Study: Aging May Be Reversible In Mice

[FarCenter]

Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego have extended the lives of some mice while promoting organ and muscle recovery in others, according to a study published last week (December 15) in Cell. The scientists accomplished the feat by activating four genes known as “Yamanaka factors,” a combination of transcription factors discovered in 2006 that can convert differentiated cells into pluripotent precursors. The study was limited in scope, but it has created a stir among scientists hoping to slow the effects of aging and treat rare, aging-related diseases.

“Our study shows that aging may not have to proceed in one single direction,” coauthor Carlos Izpisua Belmonte of the Salk Institute told The Guardian. “With careful modulation, aging might be reversed.”

Indeed, careful modulation appears to be key. Early attempts to reverse aging with high doses of the Yamanaka factors led some of the mice to develop tumors and die within a week. “We’ve all been playing with fire,” David Sinclair, a Harvard University anti-aging researcher who was not involved in the study, told Scientific American. “This is going to be what we spend the next 10 years figuring out—how to reprogram cells to be young again without taking it too far so they become tumors.”

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/47803/title/Study--Aging-May-Be-Reversible-In-Mice/

Too late for Zsa-Zsa.

[n2doc]

1. How about rats?

If So, Dick Cheney will be happy. So with Rupert Murdoch.

[JenniferJuniper]

2. How is Cheney still alive?

Anyone else would have died 10 times by now.

[FarCenter]

3. Perhaps he has, and is now undead.

[Rage4Bacon]

4. This is great news...

Were looking potentially at the ramp up to unlimited lifespans.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longevity_escape_velocity

http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.0020187

[n2doc]

5. Only for the fabulously wealthy

Guarantee that this won't be made available to ordinary poor or middle class Humans. I have heard theories that state that this sort of infinite life medicine is the reason why the rich are so greedy and are so frantically piling up money. Who Knows?

But the planet cannot sustain a sudden decrease in human mortality without a concomitant decrease in the birth rate. We are overpopulated as it is.

[anarch]

6. probably this is why at least some of the super-rich keep hording wealth

And hey, the population problem won't really be an issue as long as the proles keep living short, brutal lives (while toiling to further enrich the oligarchs, of course).

My prediction: bioscience will advance in the area of anti-aging to the point where some of the super-rich or powerful people alive today might live for another couple of centuries. Of course, this would include the incoming orange dictator...meanwhile, with the Rs in charge of all branches of government, they'll repeal term limits for the presidency, continue to control the election process (likely resulting in 100% of future votes going to the incumbent shitgibbon), and all the internet trolls' fondest wishes will come true and the immortal God Emperor will rule eternally.

Well, either that or a massive uprising that demands that the fruits of science and technology be shared among the whole population, not horded by the rich. That first option, in some form or another, is where we're headed with the current political structure, if you ask me.

[Rage4Bacon]

7. Not an issue...

Plasma televisions were 50,000 dollars when they first came out.

Plenty of room out in space, and couple that with falling birthrates.

Technology is also making it easier to be self sustaining for individuals and perfecting recycling. Nanotechnology will be the capstone on those issues.

[n2doc]

8. You keep telling yourself that

But perhaps try visiting another part of the world where such things like clean water and air still remain far out of reach. It is easy to think tech will cure all ills, when all it really does is move those ills out of sight for the lucky.

[Rage4Bacon]

9. I suggest research into nanotechnology

Within a few decades, housing, medicine, food, clean water, clean air, transportation, and much more will be available to the masses for pennies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_assembler

Understand the significance of self-replicating universal assemblers, and you will see why. The first replicator you build may cost a trillion dollars to develop, but every one after that simply costs raw material in the form of atoms, and energy. Once created, over the next few decades, it will spawn an unprecedented period of wealth for everyone in the world. Granted, it will bring other types of problems, but resource issues will pretty much be history.

[Orrex]

10. I have a flux capacitor and an oscillation overthruster. Will those help?

[hunter]

11. Molecular disassemblers too...

Those would be a quick way to dispose of populations who are a threat to the oligarchy. Turn 'em into fertilizer, no messy mass graves or incinerators required.

I think we should be careful what we wish for.

For example, I believe cheap fusion energy would be a catastrophe. If I myself knew the secret of cheap fusion I wouldn't tell anybody.

In our present state of social development, if we had an unlimited supply of cheap energy we'd turn the earth's entire biosphere into humans and food for humans.

We're already destroying what remains of the natural environment by our use of fossil fuels, but political instability caused by global warming and rising sea levels will soon put an end to that. That disease is self-limiting.

I am by inclination and some formal training an evolutionary biologist. In 100,000 years our modern civilization is nothing more than a peculiar layer of trash in the geologic record.

This planet earth has seen many innovative species come and go. We are not the first and we won't be the last.

Maybe we'll create some sort of self-reproducing artificial intelligence but if they are anything like their creators they won't be our friends. They'll head off into outer space, leaving us to live or die in our own mess, following a sort of Star Trek Prime Directive, something we'll have built into them from the start because we were afraid of their ascension. What would they want with humans anyways? The solar system and the universe beyond have resources beyond human comprehension.

My own explanation for the Fermi Paradox is simple. "Life" forms, biological and mechanical (which are the same thing, actually), at a certain point of sophistication far beyond humans, leave for universes of their own creation, or become an invisible part of the fabric of this universe.

On a less philosophical level, faster-than-light travel is impossible. So is slower-than-light travel. Star Wars and Star Trek, and all the other haman space operas are impossible. Everything we humans know, even ourselves, is an interference pattern on the light.

[Rage4Bacon]

12. Ah! A thinker! ;)

Glad someone else is familiar with these concepts.

Your absolutely right about nanoweapons being able to target groups or individuals. As with any technology, it can be used for good or evil. This will probably be THE main security issue of the next 100 years.

That said, I think that A.I. will be an issue before true deep level nanotech. It may take something with a million IQ to step in and keep humanity from destroying itself. Not my optimal outcome, but it could certainly be worse. A.I. could kill us all outright. I have my own bias though that higher intelligence breeds higher morality. I know many would argue that point, but I think most would agree that the average Joe isn't as violent as our cro-magnum brethren. I think this is mainly because being moral is also logical in most cases.

I understand the concern with the environment, but if you understand nanotech, then you should get that it can fix all the current pollution issues in pretty quick order, if used correctly. Likewise, it could sterilize the planet's biosphere as well.

I tend to agree with you on the Fermi paradox... mainly that "life" ends up migrating beyond our current sense-range... be it by shrinking to the nano/femo scale... become diffuse clouds swirling around us and talking via "subspace", so just head off into alternate dimensions/universes. Will be fun to see if we can find them!