GREATEST ADVANCES IN ANTI-AGING FOR 2009
Methuselah Foundation
December 2009
Original Link
It's time to celebrate! It has been a great year at Methuselah and a great year for advances in aging research. Television, newspapers and websites have covered stories on calorie restriction, resveratrol and rapamycin. Leading biologists working in longevity research are finally grabbing the attention of other scientists (this year's Nobel Prize in Medicine is a very real example of this), the media and the general public.
Methuselah Foundation is energetically working on new initiatives, connecting with more researchers and predicting some exciting announcements early in 2010. We asked Dave Gobel, the founder, to select his top breakthroughs of the past year. He gave us an interesting list. You might want to consider these as you sip your red wine this season.
DAVE GOBEL'S TOP 5 PICKS:
1. Rapamycin - for the first time a drug was shown to extend the healthy life of mice. Late onset rejuvenation holds great promise for humans. This was so significant we awarded Dave Sharp the Mprize LifeSpan Achievement Award.
2. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) - is proving to have a powerful preservative and anti-cancer function. There is a clear indication that the current Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is inadequate. Dave is taking more Vitamin D and suggests, "Anyone can take advantage of this RIGHT NOW -- the farther north one lives and stays inside (winter in NY) the more they must pay attention to this." Vitamin D in the News
3. Organovo - 3D tissue printing. We said a lot about this exciting technology in a webinar with Dr. Gabor Forgacs, University of Missouri and in the June newsletter. Methuselah Foundation chose to support their work for the great promise it shows for eliminating the need for donor transplants.
4. Dr. Anthony Atala, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine -- another leader in organ replacement, he has had great success with laboratory grown bladders.
5. Continuous-Flow Ventricular Assist Devices - these tiny 3-ounce devices can be surgically attached alongside the heart. For patients waiting for a heart transplant these can be lifesaving, they quietly and effectively take over the pumping ability of the heart. In the future, they may eliminate the need for some transplants.
And 2 more that may not extend life but they sure could make it more pleasant, or as Dave says these are for anyone who might be thinking, "I'm so miserable I want to die."
6. Tooth implants in one day - replacing surgery and long waiting and recovery times, new procedures allow dental surgeons to do virtual surgery to get an accurate picture of bone density and nerve position. The replacement tooth is made from the virtual plans allowing for a precise and permanent fit.
7. Lyric hearing aid - InSound Medical offers the first hearing aid you can wear for months straight without surgical implantation. It's bean-sized and stays put for up to four months.
Yet to come in 2009:
Dave Gobel on TV. The Methuselah Foundation founder, will appear on a New York television special on longevity. We'll send a notice to let you know when to expect it. Dave was interviewed by Dr. Max Gomez, noted health journalist.
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NHNE On Aging & Anti-Aging