle cells which reside in arteries, intestines and other tissues.

In the new study, Panagiotis Mistriotis, a graduate student in Andreadis’ lab and first author of the study, introduced Nanog into aged stem cells. He found that Nanog opens two key cellular pathways: Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) and Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β).

In turn, this re-energizes dormant proteins (actin) into building cytoskeletons that adult stem cells need to form muscle cells that contract. Force generated by these cells ultimately helps restore the regenerative properties that adult stem cells lose due to aging.

“Not only does Nanog have the capacity to delay aging, it has the potential in some cases to reverse it,” says Andreadis, noting that the embryonic stem cell gene worked in three different models of aging: cells isolated from aged donors, cells aged in culture (see below), and cells isolated from patients with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome.

SOURCE  The State University of New York at Buffalo

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Aging  

A vaccine to prevent and even reverse the early stages of Alzheimer's and dementia could be tested on humans within the next two to three years according to researchers in Australia. 

Researchers from South Australia's Flinders University have been working with US counterparts at the Institute of Molecular Medicine and University of California to develop the vaccine, which targets proteins in the brain that block neurons.

Flinders University medicine professor Nikolai Petrovsky said that over time, two proteins in the brain, amyloid-beta (a-beta) and tau, broke down and caused the condition. He told The Australian that the breakthrough was so significant, there was confidence it would eventually be used as a preventive vaccine, much like a flu shot, that could eradicate dementia.

The study has been published recently in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.

"Interestingly the second protein, which has been found more recently, which we are targeting … it turns out if you target tau with the vaccine you can actually reverse the disease even once it has developed"

"[The proteins are] a bit like the car in your driveway. You need to remove them from the brain otherwise if you left broken down cars in your driveway eventually you couldn't get out," he said. "Essentially that's what happens in people who get Alzheimer's or dementia is they have lots of these broken down proteins in the brain.

"Essentially what we have designed is a vaccine that makes the immune system produce antibodies and those antibodies act like tow trucks so they come to your driveway, they latch on to the breakdown protein or car and they pull it out of the driveway."

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"So by developing a vaccine against a-beta it seems to work in the animals best if you give it before they get Alzheimer's or dementia and it doesn't work so well once they have developed the disease," he said.

"Interestingly the second protein, which has been found more recently, which we are targeting … it turns out if you target tau with the vaccine you can actually reverse the disease even once it has developed."

Professor Petrovsky said having a vaccine targeting both proteins was a key feature.

"Given the demand for a vaccine, if we show it is successful in the early stages we expect this will be pulled through and turned into product very, very quickly."

"It could be used both to give people at a particular age, say 50 years of age when they are perfectly fine, to stop them developing dementia, but potentially also could be given to people at least in the early stages of dementia to actually try and reverse the process," he said.

He said the vaccine was being "bankrolled by the world's biggest government" and unless researchers hit a roadblock it would be tested on humans within the next two to three years.

"Certainty the US Government is very committed to this program; this year they have allocated $1 billion for research into treatments of Alzheimer's including our vaccine," he said.

SOURCE  ABC Online

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Artificial Intelligence  

"The Future of AI: Emerging Topics and Societal Benefit." conference was recently held at Stanford University and brought together visionaries in the field of artificial intelligence from academia, government and industry. IBM's Arvind Krishna gave the keynote address.

Arvind Krishna, Senior Vice President and Director, IBM Research was the keynote speaker at the recent Stanford University event, 'The Future of AI: Emerging Topics and Societal Benefit." The conference brought together visionaries in the field of artificial intelligence from academia, government and industry. See the keynote below.

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The participants discussed some of the major ways AI could benefit society in the coming years.

"AI can be bigger than the steam engine if we harness it correctly and do the right work."

Krishna helps guide IBM’s overall technical strategy in core and emerging technologies, including cognitive computing, quantum computing, cloud platform services, data-driven solutions and blockchain.

"AI can be bigger than the steam engine if we harness it correctly and do the right work," says Krishna.

In his talk, Krishna points to the fact that artificial intelligence is on the cusp of having a major impact on the study and treatment of aging. "Aging is the place where computational neuroscience has the ability to offer tremendous benefits," states Krishna. By analyzing speech patterns, Krishna's colleagues have been able to use AI tools to predict the onset of dementia, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.  While he admits that this work is a long way from a cure, it does provide the opportunity for better care and quality of life for patients.

Krishna oversees an organization of approximately 3,000 scientists and technologists in 12 labs across six continents. Previously, Krishna was general manager of IBM Systems and Technology Group’s development and manufacturing organization, responsible for the advanced engineering and development of a full technology portfolio, ranging from advanced semiconductor materials to leading-edge microprocessors, servers and storage systems. Krishna has an undergraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is the recipient of a distinguished alumni award from the University of Illinois, is the co-author of 15 patents, has been the editor of IEEE and ACM journals, and has published extensively in technical conferences and journals.

SOURCE  Stanford University

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Videos  

Is ageing a disease? Can it be cured? Can death be pushed back? Will you live to 1000 years? Aubrey de Grey, Chief Science Officer, SENS Research Foundation divulges the truth behind longevity and the ensuing risks. 

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• Aubrey de Grey Explains How Regenerative Medicine Will Combat Aging 
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SOURCE  RiskMindsTV

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