It's good to live long
Scientists and biohackers in search of a "youth pill"
Madrobots company blog, Habr
Biohacker Dave Asprey, the one who invented "bulletproof coffee" with butter, dreams of living to 180 years. The pioneer in the field of cloud computing, like many other inhabitants of Silicon Valley, deals with the problem of longevity seriously. Biohackers and scientists are arguing for the right to be the first to find ambrosia, which will prolong life for decades and preserve health. Let's see what they managed to come up with!
Disclaimer: the experience of biohackers and experimental treatment methods are given to broaden the horizons. We stand for a responsible approach to health, consultations with doctors and evidence-based medicine.
1. Transfusion of "young" blood
What will happen if you transfuse a little blood plasma from a young donor to a person? Promising research suggests that a "vampire" life hack can improve the quality and longevity of life.
Plasma is a component of blood that carries cells and proteins throughout the body. Its transfusion is practiced in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Last year, two Russian biohackers tested plasmapheresis on themselves: they replaced half of their plasma with saline, additionally infusing the transport protein albumin. Their biomarkers and indicators of inflammation have improved significantly. In particular, the procedure had a good effect on liver function and cholesterol metabolism. A tiny sample calls into question the results of the experiment.
In fact, such tricks were first performed with mice. In the 50s of the last century, scientists began to make rather creepy experiments, stitching together old and young rodents. The method of creating "Frankenstein mice" is called "parabiosis". The first experiments showed that the fragility of bones decreases in old mice sewn with young ones. And then it turned out that they live 10-20 percent longer than they should. The stitching operations carried out in the XXI century (yes, they are still being done in some laboratories) have shown that the influx of young blood heals tissue stem cells. In particular, researchers Irina and Michael Conboy demonstrated that the regenerative function of the liver and muscles is reactivated in old mice.
The research has grown into companies that transfuse "young blood" to those who wish and analyze the effectiveness of the procedure. The first was the startup Ambrosia, which for $ 8000 poured two liters of plasma to everyone. The founder of the company, Jesse Karmazin, said that after the transfusion, the project team was looking for changes in the patient's body, including a decrease in the number of markers of inflammation and cholesterol, as well as the growth of neurons. According to the entrepreneur-researcher, a young organism produces many factors important for cell health, but their volume decreases with age. The young blood had to give a respite and an opportunity to recover.
Scientists criticized the project: the first study of this kind on humans turned out to be poorly organized from the point of view of science. Its participants were not united by common characteristics, so it is difficult to compare and compare them, and there was no control group. However, critics themselves then founded companies and engaged in research on the rejuvenating and regenerating properties of young plasma. So far, it is clear that dilution of plasma has a beneficial effect by reducing the concentration of factors contributing to aging. But young blood itself is not a panacea.
That does not prevent researchers and businessmen from further developing the "vampire" theme.
2. A pill to stop aging
There is already such a thing, and it is called "rapamycin". It is an inhibitor of the mTOR protein, whose name logically stands for "rapamycin target in mammals". Protein regulates a significant part of cellular processes, including how the cell ages and divides, the response to stress, hormones, damage and nutrients. But in general, its mechanisms are not fully understood.
Rapamycin is no less mysterious. It was isolated from the soil of Easter Island, and the press immediately called it "the elixir of youth." When our cells age, they enter a toxic state, giving rise to inflammation and disease. In the laboratory, rapamycin makes old cells look and behave like young ones. During a 2009 study, researchers found that if middle-aged mice are given a little rapamycin, they live longer and stay healthy. And mice with dementia-like diseases have improved memory.
Biohackers took note of the research. They have learned to naturally regulate the activity of the mTOR protein. To do this, you need to reduce the number of calories consumed, or use the method of periodic fasting. The logic of the process is as follows: mTOR signals to the cell that it needs to grow when it is appropriate and it has a lot of nutrients. If there are few substances, then the rate of growth, aging and cell death decreases.
But in nature everything is carefully balanced, so this is not a free compromise. Rapamycin is an immunosuppressant, and the suppression of mTOR function suppresses the immune system. The process of fighting infections is very energy-consuming for the body. Our immune system forces mitochondria, natural "batteries", to release toxic compounds and cause inflammation. This damages the mitochondria. That is, in the end, you need to choose between immunity — and aging. In a world where the coronavirus pandemic is rampant and more and more bacteria with antibiotic resistance are appearing, it is very dangerous to deliberately reduce immunity.
The dose is crucial. There are already drugs that work similarly to rapamycin, but support the immune system. So maybe soon the nearest pharmacy will sell pills for old age without side effects.
3. Old cell killers
And what if we don't prevent aging, but just get rid of old cells? When cells age or become damaged, they stop functioning properly and self-destruct. But with age, our body copes worse with the removal of obsolete cells. When this does not happen, they turn into "zombie cells".
At the stage when a lot of obsolete cells accumulate in the tissues, we identify the change as a disease: it can be type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, etc. "Zombies" sabotage neighboring cells by throwing inflammatory proteins into them, reducing energy production. This is especially dangerous for the immune system, since the self—destruction of its cells is an important part of protecting against threats. Researchers believe that weak immunity in the elderly is also associated with cellular aging.
Studies in mice have shown that if old cells are selectively killed, the tissues will function as young again. The common name for such drugs is "senolytics". Senolytic drugs affect proteins that prevent "zombies" from dying a natural death.
Scientists from the Mayo Clinic have shown that when senolytics removed aging cells, laboratory mice lived on average 25% longer. In the case of humans, this is an increase in the life span from 80 to 100 years! The result is inspiring, but scientists are also interested in the possibility of reversing diseases caused by the presence of aging cells. So, for example, it is possible to restore the function of lungs damaged, including by smoking. Groups of Japanese and American researchers have successfully restored lung function in mice by killing old cells.
Biohackers became interested in these studies and immediately began to experiment on themselves. In their experience, the flavonoids physetin and quercetin help stimulate the process of removing old cells. Dave Asprey recommends the diabetes drug metmorphine, warning that it depletes vitamin B12 reserves, so the drug cannot be used constantly. Another way to naturally kill dead cells: physical activity. Do you want to live longer? Do exercises.
4. Revitalizing the immune system
As we noted above, the immune system becomes less effective with age. In particular, this is due to the fact that the thymus gland, in which the T-cells of the immune system are "trained", begins to wither after puberty. These processes are associated with a poor response to vaccination and the inability to fight infections.
Here biohackers have overtaken scientists, as they diligently invent methods to improve immunity. In particular, they are trying to increase the expression of heat shock proteins, which improve the body's ability to fight viruses. This requires hardening: temporary heating and cooling of the body. Plus the same good old periodic fasting to force the cells to renew themselves through autophagy. However, experts warn that the impact should be temporary, and it is better to starve for a couple of days, no more.
Scientists, meanwhile, are studying the signals that the body sends to produce more immune cells. These are interleukin-7 molecules that cause the production of proteins important for the formation of lymphocytes.
5. Find out everything about yourself
Modern technology allows you to collect a lot of data about a person's health without sending him to the hospital. 300 thousand applications promise help in solving various health problems, including blood glucose control and procreation. However, often such applications are not linked to the patient's card, so medical professionals cannot give feedback. If this gap is leveled, it is possible to significantly improve the quality and life expectancy of people.
Let's take one of the most painful topics for modern humanity: diseases of the cardiovascular system. Scientists from New York's Binghamton Research University have found that it is possible to significantly improve blood pressure indicators if you track it through an app. The process was controlled by a medic who recommended changes in diet or medication doses based on incoming data. For 4 years, scientists have been tracking 1,600 patients with hypertension. A typical user has reduced his pressure by 2 points. For those whose systolic pressure at the start of the study was above 150 mm Hg, the decrease was 6 points. This is a lot, because reducing systolic pressure by 10 points already reduces the overall risk of mortality by 13 percent.
In general, many researchers point out that tracking indicators through the app has a beneficial effect on the course of treatment of chronic diseases.
Although tracking your body's indicators is not the same as biohacking — the latter, nevertheless, is experimenting on yourself — but many biohackers use smart health trackers. For example, they praise the Oura Ring, which tracks sleep, activity, pulse and body temperature. Interestingly, researchers from the University of California at San Francisco recently used a gadget to determine whether its users were infected with the coronavirus. Quite successfully. Their experience was repeated by biohacker Mike Sklar, who first detected a fever and then tested positive for coronavirus.
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We hope for the appearance in the near future of a full-fledged "smart doctor" system with artificial intelligence, which will help to be treated at home without pulling live doctors for every sneeze.
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