R
Reason
Guest
LONGEVITY MEME NEWSLETTER March 08 2004
The Longevity Meme Newsletter is a biweekly e-mail
containing news, opinions and happenings for people
interested in healthy life extension: making use of diet,
lifestyle choices, technology and proven medical advances to
live healthy, longer lives. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
the Longevity Meme Newsletter, please visit
http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/.
______________________________
CONTENTS
- It's Been a Busy Two Weeks
- Alcor Wins In Arizona With Your Help
- Call to Abolish the President's Council on Bioethics!
- The Future of Our Health Lies in Stem Cell Lines
- Discussion
- Latest Healthy Life Extension News Headlines
IT'S BEEN A BUSY TWO WEEKS
It's been a busy two weeks of activity in the community and
at the Longevity Meme since the last newsletter went out. It
so happens that a new batch of site updates coincided with
(and were expanded by) news out in the wider world. You'll
find more on that below.
While all that was going on, time was somehow found to
revamp the Methuselah Mouse Prize website:
http://www.methuselahmouse.org
In addition, the submission phase of the Immortality
Institute book project has wrapped up. The Institute has
received a wide range of quality articles from well-known
people in science, philosophy and the healthy life extension
community over the past couple of months - there are some
real gems in there. Next comes the hard work of editing and
pulling it all together! I wish I could show you some of the
good stuff now, but you're all going to have to wait a few
months to see the end result.
http://www.imminst.org/book/
ALCOR WINS IN ARIZONA WITH YOUR HELP
As you will recall from the last newsletter, the Alcor Life
Extension Foundation - a cryonics provider - was facing an
unpleasant and last minute legislative threat in their home
state of Arizona. Fortunately, the community rallied round
and the end result was close to the best success that
anyone reasonably expected under the circumstances. You can
read about it here in a letter from Joe Waynick, the new
Alcor CEO:
http://www.alcor.org/legislation.html
From the letter: "Lastly, but certainly not least, we must
thank all of the members who took time away from their busy
schedules to email, fax, and call Arizona state
legislators, urging them to oppose this bill. When they
revealed to us that they were receiving from 150-200 emails
per day, we realized that you all really made a difference!
Thank you!!!"
It is very gratifying to see that we, as a community, can
make a real difference. Thank you to everyone who
participated. Now, if we can just do the same for anti-
research legislation at the national level...
CALL TO ABOLISH THE PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL ON BIOETHICS!
I think that, by now, most people know my opinions on the
rampant growth of the bioethics field. I view it as a form
of racket, in which ordinary problems - that people can and
have solved through common sense and normal political
processes - suddenly require enormous sums of money to be
diverted from research into salaries and institutes for
bioethicists. These bioethicists then spend time creating
further problems in order to justify their salaries - money
that should be going to real research that can save lives.
http://www.fightaging.org/archives/000004.php
But let's put my opinions to one side for the moment. In
certain media and weblog circles, it's been all bioethics
all the time for the past ten days. If you aren't privy to
those circles, you might be forgiven for not actually
noticing that anything happened - the mainstream press
hasn't yet picked up on the action.
It would appear that we now have firm confirmation that the
President's Council on Bioethics is nothing more than a
rubber stamp for US administration anti-research policies
(such as for stem cell and therapeutic cloning research).
Two strong supporters of this vital research were abruptly
removed from the council at the end of February and replaced
with people who had previously declared their support for
Leon Kass' positions:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/view_news_item.cfm?n-
ews_id=782
This caused widespread outrage amongst columnists and
commentators who were already heated over blatant political
manipulation of science in the US administration. More
information can be found in these articles and posts:
http://www.reason.com/links/links030304.shtml
http://www.techcentralstation.com/030104H.html
http://www.fightaging.org/archives/000032.php
http://www.fightaging.org/archives/000033.php
At the end of last week, we found out more to the story when
a very critical article by bioethics council members
Elizabeth Blackburn and Janet Rowley was published.
Elizabeth Blackburn was one of those dismissed, and
represented a group within the council with pro-research
opinions that were being ignored and glossed over. The
report is clear, damning and well worth reading:
http://www.plosbiology.org/plosonline/?request=get-
document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0020116
Based on all of this, it is clear that the council has to
go. Its only purpose is to support legislation to block
advances in regenerative medicine that are offensive to
religious pressure groups. We have already lost a great deal
of time in the path to developing real anti-aging medicine
and cures for a wide range of age-related conditions. You
can take a few minutes of your time to protest these blatant
attempts to hold back medical science and take action here:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/projects/abolish_the_bioethics-
_council.cfm
If we don't speak out in favor of progress, there are those
who will take progress away from us. Use your voice!
THE FUTURE OF OUR HEALTH LIES IN STEM CELL LINES
Why is the number of available stem cell lines so important
to the future of our health and longevity? I explain here:
http://www.fightaging.org/archives/000036.php
The short of it is that stem cell lines provide a reliable
source of stem cells. Without this reliable source, reliable
stem cell science is impossible. No lines means there will
be no progress towards using regenerative medicine to cure
cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, nerve damage, heart
disease, diabetes, blindness, and many other conditions. A
large part of the slowdown in stem cell research over the
past few years has to do with an entirely avoidable absence
of, and confusion over, available lines.
With that established, it was with some pleasure that I read
last week of the release - for free, to anyone in the world
- of 17 new stem cell lines by a Howard Hughes Medical
Institute team led by Dr. Douglas Melton. This
accomplishment took a lot of work at all levels, and will be
of enormous benefit to the research community. To my mind,
this is the ideal proactive response to anti-research
legislation: work to make it irrelevant.
It's not every day that you can write to thank people who
are making an enormous difference in a fight to save
millions of lives. Groups like the HHMI researchers
certainly don't get thanked enough for stepping up to the
plate and hitting the ball out of the park. So pick up a
pen, and get writing!
http://www.longevitymeme.org/projects/congratulate_douglas_-
melton_and_hhmi.cfm
DISCUSSION
That would be all for this issue of the newsletter. The
highlights and headlines from the past two weeks follow
below. If you have comments for us, or want to discuss the
newsletter, please do visit one of the forums at
http://www.longevitymeme.org/forum.cfm or send e-mail to
[email protected].
Remember - if you like this newsletter, the chances are that
your friends will find it useful too. Forward the newsletter
on, or post a copy to your favorite online communities.
Encourage the people you know to pitch in and make a
difference to the future of health and longevity!
Reason [email protected] Founder, Longevity Meme
______________________________
LATEST HEALTHY LIFE EXTENSION HEADLINES
Call For A "Moderate Voice" (March 07 2004) http://www.merc-
urynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/opinion/8128278.htm An
opinion column in the Mercury News calls for a biotechnology
group with a moderate voice to oppose the hostile anti-
research climate in Washington. "Silicon Valley and the
biotechnology industry cannot afford to sit back and let
President Bush and the President's Council on Bioethics
dictate the industry's future." As the columnist goes on to
point out: "The alternative is a future regulated by the
likes of Leon Kass." This is a scary prospect for anyone who
pays attention to what Kass advocates: he has frequently
stated his opposition to any attempts to extend the healthy
human life span and combat crippling age-related conditions.
Light Shed On Bioethics Council Actions (March 07 2004) htt-
p://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/03/06/presiden-
ts_panel_skewed_facts_2_scientists_say/ Boston.com reports
on the latest developments regarding the President's Council
on Bioethics. Here's a quote from Elizabeth Blackburn,
removed last week, on the reports issued by the council:
"There is always this strong implication that medical
research is not what God intended, that there is something
unnatural about it. We had a great many comments on the
report, and they would just make a little changes that
didn't fully address them." There's much more of that sort
of allegation in the article, and from other sources. Many
people, myself including, are justifiably angry at Leon Kass
and the US administration for blocking, belittling and lying
about vital medical research.
More From The Longevity Conference (March 06 2004) http://w-
ww.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,88802-
62%255E23289,00.html The Weekend Australian reports from the
ongoing International Conference on Longevity in Sydney.
It's a curious mix of old school and new school in science,
medicine and community. Human growth hormone therapies,
calorie restriction (the only proven old school technique,
and even this can't add too many years to your life span),
genetics and regenerative medicine all discussed side by
side. The future of healthy life extension is clear to the
scientists, and it rests in supporting and funding the
advance of medical research. There are a lot of good quotes
in there, and the article itself captures the spirit of the
times in anti-aging research well - there is a clear
transition underway from old to new. Go and read it.
Congratulate Dr. Melton and HHMI (March 06 2004) http://www-
.longevitymeme.org/projects/congratulate_douglas_melton_and-
_hhmi.cfm In March 2004, Douglas Melton and researchers from
the Howard Hughes Medical Insitute (HHMI) released 17 new
high quality stem cell lines to the world, for free. A
quote: "Consistent with the general practice among academic
scientists, these cells are a reagent that will be shared.
We hope that sharing these cells will quicken the pace of
discovery." This hard work goes a long way to making current
anti-research legislation irrelevant, boosting research into
regenerative medicine for longer, healthier lives. The world
should be thanking Dr. Melton and his team - we have
provided a page at the Longevity Meme to help you and I do
just that.
International Conference on Longevity Starts (March 05 2004)
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/05/1078464645918.htm-
l?from=storyrhs The Syndey Morning Herald reports that the
first International Conference on Longevity is under way. An
array of aging, lifestyle and serious anti-aging researchers
are participating, and the article outlines a few of the
areas of discussion and disagreement in scientific circles.
The overall tone of the conference is somewhere between that
of the more conservative aging researchers and healthy life
extension advocates like us. It is very exciting to see more
events like this being organized around the world. New
conferences, like new buildings, are signs of a healthy,
interested scientific community.
Cures for California (March 05 2004)
http://www.curesforcalifornia.com The California Stem Cell
Research and Cures Initiative has launched, and is seeking
the large number of signatures necessary to make it onto the
November 2004 state ballot. Donations and volunteer work are
also sought. The initiative is a well organized attempt to
put billions of dollars of state funding into stem cell
medicine over the next decade, financed by bonds and backed
up by regulation of the research itself. It is also a direct
challenge to Federal government policies restricting this
research. The initiative website is a job well done - the
rest of us should be taking notes. We can probably expect
these efforts to encourage similar state funding plans in
New Jersey.
New Stem Cell Lines Made Available (March 04 2004)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3529021.stm As
reported by the BBC, a Harvard researcher (Dr Douglas
Melton) has succeeded in obtaining philanthropic funding and
leading the development of 17 new stem cell lines. These
lines will be made available for free to scientists, thus
breaking the deadlock over availability of lines caused by
US government policies. Dr. Melton and his group deserve
widespread commendation and some sort of medal for
succeeding in a positive, proactive response to current
attacks and legislative limits on stem cell research. Over
at Fight Aging!, I explain why the number of available stem
cell lines is so important. The bottom line: no stem cell
lines means no research, and thus no regenerative medicine
to extend the healthy human life span.
Our Community, Visualized (March 04 2004) http://www.longev-
itymeme.org/topics/healthy_life_extension_community.cfm I
talk about the healthy life extension community a great
deal, but what exactly is that community? What does it look
like, who are the members, what are their goals, and where
does it all fit in the larger scheme of things? Finding the
answers to these and a hundred other questions can be a
daunting task for newcomers, especially given the absence of
any road map. Accordingly, I have put together a
visualization of the wider community and surrounding
interest groups. I hope that you find it helpful as you
learn more about the community and healthy life extension -
life is easier with a road map in hand.
Ronald Bailey on Leon Kass (March 03 2004)
http://www.reason.com/links/links030304.shtml Ronald Bailey
takes a much closer look at the new appointees to the
Bioethics Council and methodically takes apart the arguments
of Leon Kass defending the recent shuffle. His other good
article at Reason today points out the obvious: that
"government isn't the best place to look for unbiased
science." This is in the context of the recent report by the
Union of Concerned Scientists attacking the current - and
previous - administrations for its record on science, policy
and honesty. Some good points are made in both articles. I'm
still calling to abolish the council, and you can help to
make it happen!
How US Policy Stopped Stem Cell Research In The US (March 03
2004) http://www.house.gov/reform/min/pdfs_108_2/pdfs_inves-
/pdf_science_stem_cell_nih_march_2_let.pdf This PDF letter
to the President nicely demonstrates how government policy
over the past few years has blocked stem cell research in
the US, and how involved politicians have been lying through
their teeth about it all. In addition to the therapeutic
cloning bans that were attempted but not voted into law, the
standing laws on stem cell lines and public funding have
caused great damage. The largest damage has been indirect:
the much larger pool of private funding has been scared away
for the better part of five years now. This is why a South
Korean group can do in two years what ACT has been unable to
do in five - it's all in the funding.
100 Leading Bioethicists Speak Out (March 03 2004) http://-
cyborgdemocracy.net/2004_02_29_archive.html#10783313472493-
5060 A number of blogs are carrying an open letter from
Arthur Caplan protesting the recent Bioethics Council
stacking. I'm not overly fond of the bioethics industry
myself - I see it as a racket wherein people syphon money
from real research in order to create imaginary problems
that block progress. You can read more on that topic at
Fight Aging! Within the bioethics industry, however, there
is a great deal of resentment and anger directed towards
the likes of Leon Kass, chair of the Bioethics Council. His
positions are generally viewed as extreme and damaging,
even by other bioethicists bent on slowing the engine of
medical progress. Chris Mooney has more on this open
letter, well worth a read.
A Vanity Industry With Something to Contribute (March 02
2004) http://www.medicalposting.ca/men/article.jsp?content=-
20040302_081235_5088&topStory=y We've spent a lot of time
lambasting the vanity industries in their "anti-aging"
incarnation. Quite simply, no product sold on the market
today can extend the healthy human life span. The level of
fraud and adventurous marketing has caused great damage to
legitimate anti-aging research over the years. However,
there is a vanity industry that is doing good work on
regenerative medicine: hair restoration and baldness cures.
Here, the profits to be had have spurred a great deal of
fundamental research into regenerative medicine and tissue
engineering. This work will benefit us all as it percolates
into other, more beneficial, attempts to regenerate the
damage caused by aging and disease.
Wired on the Bioethics Council (March 02 2004) http://www.w-
ired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,62494,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_4
Wired weighs in on the recent biothics council shenanigans.
Elsewhere, a Tech Central Station article declares this all
to be politics as usual, more or less, while the new
appointees are defending themselves in the media. I say it
still looks very suspect: this administration knows the
answer that it wants and builds "advisory" panels to try and
get that answer. That it failed for stem cell research and
the Bioethics Council the first time around is an indicator
of the potential and compelling nature of this research.
Regenerative medicine is the future of healthy life
extension and we must support
it.
South Korea Moves Ahead Again (March 02 2004) http://www.re-
uters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=447729-
9§ion=news As reported at Reuters, South Korean researchers
have developed and patented a method for extracting stem
cells from frozen embyros. Given the present policy and
legislative climate in the US, it is not surprising that
this advance was made elsewhere. While South Korea has its
own version of the stem cell and therapeutic cloning debate,
funding is available and politicians are not trying to ban
these medical technologies. This makes all the difference in
the world to the speed at which regenerative medicine can be
developed. When will the US government wake up to the damage
it is doing to the future of health and longevity? That is
up to you and I: speak out now!
Abolish The Bioethics Council (March 01 2004) http://www.lo-
ngevitymeme.org/projects/abolish_the_bioethics_council.cfm
The Longevity Meme response to the recent stacking of the
President's Council on Bioethics is to call for the
abolition of the council. It's clearly nothing more than a
rubber stamp for anti-research policies that have already
caused great damage. It has to go. A round up of other
comments can be found at Fight Aging!, including some by
Chris Mooney. We'll no doubt see more articles in the week
ahead. In the meanwhile, it sounds like time to write to
your representatives and call for the council to be
abolished.
Harvard To Form Stem Cell Center (February 29 2004) http:/-
/www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/02/-
29/stem_cell_center_eyed_at_harvard?mode=PF Harvard
University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has announced
plans for a large stem cell research center. The Boston
Globe frames this decision as another attempt to bypass US
government restrictions: "Harvard has the responsibility to
be taking up the slack that the government is leaving."
With plans for State funding in New Jersey and California,
this is part of a growing challenge to anti-research
policies. "Every success will change the argument. The
American people will not stand for scientists not being
able to work on their diseases." You can help to challenge
anti-research legislation by supporting the Coalition for
the Advancement of Medical Research and taking part in
their action programs.
India Can Become a Stem Cell Research Hub (February 28 2004)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/526434.cms
Indian researchers and investors are clearly looking to the
future of regenerative medicine: state and private
investment in therapeutic cloning and stem cell research is
happening there. Meanwhile, in the the US and Europe, anti-
research politicians, special interest groups and
legislation have crippled progress in these vital fields of
medicine. It's a sorry state of affairs, and we must stand
up and make our views known. Otherwise, we face a future in
which research to extend the healthy human life span (and
the use of therapies developed in other countries) is
forbidden. Is government-mandated suffering, disease and
death really what we want for ourselves and our children?
Bush Removes Therapeutic Cloning Supporters From Bioethics
Council (February 28 2004) http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArt-
icle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=4459618&ion=news Two
members of the President's Council on Bioethics who
expressed positive views on therapeutic cloning have been
replaced, as reported at Reuters. Various commentators are
expressing surprise, but the role of the council has always
been to provide justification for anti-research policies. It
hasn't been doing that job so well of late, so it was time
to stack the deck a little more. This indicates that the
current administration is still very serious about banning
stem cell and therapeutic cloning research. The cost of
blocking research into regenerative and healthy life
extension medicine is already unthinkable ... are we going
to let them get away with this, or are we going to do
something about it?
South Korea To Forge Ahead In Stem Cell Research (February
27 2004) http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/20-
04/02/28/200402280005.asp The Korea Herald reports that
South Korea will forge ahead with stem cell research,
therapeutic cloning and regenerative medicine. A large
investment and a new research center have been announced,
and the organizers plan to move directly to human trials,
first focusing on Parkinson's disease and spiral cord
injuries. From the article: "The center's medical team plans
to transplant stem cells in the brains of these patients to
regenerate nerve cells for the first time in the world."
Back in the US, New Jersey is also making headlines as plans
- and associated controversy - for a major state investment
in stem cell research move ahead.
Interview With Joe Waynick, Alcor CEO (February 27 2004) ht-
tp://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0227alcorceo27.html
The Arizona press abounds with articles about Alcor and the
recent cryonics regulation bill. This piece from
azcentral.com is a short interview with Joe Waynick, the new
Alcor CEO. He offers his opinions on the upside and downside
of this regulatory regime, and a few other topics. The
article also provides some recent history of the cryonics
industry for those who haven't been keeping track, and you
can always find out more at Cryonet. It occurs to me, in
wake of recent events, that making regulated
cryopreservation financially attractive to the funeral
industry would now be a good path to growth.
Sounds Like Victory in Arizona (February 26 2004) http://im-
minst.org/forum/index.php?s=&act=ST&f=61&t=3177&st=0& It
sounds like things have gone well for Alcor in the first
round of their current legislative issues in Arizona. Thanks
to broadly expressed support (including some important names
in the healthy life extension community) and some last
minute legwork, the proposed bill has been largely defanged.
The end result will likely be some form of "benign
regulation" as for the Cryonics Institute in Michigan. From
the Alcor president: "We must thank all of the members who
took time away from their busy schedules to e-mail, fax, and
call Arizona state legislators, urging them to oppose this
bill. When they revealed to us that they were receiving from
150-200 e-mails per day we realized that you all really made
a difference!"
Almost Getting It Right (February 26 2004)http://www.azcentral.com/health/wellness/articles/0225aging-
disease-ON.html An article from azcentral.com looks at a the
recent SAGE Crossroads debate "Is Aging a Disease?" The
author gives a good account of the relevant points, but then
unfortunately fumbles the ball before drawing the correct
conclusions. Aging and anti-aging research is essential to
the future of healthy and longevity. Far too little research
is being done today and the pool of funding for serious
attempts to slow, reverse (and reverse engineer) the aging
process is tiny. If, like Harry Moody, we dismiss the
possible results of this research a priori, then of course
we won't get any real results! Aubrey de Grey gives a good
account of this sort of problem in perceptions and public
funding in his "Closing in on the Cure for Death."
Free Radical Theory Doubts (February 26 2004) http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/news-
NG.asp?id=50199 Recent research is casting doubt on the long-
standing oxidative damage and free radical theories of
aging. More research is needed in order to establish the
truth of the matter, but attacks on well established
theories are usually a sign of meaningful scientific
progress. This article from Food Production Daily is fairly
clear about the consequences of proving free radical
theories wrong, and it is certainly the case that more work
must be done based on these new findings, but I don't think
that the researcher's position is as strong as he says it
is. We'll have to wait and see what the scientific community
makes of this.
Meanwhile, In The Business World... (February 25 2004) http-
://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/national/8021511.-
htm We don't hear anywhere near enough in the media about
the work of commercializing biotech and regenerative
medicine, yet this part of the path from laboratory to
therapy is just as vital as the initial science. This
article from the Miami Herald gives a brief overview of the
current state of play for stem cells in the business and
venture capital worlds. The short of it would be that many,
many people are interested, and see huge potential for
investment and profit. Unfortunately, the current regulatory
atmosphere presents equally large risks. The current US
administration, and other governments overseas, have scared
off investment in regenerative medicine. Thus, more time and
lives are lost to the monster of politics.
Ronald Bailey on Alcor Regulation (February 25 2004)
http://www.reason.com/rb/rb022504.shtml Ronald Bailey weighs
in on the Alcor regulation issue, calling the proposed bill
"one of the silliest pieces of 'consumer protection'
legislation ever devised." That's certainly saying
something, given Ronald Bailey's extensive history of
commentary on bad lawmaking and other forms of government
stupidity. As it happens, he comes to much the same
conclusion as I do regarding the proposed Arizona
regulations: this is the work of funeral industry lobbyists,
buying legislation to put a potential competitor out of
business. Not pretty, but a great example of American
"freedom and democracy" in action. Step up and protest
before it's too late!
It's Always More Complex Than You Think (February 24 2004)
http://www.betterhumans.com/News/news.aspx?articleID=2004-
02-23-3 It seems to be true that, wherever you are in the
research process, human biochemistry and genetics is more
complex than you think. It's good to keep reminding
ourselves about this, since the present pace of research
makes it easy to become optimistic (and thus complacent)
about the future of health, medicine and longevity. Here,
Betterhumans notes research that questions the form of the
link between antioxidants and healthy lifespan: there may be
additional layers in the biochemistry that researchers have
not yet explored. This means that the time taken to develop
therapies based on understanding these mechanisms just
increased by an unknown amount.
Centenarian Studies and HDL (February 24 2004) http://www.n-
ytimes.com/2004/02/24/health/24CONV.html?pagewanted=print
You may recall some work last year on longevity, HDL and the
sizes of lipoproteins (something that is genetically
determined). Small lipoproteins imply a shorter, less
healthy life. This New York Times author interviews Dr. Nir
Barzilai, who has been studying centenarians for genetic and
biochemical clues to longevity. At the top of the list so
far: HDL and lipoprotein size. The researchers expect to
track down specific longevity genes related to these
conditions in the near future, and trial drugs to mimic
their effects. Having this genetic knowledge to hand would
be a good argument for tweaking the genes in all new
children to produce longer, healthier lives.
The Power of Advocacy (February 24 2004)
http://www.sagecrossroads.net/public/webcasts/12/ The latest
webcast from SAGE Crossroads is a discussion of the power of
advocacy to shape the path of medical research. For example,
much of the tenfold growth at the National Institute on
Aging over the past two decades has been due to advocacy for
Alzheimer's research. Insights into the way in which the NIH
and NIA work - given their enormous influence over their
course of aging and anti-aging research
- are always appreciated. Large organizations are only now
thinking about backing real anti-aging research in any
meaningful way. The weight of science and advocacy
should overcome remaining reluctance before the end of
the decade.
Concerning Cryonics Regulation (February 23 2004) http://ww-
w.longevitymeme.org/reprints/open_letter_concerning_cryonic-
s_regulation.cfm Brian Wowk has written an eloquent open
letter on media sensationalism and the current Arizona state
efforts to shut Alcor down through bad legislation. If you
are interesting in finding out more about the backgound of
this situation before speaking out in support of Alcor, then
read this open letter. This is a textbook case of the way in
which a lazy, sensationalist media and protectionist special
interests combine to damage legitimate science and
businesses. The only defense against this sort of nonsense
is public education and demonstrated support for science,
research and progress. You can learn more about Alcor and
the science and history of cryonics at Cryonet and
Wikipedia.
New Jersey To Fund Stem Cell Research (February 23 2004) ht-
tp://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,62383,00.html?tw=wn_-
tophead_8 Wired reports that New Jersey legislators intend
to build a multi-billion dollar stem cell research institute
in New Brunswick. The governor's budget proposal includes
$50 million over the next five years for embryonic stem cell
research. This follows recent moves in California to direct
billions in state funds to stem cell research - and I'd say
it's probably just as up in the air. New Jersey's recent pro-
research legislation passed very narrowly and is still
protested - so there will likely be equally close battles
over funding proposals for embryonic stem cell research and
therapeutic cloning.
Life in the Age of Old, Old Age (February 23 2004) http://w-
ww.nytimes.com/2004/02/22/magazine/22LONGEVITY.html?th A
long, worthwhile article from the New York Times looks at
notable centenarians, prospects for lengthening the healthy
human lifespan, arguments for and against progress, and
social changes forseen to be the results of advancing
medical science. Today's spritely 70-somethings who act 50-
something will be replaced by spritely 90-somethings who act
50-something. There are human faces, dreams and aspirations
surrounding advances in longevity - people have gained extra
healthy years and done well with them. Others may yet gain
more, but how rapidly will the necessary new medicines come
into being? This is a matter of funding and the will to
support medical research.
______________________________
Do you have comments for us, or want to discuss the
newsletter? Visit one of the forums listed at
http://www.longevitymeme.org/forums.cfm, or send e-mail to
[email protected].
The Longevity Meme Newsletter is a biweekly e-mail
containing news, opinions and happenings for people
interested in healthy life extension: making use of diet,
lifestyle choices, technology and proven medical advances to
live healthy, longer lives. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
the Longevity Meme Newsletter, please visit
http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/.
______________________________
CONTENTS
- It's Been a Busy Two Weeks
- Alcor Wins In Arizona With Your Help
- Call to Abolish the President's Council on Bioethics!
- The Future of Our Health Lies in Stem Cell Lines
- Discussion
- Latest Healthy Life Extension News Headlines
IT'S BEEN A BUSY TWO WEEKS
It's been a busy two weeks of activity in the community and
at the Longevity Meme since the last newsletter went out. It
so happens that a new batch of site updates coincided with
(and were expanded by) news out in the wider world. You'll
find more on that below.
While all that was going on, time was somehow found to
revamp the Methuselah Mouse Prize website:
http://www.methuselahmouse.org
In addition, the submission phase of the Immortality
Institute book project has wrapped up. The Institute has
received a wide range of quality articles from well-known
people in science, philosophy and the healthy life extension
community over the past couple of months - there are some
real gems in there. Next comes the hard work of editing and
pulling it all together! I wish I could show you some of the
good stuff now, but you're all going to have to wait a few
months to see the end result.
http://www.imminst.org/book/
ALCOR WINS IN ARIZONA WITH YOUR HELP
As you will recall from the last newsletter, the Alcor Life
Extension Foundation - a cryonics provider - was facing an
unpleasant and last minute legislative threat in their home
state of Arizona. Fortunately, the community rallied round
and the end result was close to the best success that
anyone reasonably expected under the circumstances. You can
read about it here in a letter from Joe Waynick, the new
Alcor CEO:
http://www.alcor.org/legislation.html
From the letter: "Lastly, but certainly not least, we must
thank all of the members who took time away from their busy
schedules to email, fax, and call Arizona state
legislators, urging them to oppose this bill. When they
revealed to us that they were receiving from 150-200 emails
per day, we realized that you all really made a difference!
Thank you!!!"
It is very gratifying to see that we, as a community, can
make a real difference. Thank you to everyone who
participated. Now, if we can just do the same for anti-
research legislation at the national level...
CALL TO ABOLISH THE PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL ON BIOETHICS!
I think that, by now, most people know my opinions on the
rampant growth of the bioethics field. I view it as a form
of racket, in which ordinary problems - that people can and
have solved through common sense and normal political
processes - suddenly require enormous sums of money to be
diverted from research into salaries and institutes for
bioethicists. These bioethicists then spend time creating
further problems in order to justify their salaries - money
that should be going to real research that can save lives.
http://www.fightaging.org/archives/000004.php
But let's put my opinions to one side for the moment. In
certain media and weblog circles, it's been all bioethics
all the time for the past ten days. If you aren't privy to
those circles, you might be forgiven for not actually
noticing that anything happened - the mainstream press
hasn't yet picked up on the action.
It would appear that we now have firm confirmation that the
President's Council on Bioethics is nothing more than a
rubber stamp for US administration anti-research policies
(such as for stem cell and therapeutic cloning research).
Two strong supporters of this vital research were abruptly
removed from the council at the end of February and replaced
with people who had previously declared their support for
Leon Kass' positions:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/view_news_item.cfm?n-
ews_id=782
This caused widespread outrage amongst columnists and
commentators who were already heated over blatant political
manipulation of science in the US administration. More
information can be found in these articles and posts:
http://www.reason.com/links/links030304.shtml
http://www.techcentralstation.com/030104H.html
http://www.fightaging.org/archives/000032.php
http://www.fightaging.org/archives/000033.php
At the end of last week, we found out more to the story when
a very critical article by bioethics council members
Elizabeth Blackburn and Janet Rowley was published.
Elizabeth Blackburn was one of those dismissed, and
represented a group within the council with pro-research
opinions that were being ignored and glossed over. The
report is clear, damning and well worth reading:
http://www.plosbiology.org/plosonline/?request=get-
document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0020116
Based on all of this, it is clear that the council has to
go. Its only purpose is to support legislation to block
advances in regenerative medicine that are offensive to
religious pressure groups. We have already lost a great deal
of time in the path to developing real anti-aging medicine
and cures for a wide range of age-related conditions. You
can take a few minutes of your time to protest these blatant
attempts to hold back medical science and take action here:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/projects/abolish_the_bioethics-
_council.cfm
If we don't speak out in favor of progress, there are those
who will take progress away from us. Use your voice!
THE FUTURE OF OUR HEALTH LIES IN STEM CELL LINES
Why is the number of available stem cell lines so important
to the future of our health and longevity? I explain here:
http://www.fightaging.org/archives/000036.php
The short of it is that stem cell lines provide a reliable
source of stem cells. Without this reliable source, reliable
stem cell science is impossible. No lines means there will
be no progress towards using regenerative medicine to cure
cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, nerve damage, heart
disease, diabetes, blindness, and many other conditions. A
large part of the slowdown in stem cell research over the
past few years has to do with an entirely avoidable absence
of, and confusion over, available lines.
With that established, it was with some pleasure that I read
last week of the release - for free, to anyone in the world
- of 17 new stem cell lines by a Howard Hughes Medical
Institute team led by Dr. Douglas Melton. This
accomplishment took a lot of work at all levels, and will be
of enormous benefit to the research community. To my mind,
this is the ideal proactive response to anti-research
legislation: work to make it irrelevant.
It's not every day that you can write to thank people who
are making an enormous difference in a fight to save
millions of lives. Groups like the HHMI researchers
certainly don't get thanked enough for stepping up to the
plate and hitting the ball out of the park. So pick up a
pen, and get writing!
http://www.longevitymeme.org/projects/congratulate_douglas_-
melton_and_hhmi.cfm
DISCUSSION
That would be all for this issue of the newsletter. The
highlights and headlines from the past two weeks follow
below. If you have comments for us, or want to discuss the
newsletter, please do visit one of the forums at
http://www.longevitymeme.org/forum.cfm or send e-mail to
[email protected].
Remember - if you like this newsletter, the chances are that
your friends will find it useful too. Forward the newsletter
on, or post a copy to your favorite online communities.
Encourage the people you know to pitch in and make a
difference to the future of health and longevity!
Reason [email protected] Founder, Longevity Meme
______________________________
LATEST HEALTHY LIFE EXTENSION HEADLINES
Call For A "Moderate Voice" (March 07 2004) http://www.merc-
urynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/opinion/8128278.htm An
opinion column in the Mercury News calls for a biotechnology
group with a moderate voice to oppose the hostile anti-
research climate in Washington. "Silicon Valley and the
biotechnology industry cannot afford to sit back and let
President Bush and the President's Council on Bioethics
dictate the industry's future." As the columnist goes on to
point out: "The alternative is a future regulated by the
likes of Leon Kass." This is a scary prospect for anyone who
pays attention to what Kass advocates: he has frequently
stated his opposition to any attempts to extend the healthy
human life span and combat crippling age-related conditions.
Light Shed On Bioethics Council Actions (March 07 2004) htt-
p://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/03/06/presiden-
ts_panel_skewed_facts_2_scientists_say/ Boston.com reports
on the latest developments regarding the President's Council
on Bioethics. Here's a quote from Elizabeth Blackburn,
removed last week, on the reports issued by the council:
"There is always this strong implication that medical
research is not what God intended, that there is something
unnatural about it. We had a great many comments on the
report, and they would just make a little changes that
didn't fully address them." There's much more of that sort
of allegation in the article, and from other sources. Many
people, myself including, are justifiably angry at Leon Kass
and the US administration for blocking, belittling and lying
about vital medical research.
More From The Longevity Conference (March 06 2004) http://w-
ww.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,88802-
62%255E23289,00.html The Weekend Australian reports from the
ongoing International Conference on Longevity in Sydney.
It's a curious mix of old school and new school in science,
medicine and community. Human growth hormone therapies,
calorie restriction (the only proven old school technique,
and even this can't add too many years to your life span),
genetics and regenerative medicine all discussed side by
side. The future of healthy life extension is clear to the
scientists, and it rests in supporting and funding the
advance of medical research. There are a lot of good quotes
in there, and the article itself captures the spirit of the
times in anti-aging research well - there is a clear
transition underway from old to new. Go and read it.
Congratulate Dr. Melton and HHMI (March 06 2004) http://www-
.longevitymeme.org/projects/congratulate_douglas_melton_and-
_hhmi.cfm In March 2004, Douglas Melton and researchers from
the Howard Hughes Medical Insitute (HHMI) released 17 new
high quality stem cell lines to the world, for free. A
quote: "Consistent with the general practice among academic
scientists, these cells are a reagent that will be shared.
We hope that sharing these cells will quicken the pace of
discovery." This hard work goes a long way to making current
anti-research legislation irrelevant, boosting research into
regenerative medicine for longer, healthier lives. The world
should be thanking Dr. Melton and his team - we have
provided a page at the Longevity Meme to help you and I do
just that.
International Conference on Longevity Starts (March 05 2004)
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/05/1078464645918.htm-
l?from=storyrhs The Syndey Morning Herald reports that the
first International Conference on Longevity is under way. An
array of aging, lifestyle and serious anti-aging researchers
are participating, and the article outlines a few of the
areas of discussion and disagreement in scientific circles.
The overall tone of the conference is somewhere between that
of the more conservative aging researchers and healthy life
extension advocates like us. It is very exciting to see more
events like this being organized around the world. New
conferences, like new buildings, are signs of a healthy,
interested scientific community.
Cures for California (March 05 2004)
http://www.curesforcalifornia.com The California Stem Cell
Research and Cures Initiative has launched, and is seeking
the large number of signatures necessary to make it onto the
November 2004 state ballot. Donations and volunteer work are
also sought. The initiative is a well organized attempt to
put billions of dollars of state funding into stem cell
medicine over the next decade, financed by bonds and backed
up by regulation of the research itself. It is also a direct
challenge to Federal government policies restricting this
research. The initiative website is a job well done - the
rest of us should be taking notes. We can probably expect
these efforts to encourage similar state funding plans in
New Jersey.
New Stem Cell Lines Made Available (March 04 2004)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3529021.stm As
reported by the BBC, a Harvard researcher (Dr Douglas
Melton) has succeeded in obtaining philanthropic funding and
leading the development of 17 new stem cell lines. These
lines will be made available for free to scientists, thus
breaking the deadlock over availability of lines caused by
US government policies. Dr. Melton and his group deserve
widespread commendation and some sort of medal for
succeeding in a positive, proactive response to current
attacks and legislative limits on stem cell research. Over
at Fight Aging!, I explain why the number of available stem
cell lines is so important. The bottom line: no stem cell
lines means no research, and thus no regenerative medicine
to extend the healthy human life span.
Our Community, Visualized (March 04 2004) http://www.longev-
itymeme.org/topics/healthy_life_extension_community.cfm I
talk about the healthy life extension community a great
deal, but what exactly is that community? What does it look
like, who are the members, what are their goals, and where
does it all fit in the larger scheme of things? Finding the
answers to these and a hundred other questions can be a
daunting task for newcomers, especially given the absence of
any road map. Accordingly, I have put together a
visualization of the wider community and surrounding
interest groups. I hope that you find it helpful as you
learn more about the community and healthy life extension -
life is easier with a road map in hand.
Ronald Bailey on Leon Kass (March 03 2004)
http://www.reason.com/links/links030304.shtml Ronald Bailey
takes a much closer look at the new appointees to the
Bioethics Council and methodically takes apart the arguments
of Leon Kass defending the recent shuffle. His other good
article at Reason today points out the obvious: that
"government isn't the best place to look for unbiased
science." This is in the context of the recent report by the
Union of Concerned Scientists attacking the current - and
previous - administrations for its record on science, policy
and honesty. Some good points are made in both articles. I'm
still calling to abolish the council, and you can help to
make it happen!
How US Policy Stopped Stem Cell Research In The US (March 03
2004) http://www.house.gov/reform/min/pdfs_108_2/pdfs_inves-
/pdf_science_stem_cell_nih_march_2_let.pdf This PDF letter
to the President nicely demonstrates how government policy
over the past few years has blocked stem cell research in
the US, and how involved politicians have been lying through
their teeth about it all. In addition to the therapeutic
cloning bans that were attempted but not voted into law, the
standing laws on stem cell lines and public funding have
caused great damage. The largest damage has been indirect:
the much larger pool of private funding has been scared away
for the better part of five years now. This is why a South
Korean group can do in two years what ACT has been unable to
do in five - it's all in the funding.
100 Leading Bioethicists Speak Out (March 03 2004) http://-
cyborgdemocracy.net/2004_02_29_archive.html#10783313472493-
5060 A number of blogs are carrying an open letter from
Arthur Caplan protesting the recent Bioethics Council
stacking. I'm not overly fond of the bioethics industry
myself - I see it as a racket wherein people syphon money
from real research in order to create imaginary problems
that block progress. You can read more on that topic at
Fight Aging! Within the bioethics industry, however, there
is a great deal of resentment and anger directed towards
the likes of Leon Kass, chair of the Bioethics Council. His
positions are generally viewed as extreme and damaging,
even by other bioethicists bent on slowing the engine of
medical progress. Chris Mooney has more on this open
letter, well worth a read.
A Vanity Industry With Something to Contribute (March 02
2004) http://www.medicalposting.ca/men/article.jsp?content=-
20040302_081235_5088&topStory=y We've spent a lot of time
lambasting the vanity industries in their "anti-aging"
incarnation. Quite simply, no product sold on the market
today can extend the healthy human life span. The level of
fraud and adventurous marketing has caused great damage to
legitimate anti-aging research over the years. However,
there is a vanity industry that is doing good work on
regenerative medicine: hair restoration and baldness cures.
Here, the profits to be had have spurred a great deal of
fundamental research into regenerative medicine and tissue
engineering. This work will benefit us all as it percolates
into other, more beneficial, attempts to regenerate the
damage caused by aging and disease.
Wired on the Bioethics Council (March 02 2004) http://www.w-
ired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,62494,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_4
Wired weighs in on the recent biothics council shenanigans.
Elsewhere, a Tech Central Station article declares this all
to be politics as usual, more or less, while the new
appointees are defending themselves in the media. I say it
still looks very suspect: this administration knows the
answer that it wants and builds "advisory" panels to try and
get that answer. That it failed for stem cell research and
the Bioethics Council the first time around is an indicator
of the potential and compelling nature of this research.
Regenerative medicine is the future of healthy life
extension and we must support
it.
South Korea Moves Ahead Again (March 02 2004) http://www.re-
uters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=447729-
9§ion=news As reported at Reuters, South Korean researchers
have developed and patented a method for extracting stem
cells from frozen embyros. Given the present policy and
legislative climate in the US, it is not surprising that
this advance was made elsewhere. While South Korea has its
own version of the stem cell and therapeutic cloning debate,
funding is available and politicians are not trying to ban
these medical technologies. This makes all the difference in
the world to the speed at which regenerative medicine can be
developed. When will the US government wake up to the damage
it is doing to the future of health and longevity? That is
up to you and I: speak out now!
Abolish The Bioethics Council (March 01 2004) http://www.lo-
ngevitymeme.org/projects/abolish_the_bioethics_council.cfm
The Longevity Meme response to the recent stacking of the
President's Council on Bioethics is to call for the
abolition of the council. It's clearly nothing more than a
rubber stamp for anti-research policies that have already
caused great damage. It has to go. A round up of other
comments can be found at Fight Aging!, including some by
Chris Mooney. We'll no doubt see more articles in the week
ahead. In the meanwhile, it sounds like time to write to
your representatives and call for the council to be
abolished.
Harvard To Form Stem Cell Center (February 29 2004) http:/-
/www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/02/-
29/stem_cell_center_eyed_at_harvard?mode=PF Harvard
University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has announced
plans for a large stem cell research center. The Boston
Globe frames this decision as another attempt to bypass US
government restrictions: "Harvard has the responsibility to
be taking up the slack that the government is leaving."
With plans for State funding in New Jersey and California,
this is part of a growing challenge to anti-research
policies. "Every success will change the argument. The
American people will not stand for scientists not being
able to work on their diseases." You can help to challenge
anti-research legislation by supporting the Coalition for
the Advancement of Medical Research and taking part in
their action programs.
India Can Become a Stem Cell Research Hub (February 28 2004)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/526434.cms
Indian researchers and investors are clearly looking to the
future of regenerative medicine: state and private
investment in therapeutic cloning and stem cell research is
happening there. Meanwhile, in the the US and Europe, anti-
research politicians, special interest groups and
legislation have crippled progress in these vital fields of
medicine. It's a sorry state of affairs, and we must stand
up and make our views known. Otherwise, we face a future in
which research to extend the healthy human life span (and
the use of therapies developed in other countries) is
forbidden. Is government-mandated suffering, disease and
death really what we want for ourselves and our children?
Bush Removes Therapeutic Cloning Supporters From Bioethics
Council (February 28 2004) http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArt-
icle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=4459618&ion=news Two
members of the President's Council on Bioethics who
expressed positive views on therapeutic cloning have been
replaced, as reported at Reuters. Various commentators are
expressing surprise, but the role of the council has always
been to provide justification for anti-research policies. It
hasn't been doing that job so well of late, so it was time
to stack the deck a little more. This indicates that the
current administration is still very serious about banning
stem cell and therapeutic cloning research. The cost of
blocking research into regenerative and healthy life
extension medicine is already unthinkable ... are we going
to let them get away with this, or are we going to do
something about it?
South Korea To Forge Ahead In Stem Cell Research (February
27 2004) http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/20-
04/02/28/200402280005.asp The Korea Herald reports that
South Korea will forge ahead with stem cell research,
therapeutic cloning and regenerative medicine. A large
investment and a new research center have been announced,
and the organizers plan to move directly to human trials,
first focusing on Parkinson's disease and spiral cord
injuries. From the article: "The center's medical team plans
to transplant stem cells in the brains of these patients to
regenerate nerve cells for the first time in the world."
Back in the US, New Jersey is also making headlines as plans
- and associated controversy - for a major state investment
in stem cell research move ahead.
Interview With Joe Waynick, Alcor CEO (February 27 2004) ht-
tp://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0227alcorceo27.html
The Arizona press abounds with articles about Alcor and the
recent cryonics regulation bill. This piece from
azcentral.com is a short interview with Joe Waynick, the new
Alcor CEO. He offers his opinions on the upside and downside
of this regulatory regime, and a few other topics. The
article also provides some recent history of the cryonics
industry for those who haven't been keeping track, and you
can always find out more at Cryonet. It occurs to me, in
wake of recent events, that making regulated
cryopreservation financially attractive to the funeral
industry would now be a good path to growth.
Sounds Like Victory in Arizona (February 26 2004) http://im-
minst.org/forum/index.php?s=&act=ST&f=61&t=3177&st=0& It
sounds like things have gone well for Alcor in the first
round of their current legislative issues in Arizona. Thanks
to broadly expressed support (including some important names
in the healthy life extension community) and some last
minute legwork, the proposed bill has been largely defanged.
The end result will likely be some form of "benign
regulation" as for the Cryonics Institute in Michigan. From
the Alcor president: "We must thank all of the members who
took time away from their busy schedules to e-mail, fax, and
call Arizona state legislators, urging them to oppose this
bill. When they revealed to us that they were receiving from
150-200 e-mails per day we realized that you all really made
a difference!"
Almost Getting It Right (February 26 2004)http://www.azcentral.com/health/wellness/articles/0225aging-
disease-ON.html An article from azcentral.com looks at a the
recent SAGE Crossroads debate "Is Aging a Disease?" The
author gives a good account of the relevant points, but then
unfortunately fumbles the ball before drawing the correct
conclusions. Aging and anti-aging research is essential to
the future of healthy and longevity. Far too little research
is being done today and the pool of funding for serious
attempts to slow, reverse (and reverse engineer) the aging
process is tiny. If, like Harry Moody, we dismiss the
possible results of this research a priori, then of course
we won't get any real results! Aubrey de Grey gives a good
account of this sort of problem in perceptions and public
funding in his "Closing in on the Cure for Death."
Free Radical Theory Doubts (February 26 2004) http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/news-
NG.asp?id=50199 Recent research is casting doubt on the long-
standing oxidative damage and free radical theories of
aging. More research is needed in order to establish the
truth of the matter, but attacks on well established
theories are usually a sign of meaningful scientific
progress. This article from Food Production Daily is fairly
clear about the consequences of proving free radical
theories wrong, and it is certainly the case that more work
must be done based on these new findings, but I don't think
that the researcher's position is as strong as he says it
is. We'll have to wait and see what the scientific community
makes of this.
Meanwhile, In The Business World... (February 25 2004) http-
://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/national/8021511.-
htm We don't hear anywhere near enough in the media about
the work of commercializing biotech and regenerative
medicine, yet this part of the path from laboratory to
therapy is just as vital as the initial science. This
article from the Miami Herald gives a brief overview of the
current state of play for stem cells in the business and
venture capital worlds. The short of it would be that many,
many people are interested, and see huge potential for
investment and profit. Unfortunately, the current regulatory
atmosphere presents equally large risks. The current US
administration, and other governments overseas, have scared
off investment in regenerative medicine. Thus, more time and
lives are lost to the monster of politics.
Ronald Bailey on Alcor Regulation (February 25 2004)
http://www.reason.com/rb/rb022504.shtml Ronald Bailey weighs
in on the Alcor regulation issue, calling the proposed bill
"one of the silliest pieces of 'consumer protection'
legislation ever devised." That's certainly saying
something, given Ronald Bailey's extensive history of
commentary on bad lawmaking and other forms of government
stupidity. As it happens, he comes to much the same
conclusion as I do regarding the proposed Arizona
regulations: this is the work of funeral industry lobbyists,
buying legislation to put a potential competitor out of
business. Not pretty, but a great example of American
"freedom and democracy" in action. Step up and protest
before it's too late!
It's Always More Complex Than You Think (February 24 2004)
http://www.betterhumans.com/News/news.aspx?articleID=2004-
02-23-3 It seems to be true that, wherever you are in the
research process, human biochemistry and genetics is more
complex than you think. It's good to keep reminding
ourselves about this, since the present pace of research
makes it easy to become optimistic (and thus complacent)
about the future of health, medicine and longevity. Here,
Betterhumans notes research that questions the form of the
link between antioxidants and healthy lifespan: there may be
additional layers in the biochemistry that researchers have
not yet explored. This means that the time taken to develop
therapies based on understanding these mechanisms just
increased by an unknown amount.
Centenarian Studies and HDL (February 24 2004) http://www.n-
ytimes.com/2004/02/24/health/24CONV.html?pagewanted=print
You may recall some work last year on longevity, HDL and the
sizes of lipoproteins (something that is genetically
determined). Small lipoproteins imply a shorter, less
healthy life. This New York Times author interviews Dr. Nir
Barzilai, who has been studying centenarians for genetic and
biochemical clues to longevity. At the top of the list so
far: HDL and lipoprotein size. The researchers expect to
track down specific longevity genes related to these
conditions in the near future, and trial drugs to mimic
their effects. Having this genetic knowledge to hand would
be a good argument for tweaking the genes in all new
children to produce longer, healthier lives.
The Power of Advocacy (February 24 2004)
http://www.sagecrossroads.net/public/webcasts/12/ The latest
webcast from SAGE Crossroads is a discussion of the power of
advocacy to shape the path of medical research. For example,
much of the tenfold growth at the National Institute on
Aging over the past two decades has been due to advocacy for
Alzheimer's research. Insights into the way in which the NIH
and NIA work - given their enormous influence over their
course of aging and anti-aging research
- are always appreciated. Large organizations are only now
thinking about backing real anti-aging research in any
meaningful way. The weight of science and advocacy
should overcome remaining reluctance before the end of
the decade.
Concerning Cryonics Regulation (February 23 2004) http://ww-
w.longevitymeme.org/reprints/open_letter_concerning_cryonic-
s_regulation.cfm Brian Wowk has written an eloquent open
letter on media sensationalism and the current Arizona state
efforts to shut Alcor down through bad legislation. If you
are interesting in finding out more about the backgound of
this situation before speaking out in support of Alcor, then
read this open letter. This is a textbook case of the way in
which a lazy, sensationalist media and protectionist special
interests combine to damage legitimate science and
businesses. The only defense against this sort of nonsense
is public education and demonstrated support for science,
research and progress. You can learn more about Alcor and
the science and history of cryonics at Cryonet and
Wikipedia.
New Jersey To Fund Stem Cell Research (February 23 2004) ht-
tp://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,62383,00.html?tw=wn_-
tophead_8 Wired reports that New Jersey legislators intend
to build a multi-billion dollar stem cell research institute
in New Brunswick. The governor's budget proposal includes
$50 million over the next five years for embryonic stem cell
research. This follows recent moves in California to direct
billions in state funds to stem cell research - and I'd say
it's probably just as up in the air. New Jersey's recent pro-
research legislation passed very narrowly and is still
protested - so there will likely be equally close battles
over funding proposals for embryonic stem cell research and
therapeutic cloning.
Life in the Age of Old, Old Age (February 23 2004) http://w-
ww.nytimes.com/2004/02/22/magazine/22LONGEVITY.html?th A
long, worthwhile article from the New York Times looks at
notable centenarians, prospects for lengthening the healthy
human lifespan, arguments for and against progress, and
social changes forseen to be the results of advancing
medical science. Today's spritely 70-somethings who act 50-
something will be replaced by spritely 90-somethings who act
50-something. There are human faces, dreams and aspirations
surrounding advances in longevity - people have gained extra
healthy years and done well with them. Others may yet gain
more, but how rapidly will the necessary new medicines come
into being? This is a matter of funding and the will to
support medical research.
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