Life extension
Life extension is the concept of extending the human lifespan, either modestly through improvements in medicine or dramatically by increasing the maximum lifespan beyond its generally-settled limit of 125 years.[1] The technology to achieve such dramatic changes, however, does not currently exist.[2]
Several researchers in the area, along with "life extensionists", "immortalists" or "longevists" (those who wish to achieve longer lives themselves), postulate that future breakthroughs in tissue rejuvenation, stem cells, regenerative medicine, molecular repair, gene therapy, pharmaceuticals and organ replacement (such as with artificial organs or xenotransplantations) will eventually enable humans to have indefinite lifespans (agerasia[3]) through complete rejuvenation to a healthy youthful condition. The ethical ramifications, if life extension becomes a possibility, are debated by bioethicists.
The sale of purported anti-aging products such as supplements and hormone replacement is a lucrative global industry. For example, the industry that promotes the use of hormones as a treatment for consumers to slow or reverse the aging process in the US market generated about $50 billion of revenue a year in 2009.[2] The use of such products, however, has not been proven to be effective or safe.[2][4][5][6]
Average and maximum lifespan
During the process of aging, an organism accumulates damage to its macromolecules, cells, tissues, and organs. Specifically, aging is characterized as and thought to be caused by "genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, deregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, and altered intercellular communication."[7] Oxidation damage to cellular contents caused by free radicals is believed to contribute to aging as well.[8][9]
The longest documented human lifespan is 122 years, the case of Jeanne Calment who according to records was born in 1875 and died in 1997, whereas the maximum lifespan of a wildtype mouse, commonly used as a model in research on aging, is about three years.[10] Genetic differences between humans and mice that may account for these different aging rates include differences in efficiency of DNA repair, antioxidant defenses, energy metabolism, proteostasis maintenance, and recycling mechanisms such as autophagy.[11]
The average lifespan in a population is lowered by infant and child mortality, which are frequently linked to infectious diseases or nutrition problems. Later in life, vulnerability to accidents and age-related chronic disease such as cancer or cardiovascular disease play an increasing role in mortality. Extension of expected lifespan can often be achieved by access to improved medical care, vaccinations, good diet, exercise and avoidance of hazards such as smoking.
Maximum lifespan is determined by the rate of aging for a species inherent in its genes and by environmental factors. Widely recognized methods of extending maximum lifespan in model organisms such as nematodes, fruit flies, and mice include caloric restriction, gene manipulation, and administration of pharmaceuticals.[12] Another technique uses evolutionary pressures such as breeding from only older members or altering levels of extrinsic mortality.[13][14] Some animals such as hydra, planarian flatworms, and certain sponges, corals, and jellyfish do not die of old age and exhibit potential immortality.[15][16][17][18]
Strategies
Diets and supplements
Much life extension research focuses on nutrition—diets or supplements— although there is little evidence that they have an effect. The many diets promoted by anti-aging advocates are often contradictory. [original research?]
In some studies calorie restriction has been shown to extend the life of mice, yeast, and rhesus monkeys.[19][20] However, a more recent study did not find calorie restriction to improve survival in rhesus monkeys.[21] In humans the long-term health effects of moderate caloric restriction with sufficient nutrients are unknown.[22]
The free-radical theory of aging suggests that antioxidant supplements might extend human life. Reviews, however, have found that vitamin A (as β-carotene) and vitamin E supplements may increase mortality.[23][24] Other reviews have found no relationship between vitamin E and other vitamins with mortality.[25]
Hormone treatment
The anti-aging industry offers several hormone therapies. Some of these have been criticized for possible dangers and a lack of proven effect. For example, the American Medical Association has been critical of some anti-aging hormone therapies.[2]
While growth hormone (GH) decreases with age, the evidence for use of growth hormone as an anti-aging therapy is mixed and based mostly on animal studies. There are mixed reports that GH or IGF-1 modulates the aging process in humans and about whether the direction of its effect is positive or negative.[26]
History
The extension of life has been a desire of humanity and a mainstay motif in the history of scientific pursuits and ideas throughout history, from the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh and the Egyptian Smith medical papyrus, all the way through the Taoists, Ayurveda practitioners, alchemists, hygienists such as Luigi Cornaro, Johann Cohausen and Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland, and philosophers such as Francis Bacon, René Descartes, Benjamin Franklin and Nicolas Condorcet. However, the beginning of the modern period in this endeavor can be traced to the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century, to the so-called "fin-de-siècle" (end of the century) period, denoted as an "end of an epoch" and characterized by the rise of scientific optimism and therapeutic activism, entailing the pursuit of life extension (or life-extensionism). Among the foremost researchers of life extension at this period were the Nobel Prize winning biologist Elie Metchnikoff (1845-1916) -- the author of the cell theory of immunity and vice director of Institut Pasteur in Paris, and Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard (1817-1894) -- the president of the French Biological Society and one of the founders of modern endocrinology.[27]
Sociologist James Hughes claims that science has been tied to a cultural narrative of conquering death since the Age of Enlightenment. He cites Francis Bacon (1561–1626) as an advocate of using science and reason to extend human life, noting Bacon's novel New Atlantis, wherein scientists worked toward delaying aging and prolonging life. Robert Boyle (1627–1691), founding member of the Royal Society, also hoped that science would make substantial progress with life extension, according to Hughes, and proposed such experiments as "to replace the blood of the old with the blood of the young". Biologist Alexis Carrel (1873–1944) was inspired by a belief in indefinite human lifespan that he developed after experimenting with cells, says Hughes.[28]
Regulatory and legal struggles between the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Life Extension organization included seizure of merchandise and court action.[29] In 1991, Saul Kent and Bill Faloon, the principals of the organization, were jailed for four hours and were released on $850,000 bond each.[30] After 11 years of legal battles, Kent and Faloon convinced the US Attorney's Office to dismiss all criminal indictments brought against them by the FDA.[31]
In 2003, Doubleday published "The Immortal Cell: One Scientist's Quest to Solve the Mystery of Human Aging," by Michael D. West. West emphasised the potential role of embryonic stem cells in life extension.[32]
Other modern life extensionists include writer Gennady Stolyarov, who insists that death is "the enemy of us all, to be fought with medicine, science, and technology";[33] transhumanist philosopher Zoltan Istvan, who proposes that the "transhumanist must safeguard one's own existence above all else";[34] futurist George Dvorsky, who considers aging to be a problem that desperately needs to be solved;[35] and recording artist Steve Aoki, who has been called "one of the most prolific campaigners for life extension".[36]
Scientific research
In 1991, the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) was formed. The American Board of Medical Specialties recognizes neither anti-aging medicine nor the A4M's professional standing.[37]
In 2003, Aubrey de Grey and David Gobel formed the Methuselah Foundation, which gives financial grants to anti-aging research projects. In 2009, de Grey and several others founded the SENS Research Foundation, a California-based scientific research organization which conducts research into aging and funds other anti-aging research projects at various universities.[38] In 2013, Google announced Calico, a new company based in San Francisco that will harness new technologies to increase scientific understanding of the biology of aging.[39] It is led by Arthur D. Levinson,[40] and its research team includes scientists such as Hal V. Barron, David Botstein, and Cynthia Kenyon. In 2014, biologist Craig Venter founded Human Longevity Inc., a company dedicated to scientific research to end aging through genomics and cell therapy. They received funding with the goal of compiling a comprehensive human genotype, microbiome, and phenotype database.[41]
Aside from private initiatives, aging research is being conducted in university laboratories, and includes universities such as Harvard and UCLA. University researchers have made a number of breakthroughs in extending the lives of mice and insects by reversing certain aspects of aging.[42][43][44][45]
Ethics and politics
Scientific controversy
Some critics dispute the portrayal of aging as a disease. For example, Leonard Hayflick, who determined that fibroblasts are limited to around 50 cell divisions, reasons that aging is an unavoidable consequence of entropy. Hayflick and fellow biogerontologists Jay Olshansky and Bruce Carnes have strongly criticized the anti-aging industry in response to what they see as unscrupulous profiteering from the sale of unproven anti-aging supplements.[5]
Consumer motivations
Research by Sobh and Martin (2011) suggests that people buy anti-aging products to obtain a hoped-for self (e.g., keeping a youthful skin) or to avoid a feared-self (e.g., looking old). The research shows that when consumers pursue a hoped-for self, it is expectations of success that most strongly drive their motivation to use the product. The research also shows why doing badly when trying to avoid a feared self is more motivating than doing well. When product use is seen to fail it is more motivating than success when consumers seek to avoid a feared-self.[46]
Political parties
Though many scientists state[47] that life extension and radical life extension are possible, there are still no international or national programs focused on radical life extension. There are political forces staying for and against life extension. By 2012, in Russia, the United States, Israel, and the Netherlands, the Longevity political parties started. They aimed to provide political support to radical life extension research and technologies, and ensure the fastest possible and at the same time soft transition of society to the next step – life without aging and with radical life extension, and to provide access to such technologies to most currently living people.[48]
Silicon Valley
Some tech innovators and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs have invested heavily into anti-aging research. This includes Larry Ellison (founder of Oracle), Peter Thiel (former PayPal CEO),[49] Larry Page (co-founder of Google), and Peter Diamandis.[50]
Commentators
Leon Kass (chairman of the US President's Council on Bioethics from 2001 to 2005) has questioned whether potential exacerbation of overpopulation problems would make life extension unethical.[51] He states his opposition to life extension with the words:
"simply to covet a prolonged life span for ourselves is both a sign and a cause of our failure to open ourselves to procreation and to any higher purpose ... [The] desire to prolong youthfulness is not only a childish desire to eat one's life and keep it; it is also an expression of a childish and narcissistic wish incompatible with devotion to posterity."[52]
John Harris, former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Medical Ethics, argues that as long as life is worth living, according to the person himself, we have a powerful moral imperative to save the life and thus to develop and offer life extension therapies to those who want them.[53]
Transhumanist philosopher Nick Bostrom has argued that any technological advances in life extension must be equitably distributed and not restricted to a privileged few.[54] In an extended metaphor entitled "The Fable of the Dragon-Tyrant", Bostrom envisions death as a monstrous dragon who demands human sacrifices. In the fable, after a lengthy debate between those who believe the dragon is a fact of life and those who believe the dragon can and should be destroyed, the dragon is finally killed. Bostrom argues that political inaction allowed many preventable human deaths to occur.[55]
Overpopulation concerns
Controversy about life extension is due to fear of overpopulation and possible effects on society.[56] Biogerontologist Aubrey De Grey counters the overpopulation critique by pointing out that the therapy could postpone or eliminate menopause, allowing women to space out their pregnancies over more years and thus decreasing the yearly population growth rate.[57] Moreover, the philosopher and futurist Max More argues that, given the fact the worldwide population growth rate is slowing down and is projected to eventually stabilize and begin falling, superlongevity would be unlikely to contribute to overpopulation.[56]
Opinion polls
A Spring 2013 Pew Research poll in the United States found that 38% of Americans would want life extension treatments, and 56% would reject it. However, it also found that 68% believed most people would want it and that only 4% consider an "ideal lifespan" to be more than 120 years. The median "ideal lifespan" was 91 years of age and the majority of the public (63%) viewed medical advances aimed at prolonging life as generally good. 41% of Americans believed that radical life extension (RLE) would be good for society, while 51% said they believed it would be bad for society.[58] One possibility for why 56% of Americans claim they would reject life extension treatments may be due to the cultural perception that living longer would result in a longer period of decrepitude, and that the elderly in our current society are unhealthy.[59]
Religious people are no more likely to oppose life extension than the unaffiliated,[58] though some variation exists between religious denominations.
Aging as a disease
Mainstream medical organizations and practitioners do not consider aging to be a disease. David Sinclair says: "I don't see aging as a disease, but as a collection of quite predictable diseases caused by the deterioration of the body".[60] The two main arguments used are that aging is both inevitable and universal while diseases are not.[61] However, not everyone agrees. Harry R. Moody, director of academic affairs for AARP, notes that what is normal and what is disease strongly depend on a historical context.[62] David Gems, assistant director of the Institute of Healthy Ageing, argues that aging should be viewed as a disease.[63] In response to the universality of aging, David Gems notes that it is as misleading as arguing that Basenji are not dogs because they do not bark.[64] Because of the universality of aging he calls it a "special sort of disease". Robert M. Perlman, coined the terms "aging syndrome" and "disease complex" in 1954 to describe aging.[65]
The discussion whether aging should be viewed as a disease or not has important implications. One view is, this would stimulate pharmaceutical companies to develop life extension therapies and in the United States of America, it would also increase the regulation of the anti-aging market by the FDA. Anti-aging now falls under the regulations for cosmetic medicine which are less tight than those for drugs.[64][66]
Research
Theoretically, extension of maximum lifespan in humans could be achieved by reducing the rate of aging damage by periodic replacement of damaged tissues, molecular repair or rejuvenation of deteriorated cells and tissues, reversal of harmful epigenetic changes, or the enhancement of enzyme telomerase activity.[67][68]
Research geared towards life extension strategies in various organisms is currently under way at a number of academic and private institutions. Since 2009, investigators have found ways to increase the lifespan of nematode worms and yeast by 10-fold; the record in nematodes was achieved through genetic engineering and the extension in yeast by a combination of genetic engineering and caloric restriction.[69] A 2009 review of longevity research noted: "Extrapolation from worms to mammals is risky at best, and it cannot be assumed that interventions will result in comparable life extension factors. Longevity gains from dietary restriction, or from mutations studied previously, yield smaller benefits to Drosophila than to nematodes, and smaller still to mammals. This is not unexpected, since mammals have evolved to live many times the worm's lifespan, and humans live nearly twice as long as the next longest-lived primate. From an evolutionary perspective, mammals and their ancestors have already undergone several hundred million years of natural selection favoring traits that could directly or indirectly favor increased longevity, and may thus have already settled on gene sequences that promote lifespan. Moreover, the very notion of a "life-extension factor" that could apply across taxa presumes a linear response rarely seen in biology."[69]
Anti-aging drugs
There are a number of chemicals intended to slow the aging process currently being studied in animal models.[70] One type of research is related to the observed effects of a calorie restriction (CR) diet, which has been shown to extend lifespan in some animals.[71] Based on that research, there have been attempts to develop drugs that will have the same effect on the aging process as a caloric restriction diet, which are known as Caloric restriction mimetic drugs. Some drugs that are already approved for other uses have been studied for possible longevity effects on laboratory animals because of a possible CR-mimic effect; they include rapamycin,[72] metformin and other geroprotectors.[73] Coenzyme Q, resveratrol and pterostilbene are dietary supplements that have also been studied in this context.[74][75][76]
Other attempts to create anti-aging drugs have taken different research paths. One notable direction of research has been research into the possibility of using the enzyme telomerase in order to counter the process of telomere shortening.[77] However, there are potential dangers in this, since some research has also linked telomerase to cancer and to tumor growth and formation.[78]
Nanotechnology
Future advances in nanomedicine could give rise to life extension through the repair of many processes thought to be responsible for aging. K. Eric Drexler, one of the founders of nanotechnology, postulated cell repair machines, including ones operating within cells and utilizing as yet hypothetical molecular computers, in his 1986 book Engines of Creation. Raymond Kurzweil, a futurist and transhumanist, stated in his book The Singularity Is Near that he believes that advanced medical nanorobotics could completely remedy the effects of aging by 2030.[79] According to Richard Feynman, it was his former graduate student and collaborator Albert Hibbs who originally suggested to him (circa 1959) the idea of a medical use for Feynman's theoretical nanomachines (see biological machine). Hibbs suggested that certain repair machines might one day be reduced in size to the point that it would, in theory, be possible to (as Feynman put it) "swallow the doctor". The idea was incorporated into Feynman's 1959 essay There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom.[80]
Cloning and body part replacement
Some life extensionists suggest that therapeutic cloning and stem cell research could one day provide a way to generate cells, body parts, or even entire bodies (generally referred to as reproductive cloning) that would be genetically identical to a prospective patient. Recently, the US Department of Defense initiated a program to research the possibility of growing human body parts on mice.[81] Complex biological structures, such as mammalian joints and limbs, have not yet been replicated. Dog and primate brain transplantation experiments were conducted in the mid-20th century but failed due to rejection and the inability to restore nerve connections. As of 2006, the implantation of bio-engineered bladders grown from patients' own cells has proven to be a viable treatment for bladder disease.[82] Proponents of body part replacement and cloning contend that the required biotechnologies are likely to appear earlier than other life-extension technologies.
The use of human stem cells, particularly embryonic stem cells, is controversial. Opponents' objections generally are based on interpretations of religious teachings or ethical considerations.[citation needed] Proponents of stem cell research point out that cells are routinely formed and destroyed in a variety of contexts. Use of stem cells taken from the umbilical cord or parts of the adult body may not provoke controversy.[83]
The controversies over cloning are similar, except general public opinion in most countries stands in opposition to reproductive cloning. Some proponents of therapeutic cloning predict the production of whole bodies, lacking consciousness, for eventual brain transplantation.
Cyborgs
Replacement of biological (susceptible to diseases) organs with mechanical ones could extend life. This is the goal of the 2045 Initiative.[84]
Cryonics
Cryonics is the low-temperature freezing (usually at −196 °C or −320.8 °F or 77.1 K) of a human corpse, with the hope that resuscitation may be possible in the future.[85][86] It is regarded with skepticism within the mainstream scientific community and has been characterized as quackery.[87]
Strategies for engineered negligible senescence
Another proposed life extension technology would combine existing and predicted future biochemical and genetic techniques. SENS proposes that rejuvenation may be obtained by removing aging damage via the use of stem cells and tissue engineering, telomere-lengthening machinery, allotopic expression of mitochondrial proteins, targeted ablation of cells, immunotherapeutic clearance, and novel lysosomal hydrolases.[88]
While many biogerontologists find these ideas "worthy of discussion"[89][90] and SENS conferences feature important research in the field,[91][92] some contend that the alleged benefits are too speculative given the current state of technology, referring to it as "fantasy rather than science".[4][6]
Genetic editing
Genome editing, in which nucleic acid polymers are delivered as a drug and are either expressed as proteins, interfere with the expression of proteins, or correct genetic mutations, has been proposed as a future strategy to prevent aging.[93][94]
A large array of genetic modifications have been found to increase lifespan in model organisms such as yeast, nematode worms, fruit flies, and mice. As of 2013, the longest extension of life caused by a single gene manipulation was roughly 50% in mice and 10-fold in nematode worms.[95]
In July 2020 scientists, using public biological data on 1.75 m people with known lifespans overall, identify 10 genomic loci which appear to intrinsically influence healthspan, lifespan, and longevity – of which half have not been reported previously at genome-wide significance and most being associated with cardiovascular disease – and identify haem metabolism as a promising candidate for further research within the field. Their study suggests that high levels of iron in the blood likely reduce, and genes involved in metabolising iron likely increase healthy years of life in humans.[97][96] The same month other scientists report that yeast cells of the same genetic material and within the same environment age in two distinct ways, describe a biomolecular mechanism that can determine which process dominates during aging and genetically engineer a novel aging route with substantially extended lifespan.[98][99]
Fooling genes
In The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins describes an approach to life-extension that involves "fooling genes" into thinking the body is young.[100] Dawkins attributes inspiration for this idea to Peter Medawar. The basic idea is that our bodies are composed of genes that activate throughout our lifetimes, some when we are young and others when we are older. Presumably, these genes are activated by environmental factors, and the changes caused by these genes activating can be lethal. It is a statistical certainty that we possess more lethal genes that activate in later life than in early life. Therefore, to extend life, we should be able to prevent these genes from switching on, and we should be able to do so by "identifying changes in the internal chemical environment of a body that take place during aging... and by simulating the superficial chemical properties of a young body".[101]
Mind uploading
One hypothetical future strategy that, as some suggest,[who?] "eliminates" the complications related to a physical body, involves the copying or transferring (e.g. by progressively replacing neurons with transistors) of a conscious mind from a biological brain to a non-biological computer system or computational device. The basic idea is to scan the structure of a particular brain in detail, and then construct a software model of it that is so faithful to the original that, when run on appropriate hardware, it will behave in essentially the same way as the original brain.[102] Whether or not an exact copy of one's mind constitutes actual life extension is matter of debate.
However, critics argue that the uploaded mind would simply be a clone and not a true continuation of a person's consciousness.[103]
Some scientists believe that the dead may one day be "resurrected" through simulation technology.[104]
Young blood injection
Some clinics currently offer injection of blood products from young donors. The alleged benefits of the treatment, none of which have been demonstrated in a proper study, include a longer life, darker hair, better memory, better sleep, curing heart diseases, diabetes and Alzheimer.[105][106][107][108][109] The approach is based on parabiosis studies such as Irina Conboy do on mice, but Conboy says young blood does not reverse aging (even in mice) and that those who offer those treatments have misunderstood her research.[106][107] Neuroscientist Tony Wyss-Coray, who also studied blood exchanges on mice as recently as 2014, said people offering those treatments are "basically abusing people's trust"[110][107] and that young blood treatments are "the scientific equivalent of fake news".[111] The treatment appeared in HBO's Silicon Valley fiction series.[110]
Two clinics in California, run by Jesse Karmazin and David C. Wright,[105] offer $8,000 injections of plasma extracted from the blood of young people. Karmazin has not published in any peer-reviewed journal and his current study does not use a control group.[111][110][105][107]
See also
- Advanced glycation end product
- Aging brain
- Aging movement control
- Alzheimer's disease
- Anti-aging movement
- Biological immortality
- Centenarian
- Clinical Interventions in Aging
- Dementia
- DNA damage theory of aging
- Human enhancement
- Immortal DNA strand hypothesis
- Immortality
- Maximum lifespan
- Rejuvenation Research
- Senescence
- Slow aging
- Supercentenarian
- Timeline of senescence research
- Transgenerational design
References
- ^ Turner BS (2009). Can We Live Forever? A Sociological and Moral Inquiry. Anthem Press. p. 3.
- ^ a b c d Japsen, Bruce (15 June 2009). "AMA report questions science behind using hormones as anti-aging treatment". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
- ^ "agerasia". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- ^ a b Holliday, Robin (2008). "The extreme arrogance of anti-aging medicine". Biogerontology. 10 (2): 223–8. doi:10.1007/s10522-008-9170-6. PMID 18726707. S2CID 764136.
- ^ a b Olshansky, S. J.; Hayflick, L; Carnes, B. A. (1 August 2002). "Position statement on human aging". The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 57 (8): B292–7. doi:10.1093/gerona/57.8.B292. PMID 12145354.
- ^ a b Warner H, Anderson J, Austad S, et al. (2005). "Science fact and the SENS agenda. What can we reasonably expect from ageing research?". EMBO Reports. 6 (11): 1006–8. doi:10.1038/sj.embor.7400555. PMC 1371037. PMID 16264422.
- ^ López-Otín, C; Blasco, M. A.; Partridge, L; Serrano, M; Kroemer, G (2013). "The hallmarks of aging". Cell. 153 (6): 1194–1217. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2013.05.039. PMC 3836174. PMID 23746838.
- ^ Halliwell B, Gutteridge JMC (2007). Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine. Oxford University Press, USA, ISBN 019856869X, ISBN 978-0198568698
- ^ Holmes, G. E.; Bernstein, C; Bernstein, H (September 1992). "Oxidative and other DNA damages as the basis of aging: a review". Mutation Research/DNAging. 275 (3–6): 305–15. doi:10.1016/0921-8734(92)90034-M. PMID 1383772.
- ^ "Mouse Facts". informatics.jax.org.
- ^ "What Causes Aging? Damage-Based Theories of Aging".
- ^ Verdaguer, E; Junyent, F; Folch, J; Beas-Zarate, C; Auladell, C; Pallàs, M; Camins, A (2012). "Aging biology: a new frontier for drug discovery". Expert Opin Drug Discov. 7 (3): 217–229. doi:10.1517/17460441.2012.660144. PMID 22468953. S2CID 24617426.
- ^ Rauser, C. L.; Mueller, L. D.; Rose, M. R. (2006). "The evolution of late life". Ageing Res Rev. 5 (1): 14–32. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2005.06.003. PMID 16085467. S2CID 29623681.
- ^ Stearns, S. C.; Ackermann, M; Doebeli, M; Kaiser, M (2000). "Experimental evolution of aging, growth, and reproduction in fruitflies". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 97 (7): 3309–3313. Bibcode:2000PNAS...97.3309S. doi:10.1073/pnas.060289597. PMC 16235. PMID 10716732.
- ^ Newmark, P. A.; Sánchez Alvarado, A (2002). "Not your father's planarian: a classic model enters the era of functional genomics". Nat Rev Genet. 3 (3): 210–219. doi:10.1038/nrg759. PMID 11972158. S2CID 28379017.
- ^ Bavestrello, G.; Sommer, C.; Sarà, M. (1992). "Bi-directional conversion in Turritopsis nutricula (Hydrozoa)" (PDF). Scientia Marina. 56 (2–3): 137–140. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-06-26.
- ^ Martínez DE (May 1998). "Mortality patterns suggest lack of senescence in hydra". Experimental Gerontology. 33 (3): 217–25. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.500.9508. doi:10.1016/S0531-5565(97)00113-7. PMID 9615920. S2CID 2009972.
- ^ Petralia, Ronald S.; Mattson, Mark P.; Yao, Pamela J. (2014). "Aging and longevity in the simplest animals and the quest for immortality". Ageing Res Rev. 16: 66–82. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2014.05.003. PMC 4133289. PMID 24910306.
- ^ Redman LM, Heilbronn LK, Martin CK, de Jonge L, Williamson DA, Delany JP, Ravussin E (2009). "Metabolic and behavioral compensations in response to caloric restriction: implications for the maintenance of weight loss". PLOS ONE. 4 (2): e4377. Bibcode:2009PLoSO...4.4377R. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0004377. PMC 2634841. PMID 19198647.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ Holloszy JO; Fontana L (2007). "Caloric restriction in humans". Exp Gerontol. 42 (8): 709–12. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2007.03.009. PMC 2020845. PMID 17482403.
- ^ Mattison JA, Roth GS, Beasley TM, et al. (2012). "Impact of caloric restriction on health and survival in rhesus monkeys from the NIA study". Nature. 489 (7415): 318–321. Bibcode:2012Natur.489..318M. doi:10.1038/nature11432. PMC 3832985. PMID 22932268.
- ^ Spindler, Stephen R. (2010). "Biological Effects of Calorie Restriction: Implications for Modification of Human Aging". The Future of Aging. pp. 367–438. doi:10.1007/978-90-481-3999-6_12. ISBN 978-90-481-3998-9.
- ^ Bjelakovic, Goran; Nikolova, Dimitrinka; Lotte Gluud, Lise; Simonetti Rosa G.; Gluud Christian (2007). "Mortality in Randomized Trials of Antioxidant Supplements for Primary and Secondary Prevention, a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis". JAMA. 297 (8): 842–857. doi:10.1001/jama.297.8.842. PMID 17327526.
- ^ Bjelakovic, G; Nikolova, D; Gluud, LL; Simonetti, RG; Gluud, C (14 March 2012). "Antioxidant supplements for prevention of mortality in healthy participants and patients with various diseases". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (3): CD007176. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007176.pub2. hdl:10138/136201. PMID 22419320.
- ^ Shan Jiang (2014). "Meta-analysis:Low-Dose Intake of Vitamin E Combined With Other Vitamins or Minerals May Decrease All-Cause Mortality". J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 60 (3): 194–205. doi:10.3177/jnsv.60.194. PMID 25078376.
Neither vitamin E intake alone nor combined with other agents is associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality.
- ^ Sattler FR (August 2013). "Growth hormone in the aging male". Best Pract. Res. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 27 (4): 541–55. doi:10.1016/j.beem.2013.05.003. PMC 3940699. PMID 24054930.
In animal models, alterations in GH/IGF-1 signaling with reductions in these somatotrophs appear to increase life span. ... Administration of IGF-1Eb (mechanogrowth factor) stimulates proliferation of myoblasts and induces muscle hypertrophy. Increases in GH and IGF-1 during adolescence are beneficial for brain and cardiovascular function during the aging process and GH administration during adolescence is vasoprotective and increases life-span.15 ... Studies relating GH and IGF-1 status to longevity provide inconsistent evidence as to whether decreased (somatopause) or high levels (e.g. acromegaly) of these hormones are beneficial or detrimental to longevity. ... It is difficult to reconcile the largely protective effects of GH/IGF-1 deficiency on longevity in animals with the inconsistent or deleterious effects of low levels or declining GH/IGF-1 during human aging.
- ^ Stambler, Ilia (2014). A History of Life-Extensionism in the Twentieth Century. Longevity History. ISBN 978-1500818579.
- ^ Hughes, James (October 20, 2011). "Transhumanism". In Bainbridge, William (ed.). Leadership in Science and Technology: A Reference Handbook. Sage Publications. p. 587. ISBN 978-1452266527.
- ^ Andrew Zaleski, Article in "Is there any truth to anti-aging schemes?", Popular ScienceJune 12, 2018
- ^ Matt Schudel "Is it a crime to live forever?",SunSentinelDecember 6, 1992
- ^ "William Faloon", lifeboatfoundation
- ^ West, Michael D. (2003). The Immortal Cell: One Scientist's Quest to Solve the Mystery of Human Aging. Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-50928-2.
- ^ Stolyarov, Gennady (November 25, 2013). Death is Wrong (PDF). Rational Argumentator Press. ISBN 978-0615932040.
- ^ Istvan, Zoltan (October 2, 2014). "The Morality of Artificial Intelligence and the Three Laws of Transhumanism". Huffington Post.
- ^ "Futurist: 'I will reap benefits of life extension'". Al Jazeera America. May 7, 2015.
To Dvorsky, aging is a problem that's desperately in need of solving.
- ^ Tez, Riva Melissa (May 11, 2015). "Steve Aoki, Dan Bilzerian, a giraffe and the search for eternal life". i-D. VICE.
Unknown to most, Steve is both an undeniable champion of life expansion as well as one of the most prolific campaigners for life extension. Understanding that the depth of his life's experience is limited by time alone, in his latest album Neon Future he pens lyrics such as 'Life has limitless variety... But today, because of ageing, it does not have limitless scope.' [...] Set up by the Steve Aoki Charitable Fund, the profits from the Dan Bilzerian party went to life extension research.
- ^ Kuczynski, Alex (12 April 1998). "Anti-Aging Potion Or Poison?". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
- ^ research report 2011 Archived 2012-08-14 at the Wayback Machine. Sens Foundation
- ^ Arion McNicoll, Arion (3 October 2013). "How Google's Calico aims to fight aging and 'solve death'". CNN.
- ^ "Google announces Calico, a new company focused on health and well-being". September 18, 2013.
- ^ Human Longevity Inc. (4 March 2014). "Human Longevity Inc. (HLI) Launched to Promote Healthy Aging Using Advances in... – SAN DIEGO, March 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --". Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
- ^ Landau, Elizabeth (5 May 2014). "Young blood makes old mice more youthful". CNN.
- ^ "Harvard researchers find protein that could reverse the aging process". gizmag.com.
- ^ Wolpert, Stuart. "UCLA biologists delay the aging process by 'remote control'". UCLA.edu.
- ^ "Australian and US scientists reverse ageing in mice, humans could be next". ABC News. 2013-12-19.
- ^ Sobh, Rana; Martin, Brett A.S. (2011). "Feedback Information and Consumer Motivation. The Moderating Role of Positive and Negative Reference Values in Self-Regulation" (PDF). European Journal of Marketing. 45 (6): 963–986. doi:10.1108/03090561111119976. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-18.
- ^ "Scientists' Open Letter on Aging". Imminst.org. Retrieved 2012-10-07.
- ^ "A Single-Issue Political Party for Longevity Science". Fightaging.org. 2012-07-27. Retrieved 2012-10-07.
- ^ Veritas Forum Q&A with Peter Thiel on YouTube
- ^ Tad Friend (April 3, 2017). "Silicon Valley's Quest to Live Forever". The New Yorker.
- ^ Smith, Simon (3 December 2002). "Killing Immortality". Betterhumans. Archived from the original on 7 June 2004. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
- ^ Kass, Leon (1985). Toward a more natural science: biology and human affairs. New York City: Free Press. p. 316. ISBN 978-0-02-918340-3. OCLC 11677465.
- ^ Harris J. (2007) Enhancing Evolution: The ethical case for making better people. Princeton University Press, New Jersey.
- ^ Sutherland, John (9 May 2006). "The ideas interview: Nick Bostrom". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
- ^ Bostrom, N (May 2005). "The fable of the dragon tyrant". Journal of Medical Ethics. 31 (5): 273–7. doi:10.1136/jme.2004.009035. PMC 1734155. PMID 15863685.
- ^ a b "Superlongevity Without Overpopulation". Fight Aging!. 2005-02-06.
- ^ "Peter Singer on Should We Live to 1,000? – Project Syndicate". Project Syndicate. 2012-12-10.
- ^ a b "Living to 120 and Beyond: Americans' Views on Aging, Medical Advances and Radical Life Extension". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. 6 August 2013.
- ^ de Magalhães JP (2014). "The scientific quest for lasting youth: prospects for curing aging". Rejuvenation Res. 17 (5): 458–67. doi:10.1089/rej.2014.1580. PMC 4203147. PMID 25132068.
- ^ Hayden EC (2007). "A new angle on 'old'". Nature. 450 (7170): 603–5. Bibcode:2007Natur.450..603H. doi:10.1038/450603a. PMID 18046373.
- ^ Hamerman D. (2007) Geriatric Bioscience: The link between aging & disease. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Maryland.
- ^ Moody HR (2002). "Who's afraid of life extension?". Generations. 25 (4): 33–7.
- ^ Gems D (2011). "Aging: To Treat, or Not to Treat? The possibility of treating aging is not just an idle fantasy". American Scientist. 99 (4): 278–80. doi:10.1511/2011.91.278. S2CID 123698910.
- ^ a b Gems D (2011). "Tragedy and delight: the ethics of decelerated ageing". Philos Trans R Soc B. 366 (1561): 108–112. doi:10.1098/rstb.2010.0288. PMC 3001315. PMID 21115537.
- ^ Perlman RM (1954). "The aging syndrome". J Am Geriatr Soc. 2 (2): 123–129. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.1954.tb00884.x. PMID 13129024. S2CID 45894370.
- ^ Mehlman, M. J.; Binstock, R. H.; Juengst, E. T.; Ponsaran, R. S.; Whitehouse, P. J. (2004). "Anti-aging medicine: Can consumers be better protected?". The Gerontologist. 44 (3): 304–10. doi:10.1093/geront/44.3.304. PMID 15197284.
- ^ Rando TA, Chang HY (2012). "Aging, rejuvenation, and epigenetic reprogramming: resetting the aging clock". Cell. 148 (1–2): 46–57. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2012.01.003. PMC 3336960. PMID 22265401.
- ^ Johnson AA, Akman K, Calimport SR, Wuttke D, Stolzing A, de Magalhães JP (2012). "The role of DNA methylation in aging, rejuvenation, and age-related disease". Rejuvenation Res. 15 (5): 483–494. doi:10.1089/rej.2012.1324. PMC 3482848. PMID 23098078.
- ^ a b Shmookler Reis, R. J.; Bharill, P; Tazearslan, C; Ayyadevara, S (2009). "Extreme-longevity mutations orchestrate silencing of multiple signaling pathways". Biochim Biophys Acta. 1790 (10): 1075–83. doi:10.1016/j.bbagen.2009.05.011. PMC 2885961. PMID 19465083.
- ^ Childs; et al. (2015). "Cellular senescence in aging and age-related disease: from mechanisms to therapy". Nature Medicine. 21 (12): 1424–1435. doi:10.1038/nm.4000. PMC 4748967. PMID 26646499.
- ^ Anderson, M.; Shanmuganayagam, D.; Weindruch, R. (2009). "Caloric restriction and aging: studies in mice and monkeys". Toxicologic Pathology. 37 (1): 47–51. doi:10.1177/0192623308329476. PMC 3734859. PMID 19075044.
- ^ Harrison DE, Strong R, Sharp ZD, et al. (2009). "Rapamycin fed late in life extends lifespan in genetically heterogeneous mice". Nature. 460 (7253): 392–5. Bibcode:2009Natur.460..392H. doi:10.1038/nature08221. PMC 2786175. PMID 19587680.
- ^ Dhahbi JM, Mote PL, Fahy GM, Spindler SR (2005). "Identification of Potential Caloric Restriction Mimetics by Microarray Profiling". Physiological Genomics. 23 (3): 343–50. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.327.4892. doi:10.1152/physiolgenomics.00069.2005. PMID 16189280.
- ^ Kaeberlein, Matt (2010). "Resveratrol, pterostilbene and rapamycin:are they anti-aging drugs?". BioEssays. 32 (2): 96–99. doi:10.1002/bies.200900171. PMID 20091754. S2CID 16882387.
- ^ Barger JL, Kayo T, Vann JM, et al. (2008). "A Low Dose of Dietary Resveratrol Partially Mimics Caloric Restriction and Retards Aging Parameters in Mice". PLOS ONE. 3 (6): e2264. Bibcode:2008PLoSO...3.2264B. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002264. PMC 2386967. PMID 18523577.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ McCormack D, McFadden D (2013). "A review of pterostilbene antioxidant activity and disease modification". Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2013: 575482. doi:10.1155/2013/575482. PMC 3649683. PMID 23691264.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ Ahmed, Ali; Tollefsbol, Trygve (2001). "Telomeres and Telomerase Basic Science Implications for Aging". American Geriatrics Society. 49 (8): 1105–1109. doi:10.1046/j.1532-5415.2001.49217.x. PMID 11555075. S2CID 2700393.
- ^ Blackburn, E. H. (2005). "Telomerase and Cancer: Kirk A. Landon - AACR Prize for Basic Cancer Research Lecture". Molecular Cancer Research. 3 (9): 477–82. doi:10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-05-0147. PMID 16179494.
- ^ Kurzweil, Ray (2005). The Singularity Is Near. New York City: Viking Press. ISBN 978-0-670-03384-3. OCLC 57201348.[page needed]
- ^ Feynman, Richard P. (December 1959). "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom". Archived from the original on 2010-02-11. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
- ^ Melanson, Donald (April 22, 2008). "DoD establishes institute tasked with regrowing body parts". Engadget. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ Khamsi, Roxanne (April 4, 2006). "Bio-engineered bladders successful in patients". New Scientist. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^ White, Christine (19 August 2005). "Umbilical stem cell breakthrough". The Australian. Archived from the original on 20 July 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
- ^ David Segal for the New York Times. 1 June 2013 This Man Is Not a Cyborg. Yet.
- ^ McKie, Robin (13 July 2002). "Cold facts about cryonics". The Observer. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
Cryonics, which began in the Sixties, is the freezing – usually in liquid nitrogen – of human beings who have been legally declared dead. The aim of this process is to keep such individuals in a state of refrigerated limbo so that it may become possible in the future to resuscitate them, cure them of the condition that killed them, and then restore them to functioning life in an era when medical science has triumphed over the activities of the Grim Reaper.
- ^ "Dying is the last thing anyone wants to do – so keep cool and carry on". The Guardian. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
- ^ Butler K (1992). A Consumer's Guide to "Alternative" Medicine. Prometheus Books. p. 173.
- ^ de Grey, Aubrey; Michael Rae (2007). Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs that Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime. New York City: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-36706-0. OCLC 132583222.[page needed]
- ^ Pontin, Jason (July 11, 2006). "Is Defeating Aging Only A Dream?". Technology Review.
- ^ Garreau, Joel (October 31, 2007). "Invincible Man". Washington Post.
- ^ Fourth SENS Conference (2009). Over 140 Accepted Abstracts Archived 2013-08-10 at the Wayback Machine. Cambridge, England, September 3–7th, 2009.
- ^ Kristen Fortney (2009). SENS4 Conference Coverage From Ouroboros. FightAging.org, September 4, 2009.
- ^ Goya, Rodolfo G.; Federico Bolognani; Claudia B. Hereñú; Omar J. Rimoldi (2001-01-08). "Neuroendocrinology of Aging: The Potential of Gene Therapy as an Interventive Strategy". Gerontology. 47 (168–173): 168–173. doi:10.1159/000052792. PMID 11340324. S2CID 10069927.
- ^ Rattan, S. I. S.; Singh, R. (2008-10-22). "Progress & Prospects: Gene therapy in aging". Gene Therapy. 16 (3–9): 3–9. doi:10.1038/gt.2008.166. PMID 19005494.
- ^ Tacutu, R.; Craig, T.; Budovsky, A.; Wuttke, D.; Lehmann, G.; Taranukha, D.; Costa, J.; Fraifeld, V. E.; De Magalhaes, J. P. (2012). "Human Ageing Genomic Resources: Integrated databases and tools for the biology and genetics of ageing". Nucleic Acids Research. 41 (Database issue): D1027–33. doi:10.1093/nar/gks1155. PMC 3531213. PMID 23193293.
- ^ a b Timmers, Paul R. H. J.; Wilson, James F.; Joshi, Peter K.; Deelen, Joris (16 July 2020). "Multivariate genomic scan implicates novel loci and haem metabolism in human ageing". Nature Communications. 11 (1): 3570. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17312-3. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 7366647. PMID 32678081. Text and images are available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
- ^ "Blood iron levels could be key to slowing ageing, gene study shows". phys.org. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "Researchers discover 2 paths of aging and new insights on promoting healthspan". phys.org. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- ^ Li, Yang; Jiang, Yanfei; Paxman, Julie; o'Laughlin, Richard; Klepin, Stephen; Zhu, Yuelian; Pillus, Lorraine; Tsimring, Lev S.; Hasty, Jeff; Hao, Nan (2020). "A programmable fate decision landscape underlies single-cell aging in yeast". Science. 369 (6501): 325–329. doi:10.1126/science.aax9552. PMC 7437498. PMID 32675375.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (2006) [1976]. The Selfish Gene. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 41–42. ISBN 978-0-19-929115-1.
- ^ Dawkins, Richard (2006) [1976]. The Selfish Gene. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-19-929115-1.
- ^ Sandberg, Anders; Boström, Nick (2008). Whole Brain Emulation: A Roadmap (PDF). Technical Report #2008‐3. Future of Humanity Institute, Oxford University. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
The basic idea is to take a particular brain, scan its structure in detail, and construct a software model of it that is so faithful to the original that, when run on appropriate hardware, it will behave in essentially the same way as the original brain.
- ^ Graziano, Michael (September 13, 2019). "Will Your Uploaded Mind Still Be You?". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Bostrom, Nick (19 January 2010). "Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?".
- ^ a b c Maxmen, Amy (January 13, 2017). "Questionable "Young Blood" Transfusions Offered in U.S. as Anti-Aging Remedy". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
- ^ a b Kirkey, Sharon (November 2, 2017). "This anti-aging startup says US$8,000 worth of young blood can help you live longer". National Post. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Osborne, Samuel (August 20, 2017). "Teenagers' blood being sold for £6,200 a shot". The Independent.
- ^ Haynes, Gavin (August 21, 2017). "Ambrosia: the startup harvesting the blood of the young". The Guardian. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
- ^ Farr, Christina (May 31, 2017). "This start-up is offering $8,000 blood transfusions from teens to people who want to fight aging". CNBC. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
- ^ a b c Kosoff, Maya (June 1, 2017). "This anti-aging start-up is charging thousands of dollars for teen blood". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
- ^ a b Foley, Katherine Ellen (June 1, 2017). "A startup that charges $8,000 for young blood transfusions swears they're worth every penny". Quartz. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
External links
- Greg Easterbrook, "What Happens When We All Live to 100?, The Atlantic, October 2014, pp. 60–72.
- Ezekiel J. Emanuel, Why I Hope to Die at 75, The Atlantic, October 2014, pp. 74–81.
- Aubrey de Grey: 'We will be able to live to 1,000'
- Life extension on Wikiversity
- The Fable of the Dragon Tyrant by philosopher Nick Bostrom - arguing for life extension research