January 2025 Longevity Review
Kicking off the new year with a lifespan special, we will take a look at reversing the senescence of senescent cells to increase mouse lifespan; the discovery and beneficial effects of a subset of youthful stem cells which can also increase mouse longevity; the most comprehensive study of life-extending molecules in the roundworm c.elegans; and in the Canadian Content study, how disrupting the antioxidant defences in a specific organ in c.elegans can increase its lifespan.
In the Supplemental Section, you’ll find in Fasting, how 14 hrs fasting can improve cognition & sleep in older adults; in Diet, how carotenoid intake slows biological aging; in Exercise, how it can impact cancer; in Other Supplements, the benefits of ergothioneine found in mushrooms; in Combinations, how a four supplement combo shows benefits in Parkinson’s; in Reproductive Health, how OSKM gene therapy prolongs fertility; in Stem Cells, how they can reverse hearing loss; and in Odds & Sods, the life expectancy of cats in the UK. And of course much more!
(To make these suggestions easier to find, I’ve marked them with ***)
Video TalkThrough of this Newsletter
Canadian Longevity Association News
As you may have noticed, we’ve switched over to using Substack for these monthly reviews instead of Mailchimp, while still continuing to also use Patreon. Hopefully using Substack will expose us to a greater audience - it has already resulted in our first paid Substack subscription - thank you Cory!
The big news from January is that the CLA launched a new weekly video series, the first four episodes of which can be found here, or under the four highlighted studies below. Truth be told, we’re just dividing up the monthly video into weekly chunks to make the production less stressful, and to hopefully increase viewership by having shorter and more up to date videos. The weekly videos will still be compiled into a monthly roundup as you can see in the link above. With these new weekly videos, we finally took the plunge and started to post on TikTok as well.
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January 2025 Highlights:
Senescent cells cause all kinds of dysfunction, and up until now, dealing with that dysfunction has involved either trying to remove those cells via senolytics, or stopping their release of inflammatory molecules via senomorphics. In this study, researchers have found a third method, which involves returning senescent cells to their original state, making them fully functional again. Exosomes were used to deliver a certain micro RNA which enabled the SCs to grow and divide again. The normal mice used in this study saw their appearance, physical performance and cognitive function improve. They also lived longer, with their average and maximum lifespans increasing by 15% and 12% respectively.
Exosomal miR-302b rejuvenates aging mice by reversing the proliferative arrest of senescent cells Full Text CLA Video Review
The aging of our stem cells is one of the primary drivers of our overall aging, however not all stem cells age at the same rate. In this study, researchers discovered that there is a small subset of our blood stem cells expressing low levels of the surface marker CD150 which exhibit a more youthful profile. When these stem cells were taken from old mice and given to other old mice, they rejuvenated the blood composition of the mice as well as improving their functional performance and lengthening their lives. Removing cells which produce high levels of CD150 could be a way to provide similar benefits to us.
Reducing functionally defective old HSCs alleviates aging-related phenotypes in old recipient mice Full Text Some Stem Cells Remain Youthful With Age - Lifespan.io Review
This is probably the most comprehensive study on lifespan extending molecules in the small roundworm c.elegans. The researchers tested 16 molecules which had previously been documented to increase c.elegans lifespan under a variety of conditions, finding out that those conditions played a pivotal role in whether or not the molecule successfully extended lifespan. They also tested combinations of the most successful molecules, finding out that most combinations did not produce an additive effect. In addition, they did a screen of other potential molecules, discovering five more that could extend c.elegans’ lifespan. This paper provided a cautionary note about trusting single molecule studies and the potential pitfalls of combining substances, especially as many longevity enthusiasts combine multiple supplements.
Comprehensive evaluation of lifespan-extending molecules in C. elegans Full Text
Canadian Content Study
Another c.elegans lifespan study coming from the lab of Jeremy Van Raamsdonk out of McGill, this time looking at how disrupting antioxidant defences in various tissues impacts lifespan. Building on their previous work they found that disrupting the production of superoxide dismutase (SOD) , one of our main antioxidants, only in the intestines could have the same life-extending effect as disrupting it throughout the worm's body. This is very basic research, and it will be a while before we know where this leads, but great that research like this is being done in Canada.
Intestine-specific disruption of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase extends longevity Full Text
Further Canadian content is indicated by CAN
Supplemental Section
Lifestyle
Fasting/Dietary Restriction – certainly the cheapest & also one of the most effective anti-ageing interventions currently available. It comes in many flavours, but I fast for at least 12 hours every day.
Intermittent Fasting Enhances Motor Coordination Through Myelin Preservation in Aged Mice Full Text
Diet – let food be thy medicine…
*Dietary carotenoid intakes and biological aging among US adults, NHANES 1999–2018 Full Text***
*Long-Term Intake of Red Meat in Relation to Dementia Risk and Cognitive Function in US Adults
*Coffee drinking timing and mortality in US adults Full Text
Exercise – if you could bottle the benefits of exercise, it would be the biggest blockbuster drug of all time.
*Global consensus on optimal exercise recommendations for enhancing healthy longevity in older adults (ICFSR) Full Text Full Text *Commentary
*Muscle Strength, Fitness Linked to Lower Mortality Risk in Patients With Cancer Abstract***
*Physical Activity and Life Expectancy Free of Cancer: Prospective Evidence From the UK Biobank Study Full Text***
Non-prescription Supplements (in alphabetical order)
Astaxanthin
Curcumin
Nicotinamide MonoNucleotide (NMN)
Other available supplements or natural substances (in alphabetical order)
The role of vitamin K2 in cognitive impairment: linking vascular health to brain health Full Text
Combinations
Prescription Supplements
Rapamycin (sirolimus)
Miscellaneous Molecules & Prescription Drugs
Other Areas of Interest (in alphabetical order)
Ageing Clocks & other biomarkers of ageing
Why our biological clock ticks: Research reconciles major theories of aging Abstract
*Cross-tissue comparison of epigenetic aging clocks in humans Full Text
Biomarkers
Epigenetics & Cellular Reprogramming
Exosomes (small packets of information released by cells)
Mesenchymal stem cells derived exosomes: a new era in cardiac regeneration Full Text
Genetics including CRISPR
*SNP rs6543176 is associated with extreme human longevity but increased risk for cancer
Lifespan Lengthening Interventions
Ginkgolide B increases healthspan and lifespan of female mice
*New study reveals how a 'non-industrialized' style diet can reduce risk of chronic disease Full Text CAN
Maintaining Muscle by Restoring Gut Bacteria Full Text
Probiotics Slow Down Alzheimer’s Disease in Mice Full Text
Observational Studies
*Antibiotics, vaccinations and anti-inflammatory medication linked to reduced risk of dementia Full Text
Opinion/Editorials/Theory/Policy
Aging and Cancer—Inextricably Linked Across the Lifespan Full Text
The Genetic and Epigenetic Arms of Human Ageing and Longevity Full Text
Other Ageing Biology
Regenerative Medicine
Tenascin-C promotes bone regeneration via inflammatory macrophages Full Text
Reproductive Health
How the Yamanaka Factors Affect Female Reproduction in Rats
Reviews
From molecular to physical function: The aging trajectory Full Text CAN
Senolytics/Senescent Cells
Dasatinib and Quercetin Limit Gingival Senescence, Inflammation, and Bone Loss Full Text
AP2A1 modulates cell states between senescence and rejuvenation Full Text
Skin & Beauty
*Exosomes for Aesthetic Dermatology: A Comprehensive Literature Review and Update Full Text
Stem Cells
Innovative treatment of age-related hearing loss using MSCs and EVs with Apelin Full Text***
*Effect of Physical Exercise on Telomere Length: Umbrella Review and Meta-Analysis Full Text
*Diet, lifestyle and telomere length: using Copula Graphical Models on NHANES data Full Text
Odds & Sods
Life expectancy of cats in Britain: moggies and mollies live longer Full Text***
Tree shrew as a new animal model for musculoskeletal disorders and aging Full Text
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***Disclaimer 1 – I am NOT a doctor or indeed a scientist. All the information pertained 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 above 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 *starred any human trials.*
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