Russian scientist "cures" aging?

[x371322]

Excerpt taken from SingularityHub.com


Imagine a pill that you could take every day that would extend your by years and keep you healthy for longer. You’d probably pay a lot for such a pill. Vladimir Skulachev looks like he is getting close to selling it to you. The global media has been a flutter with Skulachev’s recent announcement that he has developed a ‘cure for aging’. The Russian biochemist is the head of the Bioenergetics Department at Moscow State University and has been working on the problem of aging for 40 years. His cure is an anti-oxidant that he claims extends median lifespan and (if you’ll believe it) removed a cataract from his eye. We’ve seen some extraordinary claims in the last few years but a single substance that ‘cures aging’ seems almost impossible. Watch the video below to see Skulachev partially explain his work. It will be amazing if this development turns out to be even close to true.

Full Article:
http://singularityhub.com/2010/09/21/did-a-russian-scientist-really-cure-aging-or-is-it-just-a-fluke-video/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqwoo-O_GwM

[Nolan]

How do you say snake oil in Russian?

[Klaatu]

How do you say snake oil in Russian?

It is well-known that certain anti-oxidants, such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C) scavenge free-radicals in the bloodstream.
These free-radicals can cause premature cellular aging and cell damage.

What are the sources of free-radicals? Primarily air pollution. This is from combustion. Car and diesel exhaust, tobacco smoke,
even wood smoke from your fireplace emit copious amounts of unpaired-electron compounds (AKA free-radicals)

Interestingly, wood smoke is the most prominent source of free-radicals
http://burningissues.org/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=2124

[∞]

I want it...I've always feared death.

[RedScare]

Looks interesting, but sounds a little too good to be true. I'll remain skeptical until they test it a LOT more.

[Ovi]

The title is misleading.

He and his colleagues then demonstrated that SKQ1 could extend the lives of fungus, crustaceans, insects, and mice. The latter is the most exciting, and Skulachev’s team claims to have extended median lifespan by 100% (the average mouse life was twice as long)
It doesn't revert aging, it doesn't even stop it, but only slows it down somewhat. It's not exactly news that high doses of powerful antioxidants slow aging.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

The thing is, a whole host of factors contribute to the effect we call aging. This is because aging typically happens as a result of things going wrong past breeding age, for which there is no selective pressure to correct. This means all sorts of anomalies and abnormalities can be triggered without fitness consequences.

The upshot of this is that conquering old age won't be accomplished through a single pill or course of treatment (at least in the foreseeable future), but will likely consist of a battery of medical procedures and lifestyle changes.

How this will translate statistically into future average lifespan figures depends on subjects bigger than biology. Let us hope that anti-agathic treatments are cheap, or can be made cheaply, so that all who stand to benefit can demand it as their right.

[Ovi]

I wonder what the life expectancy of humans would be if we were not to age. A certain population would decrease exponentially with time (in a non changing environment), just like radioactive decay, if it's members are biologically immortal, so the odds of living much more than that are pretty slim.

[scarletghoul]

I wonder what the life expectancy of humans would be if we were not to age. A certain population would decrease exponentially with time (in a non changing environment), just like radioactive decay, if it's members are biologically immortal, so the odds of living much more than that are pretty slim.
iF There weas no automatic aging ( that is ,, if humans were to live indefinaitely,) we would b e in the same situation as lobster

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

iF There weas no automatic aging ( that is ,, if humans were to live indefinaitely,) we would b e in the same situation as lobster

I don't think so. Lobsters get more fertile with age, but human fertility drops off with age.

[scarletghoul]

That;s interesting.

However presumbably a prevention of aging would prevernt the infertillity too ?

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

That;s interesting.

However presumbably a prevention of aging would prevernt the infertillity too ?

Depends on exactly how you're preventing the aging, I would say.

[Quail]

That;s interesting.

However presumbably a prevention of aging would prevernt the infertillity too ?

Perhaps it could be used to preserve the quality of women's eggs, which would improve the chances of older mothers having healthy children. I have no idea what effect it would have on hormones though.

It's an interesting idea and if it works as well as intended, those 40 years of that scientist's life will be so worhtwhile.

[Axle]

Ok, while its true that cellular oxidation is the cause of aging, this magical little pill needs to get that wonderful medicine into EVERY SINGLE CELL in a human body before it'll work.

[x371322]

Ok, while its true that cellular oxidation is the cause of aging, this magical little pill needs to get that wonderful medicine into EVERY SINGLE CELL in a human body before it'll work.

Maybe use a virus as a carrier? Like with genetic therapies. If that would even be possible in this scenario, I'm not sure...

[Quail]

I'm not sure whether a virus carrier would be able to reach every single cell in the body or not. Wouldn't it have to be administered in several different ways to "infect" all of the body?

[GPDP]

Maybe use a virus as a carrier? Like with genetic therapies. If that would even be possible in this scenario, I'm not sure...

In before I Am Legend.

[The Fighting_Crusnik]

I can't say that I would use the pill because I don't want to live forever. Even the age of 80 or 90, which is when people in my family die, seems to damn long. On the other hand, if I were to used those pills, I would do it in my twenties or thirties just so that I had a little more energy when I'm raising my kids. (assuming I have any :p )

[AK]

Ok, while its true that cellular oxidation is the cause of aging, this magical little pill needs to get that wonderful medicine into EVERY SINGLE CELL in a human body before it'll work.
Deliver shit to every cell in the body? I hear the circulatory system is great at doing just that :rolleyes:

Maybe use a virus as a carrier? Like with genetic therapies. If that would even be possible in this scenario, I'm not sure...
Most viruses cause cells to die.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Most viruses cause cells to die.

Some viruses (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrovirus) also write themselves into the host's DNA without cell destruction.

[Ovi]

In fact, about 8% of the human genome (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endogenous_retrovirus) is comprised of human endogenous retroviruses.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

This could mean that if there is a genetic element to human aging, it could be treated by injection into the bloodstream of specially engineered retroviruses.

[Q]

I wonder what the life expectancy of humans would be if we were not to age. A certain population would decrease exponentially with time (in a non changing environment), just like radioactive decay, if it's members are biologically immortal, so the odds of living much more than that are pretty slim.

Statistically, about 700 years. A while back I read somewhere that's the timespan you life before dieing of some freak accident or something.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Statistically, about 700 years. A while back I read somewhere that's the timespan you life before dieing of some freak accident or something.

If we're considering multi-century lifespans, I would say that the kind of risks that normally concern whole civilisations suddenly become a personal matter of life and death for such entities.

From now (I'm 23) to about 70 years of age the chances of human civilisation being scattered to the four winds by some disaster are personally unlikely, but if I were to live to 700 years, I would consider safeguarding civilisation to be second only to preserving my own life. Perhaps even then...

Am I the only one who thinks this way?

[Quail]

Statistically, about 700 years. A while back I read somewhere that's the timespan you life before dieing of some freak accident or something.
That's really interesting. It also shows that freak accidents must be less likely than I think.

If we all lived that long on average, I wonder whether people would see environmental damage as more of a problem because it would affect them in their lifetime?

[chegitz guevara]

iF There weas no automatic aging ( that is ,, if humans were to live indefinaitely,) we would b e in the same situation as lobster

We would be delicious with butter and lemon?

[chegitz guevara]

Ok, while its true that cellular oxidation is the cause of aging, this magical little pill needs to get that wonderful medicine into EVERY SINGLE CELL in a human body before it'll work.

This is not true. Naked mole rats have significant oxidation damage and live ten times longer than mice, which don't have such damage. What's more, nmrs don't show any signs of again until the last 1/10th of their life span.

There's a discussion on this in the latest Discover magazine.

[Ocean Seal]

Its unreasonable to believe that curing aging is even possible in the most minimal of ways. However, free radical reduction is certainly a positive thing that can decelerate the aging process. Free radical reaction can be caused by triggering constitutive Nitric Oxide into the blood stream using a series of different compounds ranging from (poly-unsaturated fatty acids to morphine) and then having constitutive nitric oxide bind to Oxygen and other free radicals. However, it should be noted that oxygen reaction cannot be marginalized and that we will continue to age. Also DNA tends to be shortened as our lives go on. Aging is an inevitable symptom of life, we can decelerate it, but the fountain of youth is far beyond us.

[Summerspeaker]

Aging is an inevitable symptom of life, we can decelerate it, but the fountain of youth is far beyond us.

Biologically immortal organisms such as the hydra suggest otherwise. While it might be far beyond present technology, Aubrey de Grey's fundamental notion of reversing aging by treating the damage involved makes sense. With sufficient understanding of the human body, there's no reason we shouldn't be able to main it indefinitely. It's a worthy long-term goal in any case.

[Ocean Seal]

Biologically immortal organisms such as the hydra suggest otherwise. While it might be far beyond present technology, Aubrey de Grey's fundamental notion of reversing aging by treating the damage involved makes sense. With sufficient understanding of the human body, there's no reason we shouldn't be able to maintain it indefinitely. It's a worthy long-term goal in any case.
The hydra is also a much more simple organism to the extent that they can undergo tissue repair, and do not have a brain. Something like tissue repair is very simple for a hydra because it is only two cells thick. But for a human with muscle tissue interconnected with nerve endings it would be very difficult. Tissue repair is a possibility and further research should be pursued. However, something like infinite life is most probably not possible. This is in part because we have a brain and while the physical and mental symptoms of aging can be ameliorated it is unlikely that they can be stopped or reversed. Alzheimer's disease is a stunning example of this. It can take away memory and make simple mental tasks difficult or impossible for individuals who have aged. Now it can be treated prior to onset and thus the progression of the disease is delayed. The progression of the disease is inevitable though even if other symptoms of aging are treated. Which leads me to believe that aging as a whole is unstoppable. And even if it is with Alzheimer's the result becomes undesirable.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

The hydra is also a much more simple organism to the extent that they can undergo tissue repair, and do not have a brain. Something like tissue repair is very simple for a hydra because it is only two cells thick. But for a human with muscle tissue interconnected with nerve endings it would be very difficult. Tissue repair is a possibility and further research should be pursued. However, something like infinite life is most probably not possible. This is in part because we have a brain and while the physical and mental symptoms of aging can be ameliorated it is unlikely that they can be stopped or reversed. Alzheimer's disease is a stunning example of this. It can take away memory and make simple mental tasks difficult or impossible for individuals who have aged. Now it can be treated prior to onset and thus the progression of the disease is delayed. The progression of the disease is inevitable though even if other symptoms of aging are treated. Which leads me to believe that aging as a whole is unstoppable. And even if it is with Alzheimer's the result becomes undesirable.

Alzheimer's is evidence that the human brain can fail. It's not evidence that the human brain can't be prevented from failing via medical intervention.