Healthy Aging, Longevity and Life Extension

Dear Future Centenarian,

Almost twenty years ago, I bought some furniture from one of the nicest, most gentle men I ever knew. He owned a furniture store in my hometown, Johnstown, PA. That was the first time I met him, even though I went to high school with his son.

He came to my home to ensure delivery went well, and we got into a long conversation. I don’t remember much of the discussion, but a lot of it had to do with aging and how great his life was up to recently. One sentence stuck with me for twenty years and helped shape my future. That sentence was:

“I never thought it would be like this.”

Mr. Gearhart was probably in his 70’s at the time, and he was not aging well. He was afflicted with early-stage Parkinson’s which prompted him to explain to me how aging absolutely sucked. He went on to say he always knew he would grow old, and then he laid that haunting sentence on me. It was a distressing conversation for me and a sad time for his family. I’m sure he’s gone by now, and his death must have been agonizing. He wasn’t one of the “lucky” ones with a squared mortality curve.

A squared mortality curve is where a person stays healthy until he or she dies. Most gerontologists try to square mortality curves to alleviate old age suffering. Most mortality curves decline from birth to death, especially in the later stages of life. That means your health gradually declines as you age, usually severely in the last ten years or so, just like Mr. Gearhart’s. So squaring the curve generally means a quick comfortable death.

A squared curve is not my goal. A horizontal one is. That would be where you stay in top shape with no end in sight. You would see no decline, because you wouldn’t age. (Yes, I know a “horizontal curve” is technically not a curve, but a line. I hardly ever get to coin a term though, so I’m going to keep using it.)

Then, if an accident suddenly ended your life, your curve would then become squared.

If you’re not yet convinced that keeping your mortality curve horizontal is possible, I’m sure you most certainly prefer a squared curve to that of a declining one. Personally, I’m holding out for quality AND quantity.

But whichever your goal is, you will advance toward it by keeping up with the weekly information in Longevity News Digest.

By the way, a horizontal curve is my goal for you as well as for me.

P.S. If you have donated to Maximum Life Foundation and are waiting for your final premiums, your wait is almost over. Stem Cell Products is taking delivery next week of their first inventory of Signals, the breakthrough skin care line. You will be receiving yours soon, and your wait will have been worth it. If you have had a change of address, please let me know.
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AVOID CHRONIC INFLAMMATION

Chronic inflammation is a potent source of biochemical damage that contributes to age-related disease. A reminder of the way in which that works and what can be done:

http://www.fightaging.org/archives/001659.php

The best short term way of evading chronic inflammation, and thereby increasing your chances to living more healthy years, is to avoid carrying excess visceral fat. But that only gets you so far: eventually even the healthiest immune system in the healthiest body starts to fall into a permanent condition of chronic inflammation called inflammaging. Evolution didn't produce a system that can be used for as long as we modern humans would like."

So when Reason says 'avoid chronic inflammation' he’s not really talking about sane lifestyle choices, although that's very necessary as well. He really means 'do what you can to help advance medical research into repairing our aged immune systems.' As time goes by, you'll find that the greatest determinant of your health and longevity is medical technology that can repair the damage of aging. While we're healthy and active, we should do what we can to advance that medical research; it'll pay off later.
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LATEST HEALTHY LIFE EXTENSION HEADLINES

Indy Longevity Mutation Works through Mitochondria (January 23 2009) http://news.brown.edu/pressreleases/2009/01/aging
Another longevity mutation is shown to work by reducing the all-important emission of free radicals from the mitochondria: "first discovered in 2000 [a] mutation in the Indy ('I'm Not Dead Yet') gene [extends] the life span of fruit flies. Subsequent studies of the Indy flies have led to the new finding that a mechanism in those genetically altered fruit flies appears to reduce significantly the production of free radicals, a cellular byproduct that can contribute to the aging process. This intervention takes place with few or no side effects on the quality of life for the fruit fly. The discovery could lead to the development of new anti-aging treatments. There are very few, if any, interventions that are known to dramatically extend healthy lifespan. Understanding how [the] Indy mutation alters the metabolic state of the fruit fly would allow someone to come up with pharmacological interventions that could mimic it and give you the benefit of genetic manipulation without having to do genetics."

Geron Going to Trials with Stem Cell Therapy (January 23 2009) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/business/23stem.html
As the New York Times reports, Geron's embryonic stem cell therapy for spinal injuries is soon entering phase I human trials. Make what you will of timing, and consider that in the absence of the FDA this would already be in clinics: "The clearance of the clinical trial - of a treatment for spinal cord injury - is to be announced Friday. Geron's trial will involve 8 to 10 people with severe spinal cord injuries. The cells will be injected into the spinal cord at the injury site 7 to 14 days after the injury occurs, because there is evidence the therapy will not work for much older injuries. Geron's therapy involves using various growth factors to turn embryonic stem cells into precursors of neural support cells called oligodendrocytes, which are then injected into the spinal cord at the site of the injury. The hope is that the injected cells will help repair the insulation, known as myelin, around nerve cells, restoring the ability of some nerve cells to carry signals. There is also some hope that growth factors produced by the injected cells will spur damaged nerve cells to regenerate." By way of a reminder, we should all be interested in technologies for myelin repair, given the evidence for a general decline in myelin during aging.

Rebuilding Nerves with Viruses (January 22 2009) http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/21991/
From the Technology Review: "Researchers working on tissue engineering hope to eventually be able to use a patient's own cells to grow replacement tissue for damaged hearts, livers, and nerves. But mimicking the structure and function of the body's tissue has proved difficult. Matrices of supportive, fibrous proteins sustain the cells of the heart, lungs, and other tissues in the body. These scaffolds provide both structural support and chemical signals that enable an organ or nerve tissue to function properly. Viruses that mimic supportive nerve tissue may someday help regenerate injured spinal cords. While other tissue-engineering materials must be synthesized and shaped in the lab, genetically engineered viruses have the advantage of being self-replicating and self-assembling. They can be designed to express cell-friendly proteins on their surfaces and, with a little coaxing, be made into complex tissue like structures. Preliminary studies show that scaffolds made using a type of virus called a bacteriophage (or phage) that infects bacteria but cannot invade animal cells can support the growth and organization of nerve cells."

Beyond Stem Cells (January 21 2009) http://www.agemed.org/default.asp?page=ShaneLaskyBeyondStemCellsJan09
A fascinating article: "stem cells are an imprecise physiological system to directly communicate to cellular networks of a host organism. The future of stem cell research will not necessarily be in the transplantation of stem cells to a specific pathogenic tissue region, but rather in reeducating or reprogramming that particular cellular network. Each organism has an exacting molecular blue print, which as a function of epigenetics, is either enhanced or mollified through its interfacement with a particular environmental milieu. Stem cell transplantation is not a precise strategy for amelioratively reprogramming cellular networks, which are compromised. In most instances, the stem cells, which have been transplanted are only inducing a minimum benefit in terms of their medicinal efficacy. Stem cell transplantation is not a therapeutic pantheon, but rather a way to comprehend how to modify a tissue's proteomics or physiological processes. Clinical medicine in the future will not involve providing imprecise cellular substrates, which vaguely impact genetic transcription and translation or millions of stem cells to a pathophysiologic tissue. Medical therapies will [instead] be a precise utilization of peptides which can ardently reprogram an overall.

Regenerating Stroke Damage (January 19 2009) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7795586.stm
The BBC looks at a clinical trial for Reneuron's foetal-derived stem cell line: "A Glasgow team is to launch a major trial to assess whether stem cells can be used to treat stroke patients. If it works, as it has done in animal model systems, it may allow new nerve cells to grow or regeneration of existing cells and actual recovery of function in patients who would not otherwise be able to regain function. For the high proportion of patients who make an incomplete recovery [you] can reorganize the brain, you can help that reorganization with physiotherapy but you cannot cause new nerve cells to grow. The hope with stem cell therapy is that by putting in new cells and new tissue that you can further improve on that recovery. We have only taken one donation of tissue to make this product. We have a technology that is able to scale up an individual cell into all of the cells that are required to treat thousands of patients. We think this is a major plus in the technology we have and really negates the ethical concerns about the original use of fetal tissue."

A Look at Osiris Therapeutics (January 19 2009) http://pharmexec.findpharma.com/pharmexec/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/575911?contextCategoryId=47505
An interview with the Osiris Therapeutics president is as revealing of the way in which the FDA constrains progress as it is of the work being done. Broadly promising scientific applications are held back for years and squashed down to minor, narrowly approved uses - and everyone involved has to speak as though this is wonderful and the best of all possible worlds lest they are targeted for retribution. It's a sorry state of affairs. From the interview: mesenchymal stem cells or MSCs "do three things: They downregulate inflammation, they work to regenerate the damaged connective tissue, and they prevent scarring or fibrosis. That's the Holy Trinity of the mesenchymal stem cell. It's the natural progression or sequence of how we respond to injury. When we're young, that process works well. Children heal in miraculous ways. Conversely, an elderly person will die of something like a fractured hip. This is because children have 1,000-fold more MSC in their body than adults do. What happens is an adult ends up with a very exaggerated inflammatory response, a weak regenerative response, and a lot of scarring. We can reverse that trend by administering MSC. Because MSCs naturally have a broad range of things they can respond to, our job is to package them as something that will satisfy the FDA."

Kekich’s Credo

Dear Future Centenarian,

About 21 years ago, I was reflecting on some really dumb mistakes I made in my life and what I could do to keep from repeating them. So I drew on almost all the positive lessons I learned and on all the wisdom of people and mentors whose paths I crossed. The result was personal rules of life encapsulated in 100 credos. I named it Kekich’s Credo” and studied it religiously.

A friend of mine got a copy and published it in his newsletter. Then it spread to another newsletter and so on, and in some circles I became known as “The Credo Guy”.

Last October, Pete Hilgartner, a very bright and fascinating chiropractor, called me to ask permission to publish some of my credos in his newsletter. He went on the say he wanted to write a little essay on each as they pertain to health and well-being. Since then, he did about twenty. From time-to-time, I will share some of Dr. Pete’s gems with you, starting with this one:


1. People will do almost anything to stay in their comfort zones. If you want to accomplish anything, get out of your comfort zone. Strive to increase order and discipline in your life. Discipline usually means doing the opposite of what you feel like doing. The easy roads to discipline are 1) setting deadlines, 2) discovering and doing what you do best and what's important and enjoyable to you and 3) focusing on habits by replacing your bad habits and thought patterns, one-by-one, over time, with good habits and thought patterns.

What health habits (or lack thereof) are you holding on to that are keeping you from your goals?

Are you trying to lose weight? Get strong? Get rid of back pain? Maybe you're ignoring your high blood pressure or triglycerides. "Yumm! that pizza just looks too good! I'll be more disciplined tomorrow..."

Here's a wake up call... NO YOU WON'T!

If you want a different outcome in your life, on any dynamic, you have to DO something different, NOW! The same-ol', same-ol 'is gonna get you the same-ol', same-ol'.

Yes, new habits are tough. They take you out of your comfort zone.

Getting up in the morning to stretch before you do anything else (OK, you can go pee first) is going to be new... but what will you gain? Is the pleasure of what you will gain worth the short term discomfort of doing what you haven't done before? What about giving up the donuts and replacing it with an egg? How about taking a walk instead of watching TV?

Change is actually easy once you decide what it is that you really want and don't let anything stand in the way of making that decision a reality. Excuses are simply a way for you to stay in your comfort zone.

When you hear that little voice in your head start to make excuses or rationalize, shout "STOP! Thank you for sharing...now go away...I choose to _______ (fill in the blank.) I'm DONE with my comfort zone!"

You can certainly stay in that warm bed and not go for that walk you planned. After all you can start tomorrow...

The choice is yours... but so are the results.

How are your choices working for you?


This guy is something else, isn’t he? How’d you like to have someone like Dr. Pete as your personal chiropractor? You can find more about him at www.drshilgartner.com.
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LATEST HEALTHY LIFE EXTENSION HEADLINES

The Age of the Cyborg (January 09 2009) http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/ubcreports/2009/09jan08/cyborg.html
The cyborg age is sneaking up on us by way of the tools of tissue engineering and improvements in nanoscale manufacture. Sooner or later most of us will have artificial structures in our bodies - though perhaps not the ones we imagined having when we were young: "With age, the human body wears out. And engineered materials - metals, polymers and ceramics - increasingly help repair or replace injured or destroyed body parts. As we become more sophisticated in our ability to design materials, particularly at the nanoscale, we open all kinds of opportunities for repairing damaged body parts. The potential is really unlimited. Considering the great strides materials engineers are making in developing materials that are readily accepted by the body and that accelerate the process of recovery and healing, the age of the Cyborg seems not so much science fiction as it does science fact - a good thing given the increasing life expectancy and enduring desire to lead active lives."

Most Likely Not Programmed Aging (January 08 2009) http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-01/sumc-sru010509.php
From EurekAlert!: "Two previously identified pathways associated with aging in mice are connected. The finding reinforces what researchers have recently begun to suspect: that the age-related degeneration of tissues [is] an active, deliberate process rather than a gradual failure of tired cells. Derailing or slowing this molecular betrayal, although still far in the future, may enable us to one day tack years onto our lives ... There is a genetic process that has to be on, and enforced, in order for aging to happen. It's possible that those rare individuals who live beyond 100 years have a less-efficient version of this master pathway." I suspect that one reason that theories of programmed aging remain somewhat popular is that the reactions of our cells to a slow stochastic accumulation of biochemical wear and tear do look something like the unfolding of a program. Gene expression steadily changes as the damage mounts. So you see research like this, said to support programmed aging but which could just as well support aging as an accumulation of damage. Researchers are linking changes in gene expression previously noted to be important to aging and longevity, but without evidence of the root cause of these changes, it's premature to declare aging programmed.

Provoking Regeneration (January 08 2009) http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-01/icl-scu010709.php
From EurekAlert!: "When a person has a disease or an injury, the bone marrow mobilizes different types of stem cells to help repair and regenerate tissue. New research [shows] that it may be possible to boost the body's ability to repair itself and speed up repair, by using different new drug combinations to put the bone marrow into a state of 'red alert' and send specific kinds of stem cells into action. In the new study, researchers tricked the bone marrow of healthy mice into releasing two types of adult stem cells - mesenchymal stem cells, which can turn into bone and cartilage and that can also suppress the immune system, and endothelial progenitor cells, which can make blood vessels and therefore have the potential to repair damage in the heart. The researchers were able to choose which groups of stem cells the bone marrow released, by using two different therapies. Ultimately, the researchers hope that their new technique could be used to repair and regenerate tissue, for example when a person has heart disease or a sports injury, by mobilizing the necessary stem cells. The researchers also hope that they could tackle autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, where the body is attacked by its own immune system, by kicking the mesenchymal stem cells into action."

More on Tissue Engineering of Bone Marrow (January 07 2009)
http://www.economist.com/science/tm/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12883495
From the Economist: "tissue engineers have mastered the arts of artificial skin and bladders, and recently they have managed to rig up a windpipe for a patient whose existing one was blocked. But more complicated organs elude them. And simpler ones, too. No one, for instance, has managed to grow bone marrow successfully. At first sight, that is surprising. The soft and squishy marrow inside bones does not look like a highly structured tissue, but apparently it is. That does not matter for transplants. If marrow cells are moved from one bone to another they quickly make themselves at home. But it matters for research. Bone marrow plays an important role in the immune system, and also in bodily rejuvenation. Stem cells that originate within the marrow generate various sorts of infection-fighting blood cells and also help to repair damaged organs. However, many anti-cancer and anti-viral drugs are toxic to marrow. That leaves patients taking them susceptible to disease and premature ageing. Experiments intended to investigate this toxicity using mice have proved unsatisfactory. Nicholas Kotov of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and his colleagues have therefore been trying to grow human marrow artificially."

Continued Improvement in iPS Cells (January 07 2009) http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-01/bu-cas010709.php
Researchers continue to rapidly improve the technology of production for induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells: a "research team has discovered a more efficient way to create [iPS] cells, derived from mouse fibroblasts, by using a single virus vector instead of multiple viruses in the reprogramming process. The result is a powerful laboratory tool and a significant step toward the application of embryonic stem cell-like cells for clinical purposes such as the regeneration of organs damaged by inherited or degenerative diseases. Prior research studies have required multiple retroviral vectors for reprogramming - steps that depended on four different viruses to transfer genes into the cells' DNA - essentially a separate virus for each reprogramming gene. Upon activation these genes convert the cells from their adult, differentiated status to what amounts to an embryonic-like state. However, the high number of genomic integrations - 15 to 20 - that typically occurs when multiple viruses are used for reprogramming, poses a safety risk in humans, as some of these genes [can] cause cancer. The major milestone [was] combining the four vectors into a single 'stem cell cassette' containing all four genes. The cassette (named STEMCCA) [was] able to generate iPS cells more efficiently - 10 times higher than previously reported studies."

More on Skulachev's Research and SkQ1 (January 06 2009) http://pmid.us/19120018
One of the items I'd like to see reasonably settled soon is whether longevity can be reliably engineered by targeting antioxidant compounds to the mitochondria and thereby slowing the accumulation of damaged mitochondria and their contribution to aging. We have good demonstrations that it can, and good demonstrations that it can't. Something interesting is clearly going on (as indicated by mice living significantly longer than they ordinarily would), but the details are still fuzzy. One of the lines of this research I've been following for a while is the work of Skulachev and colleagues in Russia, who seem to have developed an ingested compound called SkQ1 that can perform the mitochondrial targeting trick without the need for gene engineering of the sort employed by Rabinovitch. Here's the latest paper from that group: "Very low (nano- and subnanomolar) concentrations of 10-(6'-plastoquinonyl) decyltriphenylphosphonium (SkQ1) were found to prolong lifespan of [an] insect (Drosophila melanogaster) and a mammal (mouse). The lifespan increase is accompanied by rectangularization of the survival curves (an increase in survival is much larger at early than at late ages) and disappearance of typical traits of senescence or retardation of their development. Data summarized here and in the preceding papers of this series suggest that mitochondria-targeted antioxidant SkQ1 is competent in slowing down execution of an aging program responsible for development of age-related senescence."

Enthusiasm for Regenerating Teeth (January 06 2009) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008593860_teeth06.html
From the Seattle Times: "the real news about the future of dentures is that there isn't much of one. It turns out wisdom teeth are prolific sources of adult stem cells needed to grow new teeth for you. From scratch. In your adult life, as you need them. In the near future. Regenerating a whole tooth is no less complicated than rebuilding a whole heart. Not only do you have to create smart tissue (nerves), strong tissue (ligaments) and soft tissue (pulp), you've got to build enamel - by far the hardest structural element in the body. And you have to have openings for blood vessels and nerves. And you have to make the whole thing stick together. And you have to anchor it in bone. And then you have to make the entire arrangement last a lifetime in the juicy stew of bacteria that is your mouth. It's a nuisance, but researchers are closing in on it. They think the tooth probably will be the first complex organ to be completely regenerated from stem cells. In part, this is because teeth are easily accessible. Nobody is predicting when the first whole tooth will be grown in a human, although five to 10 years is a common guess."

An Interview with Jason Silva (January 05 2009) http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/01/05/interview-jason-silva-on-how-science-will-make-you-live-forever/An interesting interview: "I believe humans have always overcome their biological limitations. It is what has brought us out of the caves and onto the moon. We have cured ourselves of diseases, we fly remarkable machines through the air at 500 miles per hour. We communicate instantly and wirelessly across the world. Why is it such a stretch to imagine us re-programming our biochemistry (much like computer software) so that we may alleviate suffering, decay, and death? Death is a profound tragedy. Human consciousness is basically a profound (and valuable) pattern of information residing in a complex biological machine. This machine can repair itself for a certain period, but over time it wears out and decays at a faster rate than it can fix itself. This is why we die. Today, however, we are at the verge of correcting this. Death is the loss of everything that matters - It is our memories, our loves, the images and dreams that define us - the songs that moved us and the films that shaped us. Death takes this all away. I argue that in the same way we feel compelled to preserve the works of Shakespeare and other great works of art, why shouldn't we extend this into our physicality?"

Aging is Slowly Stealing Our Lives

You and I are both aware that aging is slowly stealing our health, our vigor and our lives. Yet we function without a sense of urgency to do something about aging. Why? Because we’re bombarded with our personal and career responsibilities and daily distractions. And those squeaky wheels are what get our attention. This is totally normal and logical. We have to take care of our families, get our haircuts and pay attention to endless details. Who has time to really make a commitment to being proactive when it comes to something as abstract as age-reversal?

That’s the way I used to think. But taking paths of least resistance normally leads us down reactive paths. In other words, we usually let outside forces control our lives. It isn’t until we’re faced with a crisis that those forces take a backseat to focusing on something that may have been avoided in the first place. Sometimes, that crisis means life or death.

This really hit home when I just found out a close and loved associate was diagnosed with one of the deadliest forms of cancer. What’s even more tragic is he’s an active life extension researcher. That’s the worst of ironies.

I am saddened to report that Dr. Chris Heward, one of the original participants of MaxLife’s first international scientific brainstorm sessions to reverse aging, is fighting an uphill battle for his life. Chris is Director of the Kronos Science Laboratories of Phoenix, AZ. He has been diagnosed with terminal, Stage-IV Esophageal Cancer. The cancer has metastasized to several other organs, and consequently his condition has a poor prognosis (50% mortality in 90 days and about 99% in a year).

Since surgery is no longer a realistic option, Chris has proposed to undergo an experimental but very promising immunotherapy treatment in Boca Raton, FL. However, this treatment requires blood donors less than 30 years old with "A" or "O" positive or negative blood types and no prior history of cancer in their families. If you are in—or if you know anyone in this category who would be willing to donate several units of blood to retrieve the granulocyte cells, please get in touch with me as soon as possible. Not only could this experimental treatment save Chris, but it could lead to a universal cure for many types of cancer. Here’s an opportunity to contribute to a great cause that could ultimately save many lives by making a simple referral.

Thank you in advance for your attention to this critical matter.
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LATEST HEALTHY LIFE EXTENSION HEADLINES

Researchers on Aging (November 14 2008) http://www.mcclatchydc.com/226/story/55835.html
An article of quotes from various noted aging reseachers: "Aging is caused by the gradual, lifelong accumulation of a wide variety of molecular and cellular damage. The free radical theory is the most widely accepted theory of aging. But the idea that aging is caused by one thing is naive. One general theory can never fit all. Clearly, it's the combination of genes that your parents dealt you and the lifestyle choices you make and the environmental toxins one is exposed to. One need only count the number of ways a car will fail to start to appreciate that aging can be caused by a large number of problems. Like any machine, it's going to wear out. About 25 percent of how a person ages is due to inherited genes. Certain genes control a cell's ability to repair damaged DNA. If those genes are defective, they can't do their job. Not everybody will be susceptible to diseases like Parkinson's or cancer as they age. But each one of us will lose muscle mass and muscle strength. That's why this research is so important. Frailty affects all of us."

Enhanced Longevity through Telomerase (November 14 2008) http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/38552/title/Telomere_enzyme_a_likely_key_to_longevity
From Science News: "the enzyme telomerase can extend the lifespan of mice by about 24 percent. Telomerase lengthens telomeres - the 'caps' on the end of chromosomes that protect DNA from damage. Like burning fuses, telomeres normally get shorter each time that most body cells divide. While the enzyme enables cells to keep dividing, it also takes cells one step closer to growing and proliferating out of control - that is, becoming cancerous. Lab animals with extra genes for telomerase often die young from tumors. [researchers] engineered mice to have not only an extra copy of the gene for telomerase, but also extra anti-tumor genes to combat the enzyme's cancer-causing potential. In the altered mice, signs of aging such as poor coordination or degraded tissue health were delayed compared to mice that had only the extra copies of anti-tumor genes." Most interesting; you might also want to look at recent research that suggests telomerase operates by protecting mitochondria, and less damaged mitochondria means better preservation of telomeres - but, more importantly for life span, less oxidative stress.

Better Synthetic Cartilage (November 13 2008) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081113075959.htm
From ScienceDaily: "Until now, creating synthetic cartilage was complex but not impossible. The problem was that it was impossible to imitate the perfection of human cartilage due to the difficulty in orienting the collagen nanofibers [in] a particular configuration: in parallel, in a circle, or crossed. The fibers that form the cartilage that protects the knee are aligned in parallel. [Researchers have now] achieved this using the electrospinning method. Collagen nanofibers are obtained by exposing the collagen to electrical discharges. The collagen is extruded, in the form of a nanofiber thread, through a fine needle and is deposited on an electric collector consisting of two grounded plates. The student placed a nonconductive material between the two conducting plates. The nanofibers aligned on top of each other perfectly in parallel lines between the two conducting plates." Innovations in engineering the simpler forms of human tissue have been arriving more rapidly of late - more scientists are involved, the tools are improving, and the cost of research is falling. This is all groundwork for the next decade and tissue engineering of complex replacement organs.

Steps towards Liver Regeneration (November 13 2008) http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2008/11/liver-stem-cell-marker.html
Discovering a stem cell population is the first step to regenerating the tissue they support: "A novel protein marker has been found that identifies rare adult liver stem cells, whose ability to regenerate injured liver tissue has the potential for cell-replacement therapy. In the future, this marker will allow for the isolation and expansion of these stem cells, which could then be used to help patients whose livers can no longer repair their own tissue. In a healthy liver, proliferation of mature liver and bile-duct lining cells is sufficient to maintain the necessary size and function of the organ. This even works when the liver is confronted with mild and acute injury, but the situation changes when injury to the liver is chronic and severe. For chronic injury, the liver uses a back-up system that stimulates stem cells to proliferate and eventually differentiate into new liver cells. [Researchers] found that these dual-potential stem cells can be identified and potentially isolated from other liver cells."

More on Myelin Loss (November 12 2008)
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-11/mnia-itw111208.php
You might recall that age-related thinning of the myelin that insulates nerves strongly correlates with declining brain function. Researchers investigating MS are making progress into the mechanisms by which this happens: the protein netrin-1 "is known to guide and direct nerve cell axons to their targets. Blocking the function of netrin-1 and one of its receptors in adult neural tissue causes the disruption of myelin. We've known for just over 10 years that netrin is essential for normal development of the nervous system, and we also knew that netrin was present in the adult brain, but we didn't know why. The new findings show that
netrin-1 and its receptor are needed to hold paranodal junctions in place, and thereby maintain the structure of myelin. The paranodal junction is a highly specialized region of contact where an oligodendrocyte cell attaches itself to the nerve cell's axon. This juncture acts as a molecular fence, which organizes and segregates the distribution of key proteins along the nerve cells axon and plays an imperative role in the proper conduction of electrical signals along the length of the nerve cell. When the function of netrin-1 and its receptor is disrupted, the organization of this adhesive junction comes apart, disrupting the function of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord."

Brain Growth Receptors and Lifespan (November 10 2008) http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0060274
A very readable overview of recent research from PLoS Biology: "When resources are short, growing organisms face an existential choice: should you ignore the shortage and hope for better times soon, or scale back and live within your limited means? And if you do scale back, will there be any payoff later in life? For animals, these choices are played out hormonally, with environmental fluctuations leading to internal rearrangements in endocrine signal and response throughout the growing body. In mammals, two principal hormones - growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) - promote growth. Remarkably, inhibiting one or both of these two not only retards growth, but also extends lifespan, not just in lab animals, but possibly also in people: mutations that reduce the function of the IGF-1 receptor have recently been discovered in centenarians (who are also short). Growth occurs throughout the body, and receptors for IGF-1 are found in every organ on virtually every cell. But [researchers have now shown] that it is the IGF-1 receptors in the brain that set the pattern for growth and lifespan."

Mainstream Press on the Singularity and Longevity (November 10 2008) http://english.ohmynews.com/ArticleView/article_view.asp?menu=A11100&no=384115&rel_no=1
An interesting, if flawed, article on the singularity and engineered longevity via the Korean OhmyNews: "Amidst the rapid changes of society ranging from general advances in science and technology to politics and social policy, with respect to knowledge, there is an emergent issue that promises to radically change our lives and our reality. It is predicted that within less than 20 years, the human lifespan will be extended to perhaps 150 or more years. Scientists and futurists on the cutting edge of thought about science and society believe that the increase in lifespan is one step towards what will be known as the Singularity, at which time, life might be extended indefinitely depending upon environmental conditions. The Singularity is the term used for a technological integration unheard of; it is a theoretical future point of unprecedented technological progress, caused in part by the ability of machines to improve themselves using artificial intelligence. It was just over a hundred years ago, when the human lifespan began to double to what it is today. It is possible that most people who lived only to 35 years of age thought that to live to 72 years would be too long and that they would be too tired. Nevertheless, we have adjusted and found life to be meaningful, even in our current 'long' life of 72 years."