Senility or aging. Some people feel depression when they hear these words. Other people prefer not to think about it. Scientists decided to find a way to get rid of this inevitable stage in the life of every person. In this article, we will study science and technology development and whether it is already possible to defeat or even delay this natural process of the organism in different ways.
1. Lifestyle.
Everyday we hear about the benefits of exercising, proper nutrition and absence of bad habits. Scientists and doctors have proved that combination of these activities may add to your age more than 10 years of life. The 34 years lasting study have proved that if a human quits smoking, does exercises at least 30 mins a day, limits alcohol and follows a proper diet, males age can increase life expectancy by 12 years and 14 years for females.
2. Nutrition.
Nowadays, diet is considered a serious business but hobby. Scientists have repeatedly argued that reducing calorie intake can slow down aging and reduce the risk of age-related diseases. But it doesn’t mean that you can never eat your favorite cake or drink soda. A study conducted in 2018 showed that the timing of food intake and the amount of food can have anti-aging effect and reduce risk of diseases such as cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer and dementia. The basic rule of such nutrition is interval starvation.
3. Mental health.
Mental disorders including substance abuse can accelerate aging. In a study published last August (2018), more than 62 thousands brain scans of people aged 9 months to 105 years were examined. A group of researchers, which included scientists from Google and Johns Hopkins University, found premature aging due to:
- schizophrenia – an average of 4 years earlier
- bipolar disorder – by 1.6 years
- cannabis abuse – by 2.8 years
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – 1.4 years
- alcohol disorder – 0.6 years
By the way, depression was not associated with accelerated aging.
4. Blood transfusion from dementia.
During the experiment it was found that blood transfusions of young mice to old ones stimulated the production of neurons and stem cells in the brain of the latter and completely changed the effects of aging. Despite the ambiguous results and the controversial startup called Ambrosia. Scientists launched it for a clinical study as patients were ready to pay $8000 for the blood plasma of younger people. Undoubtedly, the results were surprising: the bio markers of older people who have Alzheimer’s disease and heart problems showed improvements in their health. But, unfortunately, some patients’ results had a short run effect.
5. Transgenes.
Over the past few years, researchers have made a significant progress in treatment and prevention of disease of the body, removing aging cells or those that have cease to divide, but have not died out yet. These excitements were performed on mice using transgenes. In 2018, two separate groups of researchers were able to use transgenes to prevent neurodegeneration. As a result, scientists from Mayo Clinic learned how to remove aging brain cells in Alzheimer’a disease, preventing its degeneration. Meanwhile, another laboratory used transgenes to kill senescent cells in the brain of mice exposed to the herbicide, which causes Parkinson’s symptoms in humans as well as in mice. Such therapy prevented the onset of the disease.
6. Human tissue planting on a 3D printer.
In June 2018, Prellis Biologics announced that they could print human tissue with viable capillaries that can be used for transplantation. This will help to print viable organs as close as possible to real ones that have lost their functionality for a person, deformed or “worn out” with age. Today, there is a global shortage of organs for transplantation, which is one of the leading causes of death in some countries.
7. Wrinkle smoothing of internal organs.
We tend to worry about wrinkles on the skin as we age. But there are problems that are much more serious – wrinkles on the internal organs. In 2018, researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine discovered that many of the effects of aging, such as liver obesity. It may lead to shrinking cell nuclei. It interferes with the normal functioning of DNA. According to their research, modification of viruses for transfering and delivering will help laminas to reach the cells. Laminas are the protein that can smooth nuclear membranes and rejuvenate the organ.
8. Stem cells for cancer and diabetes prevention.
Researchers can control a given set of stem cells under controlled conditions and stimulate their distribution to the right organs. After they can be used to regenerate cells or tissues that have lost function due to aging. One of the startups, launched in 2018, is developing this type of therapy using stem cells of the placenta to treat everything from cancer to Crohn’s disease and diabetic neuropathy.
9. Mutation of genes.
Have you ever wondered why mammals have such a wide range of life expectancy? Researchers from Spain and the UK have studied this issue. Using the bioinformatics method, they linked certain sets of genes to the primate species that are long-lived. During the study, they were able to identify 25 mutations of the genes involved in wound healing, blood coagulation and the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. And now they intend to use the results to study the aging process in humans.
10. Removing of aging cells.
A Mayo Clinic team found that treating mice with senolithic drugs that selectively remove senescent cells (normal cells that stop dividing and growing) can prevent cell damage, restore physical function, and prolong mice lifespan. Meanwhile, Unity Biotechnology last year launched the first human clinical trials to test senolitic therapy. The purpose of their research is the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint – a disease that scientists associate with cellular aging in the joints.
Would you like to live forever? Are you ready to go for such “tricks” of science to achieve it?
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