5 replies to this topic

[brunposta]

So...

I think maintain cellular youth should be the cornerstone strategy to maintain whole body youth, and I've recently discovered that even telomere elongation is not enough to make all cells immortal. And this might be actually a good thing.
The way I see it: we can have a new car with warned tires, and and old car with warned tires. So, we can have an, otherwise perfect, cell with shortened telomeres, and an old, damaged cell with shortened telomeres. So, it's a great thing we are finding easy, safe ways to lengthen our telomeres, but it will probably not be enough to maintain a youthful profile of active/senescent cells ratio: some senescent cells won't start replying just because they got brand new tires (oops, telomeres), and we will get an accumulation of apoptosis resistance cells (with long telomeres).
Accordingly, the next big thing to do will be to find easy, safe and cheap ways to get rid of senescent cells. After a preliminary research, I found that green tea (EGCG) can activate the P53 apoptosys gene on senescent cells that won't suicide by their own. It's also a very powerful telomerase inhibitor.
It need more research, but I think even fasting can activate molecular processes that helps get rid of senescent, otherwise apoptosis resistance cells. Probably, excercise can do it as well (http://plaza.ufl.edu...uwen/Sharon.PDF). Keep your immune system health and powerful might help too, since many senescent cells express protein on their surfaces that tells macrophages to "eat" them.
Some drugs seems promising as well (from Wikipedia): To stimulate apoptosis, one can increase the number of death receptor ligands (such as TNF or TRAIL), antagonize the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 pathway, or introduce Smac mimetics to inhibit the inhibitor (IAPs). The addition of agents such as Herceptin, Iressa or Gleevec works to stop cells from cycling and causes apoptosis activation by blocking growth and survival signaling further upstream.
Any other ideas out there?

[xEva]

You know, in conjunction with a niacinamide thread in supplements subforum, I was just thinking that maybe fasting with a bit of niacinamide may do the trick of tightening the screws on those senescent cells -? In theory it may convince them to finally undergo apoptosis. On the other hand, there are too many unknowns here.

But I heard many anecdotal reports that prolonged dry fasts (without even water -- a dangerous thing for novices to do) has remarkable rejuvenating effects.

[brunposta]

Hi... I will check on that post.
It's the hot topic of the moment... gettind rid of senescent cells, I mean.
Since is pretty easy to measure it, I think over the next few months we will see a lot of new research on this.
For example, it should be easy to identify people with specific life styles (heavvy green tea drinkers, people who fast on regular bases, people on long term drug treatments, aged athlets...), and just check their % of senescent cells.

[niner]

Since is pretty easy to measure it, I think over the next few months we will see a lot of new research on this.

I didn't know it was easy to measure. How is it done? What sort of tissue sample would be needed?

[brunposta]

Since is pretty easy to measure it, I think over the next few months we will see a lot of new research on this.

I didn't know it was easy to measure. How is it done? What sort of tissue sample would be needed?

Hi,

I think for now we will need a biopsy on living people, while we can use more damaging ways on dead.
Since senescent cells are a problem only for tissues that divide, we will not need biopsy of brain or hearts!, but rather skin, blood, bones and other replicating organs.
It seems senescent cells grow in volume by a factor of ~10, so it will pretty easy to count them, especially after specialized pattern recognition software will be available.

http://jcs.biologist...2/4087.full.pdf

[Mind]

Read this recent in depth topic about senescent cells. A lot of good ideas popped up.

Also here is a good, recent, and relevant podcast with our very own Longecity guardian and senescent cell researcher Kevin Perrott.