Who doesn’t want a longer life? Medical breakthroughs are now starting to put time on our side but first things first. Naturally, we have to keep the brain young and functional so we can remember all these other things to reverse aging.
A lot of this comes back to our DNA, our genetic code that makes you who you are. And we’re bursting at the seams with DNA if you put it in perspective.
Here’s a little fun fact – if all your DNA was stretched end to end, it would reach the sun and back 300 times. There’s a lot of you, inside of you.
Brain (un) Freeze
Damaged DNA on brain neurons sends us into cognitive decline as we see in Alzheimer’s patients. But a recent study of an enzyme called HDAC1 seems to be involved in DNA repair in neurons.
A quick FYI- neurons are the transmitters in the brain to make sure those calls are getting through with each thought.
Simply put, if the neurons are hanging up on you, then you’re forgetting stuff. “It seems that HDAC1 is really an anti-aging molecule,” says Li-Huei Tsai, senior author of the study.
“I think this is a very broadly applicable basic biology finding because nearly all of human neurodegenerative diseases only happen during aging. I would speculate that activating HDAC1 is beneficial in many conditions.”
Just like all newly discovered medical breakthroughs for longevity, this is only great news if your mice.
But still, good news for people as these studies move forward. Soon we’ll be turning back the clock on our brains and remembering things much better as we age.
Hair’s the Good Stuff
Okay, now let’s get some hair on that brain of yours. You won’t find any argument from us that bald isn’t beautiful but now there are options. So hold off before you toss your hair blower in the trash.
By now, we’ve all heard about how stem cell therapy is all the rage in healing damaged tissue.
Meanwhile, In the magical land called South Korea, researchers have shown a stem-cell-based topical solution can regrow hair in both male and female subjects with common pattern baldness.
The news gets even better as the stem cells used in this study are abundantly found in body fat. These cells are called adipose tissue‐derived stem cells (ADSCs).
After 16 weeks the researchers found mean hair density in the intervention group had increased by 28.1 percent, compared to 7.1 percent in the placebo group. Mean hair thickness increased 14.2 percent for those using the active solution, compared to 6.3 percent in the control.
The results mirror prior studies exploring ADSCs in stimulating hair growth, promising bad hair days for all.
So far so good, we’re looking marvelously young from the neck up with our neurons firing like it’s the 4th of July, our hair blowing wildly in the wind. Now let’s work on some unwelcome body fat.
This could be as simple as blocking a gene in certain immune cells. These cells are known as macrophages, which are crucial for destroying pathogens.
Again With the Mice For a Longer Life.
Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis investigated whether reducing that inflammation could help cut down on weight gain.
Bring on the mice.
By blocking a gene called ASXL2 in the macrophages the team found that the treated mice managed to keep the pounds off, burning 45 percent more calories than the untreated group. Strangely enough, the researchers aren’t entirely sure why the treatment works.
There was also a reduction in illnesses caused by obesity so this is a promising therapy in the works. While we work our way to humans, you can still exercise like skipping a mean jump rope or trying fasting to add years to your life. Studies find that works too.
With our bodies in check from head to toe, we are now pretty much good to go on our newfound longevity. Anti-aging is big business and there are serious players on the board so we just need to stay healthy, eat more nuts and wait it out.
Juvenescence, a UK-based anti-aging biotech is leading the charge and is heavily funded, with a goal of extending our lives to 150 years. it wouldn’t hurt to also be following these top online nutrition experts for overall healthy sustainability.
This should give us all a better shot at having offspring that can take care of us in our golden years.
While we’re young, doc. Not enjoying the fasting.
Other biotech companies to keep an eye on are Life Biosciences, the Boston-based company founded in 2016 by scientists David Sinclair and Tristan Edwards, and Rejuvenate Bio, the start-up, co-founded by Harvard Medical School professor George Church.
Professor Church is actually working on extending the life of dogs first, then humans. We think most would agree we’ll give up a few years of our own lives if that means having more quality time with our pets. Hey, they’re family too.
