Age Reduction Breakthrough? • Hacker News Board

Re: Age Reduction Breakthrough?

#71

Post by entee » Mon, May 11, 2020, 4:27 PM UTC

peter_l_downs wrote: post #4

As someone entirely outside this field, can someone with more inside knowledge give any insight into where this lies on the crank/hoax spectrum? A biorxv paper and a well-written blogpost don't really point either way.

There’s a host of evidence that parabiosis (blood transfer from young to old) works well in mice/rats for a variety of aging issues. Some of the more concrete claims that it will transfer to humans are not as well supported to my knowledge, but that doesn’t mean impossible, just not known yet. I would also question some of the strong claims about the hypothalamus as a centrally controlled aging clock, and that DNA methylation is a driver (rather than a marker) of aging. These are big claims, the article supports them poorly. DNA methylation is an on/off signal for genes in the cell and is a subject of active research. As you can imagine it’s been implicated in a large number of biological processes including cancer. I’d be careful messing around with it in a global way.

I know of one at least one company (Spring Discovery) that is following some of this work up to find some driver molecules that could have the same effect as parabiosis. If interested in the topic I’d look at the work from the labs mentioned in the article as well as Saul Villeda (former grad student of Wyss-Coray, full disclosure I know him socially) at UCSF.

TLDR: This article is a breathless take on active research, clearly the author is excited. There’s reason to keep investigating, but the conclusions in the article are stronger than what the research can say conclusively at the moment. Very early days.

Re: Age Reduction Breakthrough?

#72

Post by commandlinefan » Mon, May 11, 2020, 4:27 PM UTC

fredley wrote: post #12

Exuma wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let's make everything about "billionaires" and completely ignore any good news.

To be clear: I do not see this as good news. The only way new life and new ideas arise is in the wake of the deceased. Death is neccessary for life. If those at the top can further cement and accumulate their wealth and power due to living longer lives, this is bad for everyone else.

Maybe not: the only way we're actually going to realistically colonize space as a species is if people live so long that a few hundred years in a spaceship is a reasonable sacrifice. I would imagine that the same people who were willing to spend fortunes on rejuvenation would also be willing to spend fortunes exploring new galaxies.

Re: Age Reduction Breakthrough?

#73

Post by waynecochran » Mon, May 11, 2020, 4:28 PM UTC

maxander wrote: post #63

Since it seems like the upshot of all of this is that Katcher is claiming to have discovered a set of signalling molecules which, when injected, rejuvenate tissue and presumably lengthen life, it runs into one of the most fundamental objections that can be leveled at theory of aging (or cure thereof): of the billions of humans that have existed, how is it that none of them have possessed a mutation which (in this cas…

Evolution may not select for long life?

https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/17077/why-does-e...

Re: Age Reduction Breakthrough?

#74

Post by babesh » Mon, May 11, 2020, 4:28 PM UTC

moneywoes wrote: post #54

babesh wrote: post #25

Was told by my wife years ago that there is a Hong Kong tycoon who has been doing this for years. Supposedly hires young people to do nothing but to stay healthy and then has transfusions of their blood. Just checked and he is still alive at 91. But this echoes vampire. This reminds me of plasma treatment for covid-19 which is actually proven. Perhaps someone will create a market for that.

What's his name?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Ka-shing

Re: Age Reduction Breakthrough?

#75

Post by zarkov99 » Mon, May 11, 2020, 4:28 PM UTC

mdszy wrote: post #68

zarkov99 wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your hatred of the successful is likely poisoning your life and making you miserable.

Luck is not success.

Yes of course, Gates, Musk, Buffet, Ford, these are just evil mediocrities that got lucky, you are right. Anyone could have done what they did, but for lack of luck.

Re: Age Reduction Breakthrough?

#76

Post by [deleted] » Mon, May 11, 2020, 4:28 PM UTC

moneywoes wrote: post #54

babesh wrote: post #25

Was told by my wife years ago that there is a Hong Kong tycoon who has been doing this for years. Supposedly hires young people to do nothing but to stay healthy and then has transfusions of their blood. Just checked and he is still alive at 91. But this echoes vampire. This reminds me of plasma treatment for covid-19 which is actually proven. Perhaps someone will create a market for that.

What's his name?

[deleted]

Re: Age Reduction Breakthrough?

#77

Post by lm28469 » Mon, May 11, 2020, 4:29 PM UTC

maxander wrote: post #63

Since it seems like the upshot of all of this is that Katcher is claiming to have discovered a set of signalling molecules which, when injected, rejuvenate tissue and presumably lengthen life, it runs into one of the most fundamental objections that can be leveled at theory of aging (or cure thereof): of the billions of humans that have existed, how is it that none of them have possessed a mutation which (in this cas…

It all boils down to "is living longer an evolutionary advantage ?"

Re: Age Reduction Breakthrough?

#78

Post by throwaway1777 » Mon, May 11, 2020, 4:29 PM UTC

eganist wrote: post #70

maxander wrote: post #63

Since it seems like the upshot of all of this is that Katcher is claiming to have discovered a set of signalling molecules which, when injected, rejuvenate tissue and presumably lengthen life, it runs into one of the most fundamental objections that can be leveled at theory of aging (or cure thereof): of the billions of humans that have existed, how is it that none of them have possessed a mutation which (in this cas…

At risk of sounding absolutely insane: There's probably no way to prove that this hasn't happened. Anyone who realizes they're not aging normally would likely have taken on a new identity elsewhere for fear of: 1. being burned at the stake 2. being trialed in repeated experiments 3. being deified, and then subsequently being burned at the stake. --- I realize my comment sounds like a joke, but I'm entirely serious. I…

There are other things that can cause similar effects. Many people look “younger” than their age.

Re: Age Reduction Breakthrough?

#79

Post by [deleted] » Mon, May 11, 2020, 4:29 PM UTC

maxander wrote: post #63

Since it seems like the upshot of all of this is that Katcher is claiming to have discovered a set of signalling molecules which, when injected, rejuvenate tissue and presumably lengthen life, it runs into one of the most fundamental objections that can be leveled at theory of aging (or cure thereof): of the billions of humans that have existed, how is it that none of them have possessed a mutation which (in this cas…

[deleted]

Re: Age Reduction Breakthrough?

#80

Post by pelario » Mon, May 11, 2020, 4:29 PM UTC

maxander wrote: post #63

Since it seems like the upshot of all of this is that Katcher is claiming to have discovered a set of signalling molecules which, when injected, rejuvenate tissue and presumably lengthen life, it runs into one of the most fundamental objections that can be leveled at theory of aging (or cure thereof): of the billions of humans that have existed, how is it that none of them have possessed a mutation which (in this cas…

> how is it that none of them have possessed a mutation which (...) endogenously produced the signalling molecules which Katcher is proposing as treatment?

Because evolution is a random-driven process. (in the same way that we carry a number of traits that made our survival harder)