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BGRF Newsletter 12th July 2008 Jump to: Announcements; Digest: science, general
Upcoming announcement: BGRF's first support of research Details will follow in due course, but even though the BGRF is in its early days, we are already setting up an arrangement whereby we will be funding the support of a colony of aged mice. This will be in the spirit of supporting a common good associated with ageing research, and is a small but concrete step on our path. Press release to follow.
Pfizer Bets on Stem-Cell Cures http://www.forbes.com/business/2008/06/21/pfizer-blindness-research-biz-health-cx_rl_0623stemcell.html Pfizer, the major pharmaceutical company based in New York, is betting that a radical new adult stem-cell treatment may be able to stave off diabetes-induced retina damage, a leading cause of blindness. This is interesting for two reasons: it represents 'Big Pharma' investment in radical regenerative medicine of the type championed by the BGRF; and the funding route shows that people are willing to think in innovative ways on how to get regenerative medicine treatments developed. Cancer Patient Cured by Injecting His Immune Cells http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/06/18/scicanc118.xml A cancer patient experirenced a full recovery following the injection of his own immune cells in a ground-breaking treatment. Although the research is in its early stages, melanoma is one of the best targets for immunotherapy and these results are highly promising. Moreover, immunotherapy is an appealing approach for many future age-related therapies, and data from studies like this will feed this field in general. Red Wine's Longevity Benefits Spur Research http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/health/research/04ageing.html Further evidence of the beneficial effects of resveratol on extending healthspan. Equally interesting is the effect that such research is having on research into longeveity drugs, which may in time provide routes to the rejuvenation therapies we are ultimately seeking. Regular Exercise Keeps Heart Disease At Bay http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/heart/prevention_activity.shtml “Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness,” as Edward Stanley put it back in 1873, and this article details simple ways to enhance quality of life. This is deferment of ageing rather than rejuvenation, but the article is interesting for anyone interested in extending healthspan. More importantly, the interest here is what just exercise and similar lifestyle factors do, and whether we can in time harness those mechanisms to help people who, for instnce, cannot exercise. Researchers Convert One Cell Type to Another http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/06/18/scistem118.xml Bodily damage can be repaired by use of stem-cell-based "biological alchemy" as reported in the UK's Daily Telegraph. Ageing: Causes and Solutions http://www.fightageing.org/archives/001503.php Another interesting article for anyone sharing the BGRF's outlook: a take on just what ageing is caused by, and how we could tackle each aspect in turn. Specifically, the article does not just put across the the view that ageing is due to the biochemical damage our body undergoes during our lifetime, but it lists out what the areas of damage are. The author also draws a clear distinction between ageing, as a positive process of maturation, and the negative impacts that ageing has on our bodies - a distinction we heartily share. Interview with Aubrey de Grey http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2008/06/methuselah Among the most optimistic of those who share the BGRF's belief in rejeuvanation as the best approach for combating ageing is Aubrey de Grey. This article in Wired magazine covers not just de Grey's thoughts on the subject, but also some of the other organistaions and research programmes which have a similar philosophy.
Loss of Function in the Elderly Predicts Death http://pub.ucsf.edu/newsservices/releases/200806241/ Loss of function may be a more accurate predictor of lifespan than disease, according to a new study. This article discusses the implications of this finding on those who evaluate heath-care and effects on heathspan |
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