January 2022 Longevity Review

Posted by Chris Pollyanna , 06 February 2022 · 1,522 views

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The new year has started off with some very interesting and exciting developments in areas I don’t normally cover in my newsletters, namely xenotransplantation, limb regeneration and AI robo-surgery, as you will see in the round-up. Maybe too late for your new year’s resolutions, but there were also a number of useful dietary/fasting studies, including the first I’ve seen on just eating a single meal a day.

For me, January is always an odd month: recovering from the holidays, trying to move forward into the new year while at the same time having to fit in an extra newsletter in the form of my Year End Review. Now I’ve got the added pressure of building up the Canadian Longevity Association into a proper organisation. Among the first tasks in the coming weeks is to put a structure in place to fully utilize the many volunteers who have come forward, create a new professional looking website, expand our social media presence, and network like crazy!

For the website, I hope to leverage DKG’s IT department, but I’m looking for help with social media, as that is a definite area of weakness for me. As for networking, I’ve already set up a meeting with the founders of the YouAreUNLTD website and connected with the BC Lifespan Society (if you’re in BC, make sure to check them out), but I’ve got a long hit list of other organisations who could be potential allies and partners. Tackling the scourge of ageing is only possible if we all work together and pull in the same direction.

Lastly, I'd like to draw your attention to Longevity Hackers, a documentary in production which is telling the story of longevity in the right way, and which is still looking for some extra funding.

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For previous newsletters, you can find them in the Canadian Longevity Association Facebook group, and also my Patreon account, which includes bonus material for supporters.
Follow me on Twitter @ChrisPollyanna1 for the latest updates and I’ve just set up a Canadian Longevity Association account @canlongevity which I’m going to start posting on.

Also, don’t forget to check out Lifespan.io’s Rejuvenation Roadmap - the best resource for seeing the state of progress towards longevity therapeutics.

Finally, if you are interested in making a difference and helping grow a Canadian longevity non-profit, we are always looking for more volunteers - please contact me via the Canadian Longevity Association website, or if you’re in the Toronto area, come along to one of our monthly Meetups.

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January 2022 Round-Up:

Long the dream of transplant specialists as a way of alleviating the worldwide organ donor shortage, xenotransplantation has finally come of age with the first successful pig-heart into human transplant. This is also a showcase for the power of CRISPR gene editing, without which this would not be possible. Although I believe this will be overtaken by in situ regeneration within twenty years, this will save countless lives in the meantime.
Successful transplant of porcine heart into adult human with end-stage heart disease
First pig-to-human heart transplant: what can scientists learn?

To showcase what the power of in situ regeneration could look like, researchers have regrown an almost fully functional amputated frog’s leg. This is probably a good twenty years away from primetime, but it is coming.
Researchers regrow frog's lost leg Full Text

Another revolution which will eventually transform medicine is the partnering of AI & robotics. In this first instance, an autonomous robot performed the procedure more accurately than a human. It promises to drastically reduce the cost and availability of surgery, while improving outcomes, though it is probably still many years away from implementation.
Robot performs first laparoscopic surgery without human help Full Text

Moving to more traditional topics, I’ve often mentioned the raising of NAD+ levels, usually in conjunction with precursors such as NR and NMN. Here, gene therapy was used in mice for a similar and longer lasting outcome.
Transfer of the longevity-associated variant of BPIFB4 gene rejuvenates immune system and vasculature by a reduction of CD38+ macrophages and NAD+ decline Full Text

And finally, from the futuristic to the actionable: Urolithin A is now available as a supplement, and is showing some interesting results. Previously, it was only available if you had the right microbes to convert a substance found in pomegranates or walnuts.
*Effect of Urolithin A Supplementation on Muscle Endurance and Mitochondrial Health in Older Adults Full Text

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Podcast to listen to:
I was quite excited to discover that a pair of students at McMaster University in Hamilton were hosting a longevity podcast. What sets this podcast apart is that they do not just focus on the science, but also the philosophy and even theology surrounding longevity. Show them some love!
I’m A Mortal Podcast

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***Disclaimer 1 – I am NOT a doctor or indeed a scientist. All the information contained within is for information purposes only; use at your own risk. Please consult with a healthcare practitioner if you need medical advice.***

**Disclaimer 2 – In no way should supplements be a replacement for an unhealthy diet or lifestyle. A varied, plant dominant dietary pattern is the cornerstone for health. Try to eat the rainbow – the greater the variety, the greater the benefit. Even though I might take a supplement derived from a plant source, I still eat the plant in question. Also, make sure you move as much as possible – that is what we evolved to do.**

*Also bear in mind that most of the studies mentioned below are in rodents, not humans. Rodents, needless to say, do not always react the same way to drugs as humans do – witness the countless times cancer or another disease has been cured in rodents only to subsequently fail human trials. I have *bolded any human trials.*
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Covid-19 Longevity Related Papers:
*Metformin use is associated with a decrease in the risk of hospitalization and mortality in COVID-19 patients with diabetes: A population-based study in Lombardy Full Text
*Antiinflammatory potential of nano-curcumin as an alternative therapeutic agent for the treatment of mild-to-moderate hospitalized COVID-19 patients in a placebo-controlled clinical trial Full Text
*Efficacy of melatonin in the treatment of patients with COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Full Text

Lifestyle
*The effect of a high-polyphenol Mediterranean diet (GREEN-MED) combined with physical activity on age-related brain atrophy: the DIRECT PLUS randomized controlled trial Full Text
*Intermittent fasting and continuous energy restriction result in similar changes in body composition and muscle strength when combined with a 12 week resistance training program Full Text

Fasting/Dietary Restriction – certainly the cheapest & also one of the most effective anti-ageing interventions currently available.
*Differential Effects of One Meal per Day in the Evening on Metabolic Health and Physical Performance in Lean Individuals Full Text
*Time restricted eating improves glycaemic control and dampens energy-consuming pathways in human adipose tissue Full Text
*Calorie restriction improves lipid-related emerging cardiometabolic risk factors in healthy adults without obesity: Distinct influences of BMI and sex from CALERIE™ a multicentre, phase 2, randomised controlled trial Full Text