Aging May Be An Epigenetic Process

[haidut]

The study focused on turning adult cells into stem cells (which is something yet to be proven safe or replicable in humans), the important message is that aging seems to be an epigenetic process, and as such fully reversible. This matches well with the other studies I posted showing glycine, pregnenolone, progesterone, aspirin, or an anti-serotonin chemicals can signitifantly extend lifespan.

Cellular reprogramming slows aging in mice
"...Scientists have rolled back time for live mice through systemic cellular reprogramming, according to a study published December 15 in Cell. In mice carrying a mutation leading to premature aging, reprogramming of chemical marks in the genome, known as epigenetic marks, reduced many signs of aging in the mice and extended their lifespan on average from 18 weeks to 24.
The study suggests that epigenetic changes drive the aging process, and that those changes may be malleable. "We did not correct the mutation that causes premature aging in these mice," says lead investigator Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a professor in the Salk Institute of Biological Science's Gene Expression Laboratory. "We altered aging by changing the epigenome, suggesting that aging is a plastic process."

 

[Soren]

Fascinating. Would this suggest that if we figured out what the epigenetic factors that result in ageing we could essentially end it?

My own view is that one of the biggest impediments to extending lifespan is that there is always some small level of stress in the way that we take in energy into the body to maintain its structure. We have yet to get to a point where the energy we take in gets efficiently used to help maintain a healthy vibrant structure and the outside stressors of the world be they poor diet, lack of sunlight, psychological etc cause the decay of certain parts of the body through the release of stress hormones that are attempting to maintain some coherence of the organism.

This is why things like light and simple sugars are so beneficial and anti-stress because they require a minimal amount of processing to be utilised as energy to maintain the coherence. Even so I would wager that the percentage of available we energy we use from what we consume is much less than what is potentially available. I do not know if this is true but I would guess that even the most energy efficient sources of sustenance such as light and sugar have some stress inducing byproducts that lead to some degradation of the organism over the long term.

Very much thinking out loud but I guess what I'm saying is that we will achieve very long lifespans when we find a way to more efficiently absorb the available energy to maintain structural coherence and greatly reduce the stress and degradation that takes place from the processing of that energy.

It seems to me that blocking serotonin given that it is one of the principal ageing stress hormones is a great leap in that direction.

 

[haidut]

Fascinating. Would this suggest that if we figured out what the epigenetic factors that result in ageing we could essentially end it?

My own view is that one of the biggest impediments to extending lifespan is that there is always some small level of stress in the way that we take in energy into the body to maintain its structure. We have yet to get to a point where the energy we take in gets efficiently used to help maintain a healthy vibrant structure and the outside stressors of the world be they poor diet, lack of sunlight, psychological etc cause the decay of certain parts of the body through the release of stress hormones that are attempting to maintain some coherence of the organism.

This is why things like light and simple sugars are so beneficial and anti-stress because they require a minimal amount of processing to be utilised as energy to maintain the coherence. Even so I would wager that the percentage of available we energy we use from what we consume is much less than what is potentially available. I do not know if this is true but I would guess that even the most energy efficient sources of sustenance such as light and sugar have some stress inducing byproducts that lead to some degradation of the organism over the long term.

Very much thinking out loud but I guess what I'm saying is that we will achieve very long lifespans when we find a way to more efficiently absorb the available energy to maintain structural coherence and greatly reduce the stress and degradation that takes place from the processing of that energy.

It seems to me that blocking serotonin given that it is one of the principal ageing stress hormones is a great leap in that direction.

Well, you are spot on about serotonin. See below.
Serotonin Antagonists Extend Lifespan, SSRI Dramatically Shorten It
Blocking Serotonin Extends Lifespan By 40%, Triples Youthspan

 

[bradley]

Is this why I'm Benjamin Buttoning?

 

[joshquintanilla]

Definitely. This would explain Progeria’s ability to give a child the features of an 80 year old