Photo from The Rejuvenation Biotechnology Conference
Chatting with genomics pioneer George Church and cryobiologist Greg Fahy at the Rejuvenation Biotechnology conference. Thanks to Aubrey de Grey and the SENS team for a great event!
Making Old Bones New Again
“A new study from biomedical engineers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute demonstrates how the compound N-phenacylthiazolium bromide, or PTB, dissolves the sugary impurities within bone tissue that cause our femurs, fibulas, and other bones to become more fragile. Using PTB to
Revolutionary new blood test ‘could detect ALL types of cancer’
From the DailyMail: “A revolutionary blood test that could detect any type of cancer has been developed by British scientists. It is hoped the breakthrough will enable doctors to rule out cancer in patients presenting with certain symptoms – saving
Blood test can predict risk of suicide
Researchers at John Hopkins University in Baltimore found that variations in a single gene can be used to predict if someone is likely to take their own life. Here’s the story. Interestingly, the same researchers also found a genetic marker
Google’s New Moonshot Project: the Human Body
Google has announced a new ‘baseline’ study of the human body. Here’s the story from the WSJ. “Google has embarked on what may be its most ambitious and difficult science project ever: a quest inside the human body. Called Baseline
Medical research should focus on Aging: Nature
Here’s a well written article from Nature about how scientists should be focusing on aging in order to 1) treat a number of diseases and 2) extend healthspan for the many people who are in the ‘older’ demographic Go Nature!
Silicon Valley Moves the Needle on Curing Aging
Here’s a piece I wrote for Slate. “Silicon Valley, known for entrepreneurs, gadget lovers, and paradigm breakers, has recently turned its attention towards longevity, powering an important cultural change on the topic. The interests of these movers and shakers run
Silicon Valley’s 40 OVER 40 list!
Thanks, TechCrunch! While most publications put together a “40 under 40” list, TechCrunch decided to take on the myth that only young people innovate. Here’s their 40 OVER 40 list of SV digerati. Frank Barbieri, who put together the list
Science Fiction Becomes Science-Fact: Two Strategies for Repairing Humans
Here’s my first article in a series for Slate magazine on longevity. Thanks to Prudential for sponsoring my obsession with health extension! “Not long ago, it would have sounded like science fiction to discuss growing human organs in the lab
US regulators fast-track novel leukemia therapy
The FDA is looking to speed up the availability of a new technique that put 89 percent of cancer patients into remission. Here’s the story. “The personalized immunotherapy known as CTL019 was developed by the University of Pennsylvania and was
KQED Launches ‘PriceCheck’ to Make Health Costs Transparent
It’s rather amazing that no one has done this yet. Kudos to KQED for launching this new database. To contribute your data, click here. From the KQED blog: “It’s well known to health policy types, but less so to consumers,
New method for delivering stem cells helps heal bone
From Singularity Hub: “One trouble with stem cells is that they don’t stay put. When doctors put cardiovascular progenitor cells in the heart to heal damage from a heart attack, the cells are whisked away in the bloodstream in a
‘Bionic pancreas’ for diabetes patients passes test
From AP: “Scientists have made big progress on a “bionic pancreas” to free some people with diabetes from the daily ordeal of managing their disease. A wearable, experimental device passed a real-world test, constantly monitoring blood sugar and automatically giving
Baby’s genome sequenced before birth
From MIT Tech Review: “An infant delivered last week in California appears to be the first healthy person ever born in the U.S. with his entire genetic makeup deciphered in advance. His father, Razib Khan, is a graduate student and
A vaccination to prevent heart attacks?
That’s what scientists at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute are working on. They’ve already had success in mice, “permanently reducing cholesterol levels in mice with a single injection, potentially reducing heart attack risk by up to 90 percent.” Great work
An At-Home Medical Device That Cuts Out Trips to the Doctor
This seems like a super-cool device! I hope the FDA approves it quickly — I want one. From Wired: “The iPhone has enabled all sorts of crazy interactions, but a new device called Cue could be the first iOS accessory
Ageism in Hollywood
Norman Lear, producer of ground-breaking shows such as All in the Family, Maude, and The Jeffersons says he’s facing agism among those who fund TV shows. The 91 year old, who loves to take on controversial issues, says that no
91-year-old woman finishes San Diego marathon in record time
From Reuters: “Harriette Thompson, who ran her first marathon at age 76, set a U.S. record on Sunday for the fastest finish in her 90-and-over age group, finishing the 26.2-mile Rock’n’Roll San Diego Marathon in seven hours, seven minutes and
The world is getting fatter — a huge problem
A new study published in the Lancet today showed that almost 29% of the world’s population, or 2.1 billion people, are obese. The reason this is such a huge problem is that being overweight increases one’s risk of heart disease,
Learning from girls who don’t age
This is a really well done story about children with ‘syndrome X,’ a condition of severe developmental arrest. Perhaps the most famous of these cases was Brooke Greenberg, who as a teenager still looked like an infant. Genome sequencing will