We often hear talk of slowing down our epigenetic, (or aging) clock… but what exactly does that entail? And how can we go about executing this feat? A paper published in 2017 by Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP), lays a foundation to “understand the epigenetic contribution to healthy aging and longevity and the molecular basis of the DNA methylation clock.”

Our PubMed screening during February 2020 had several especially noteworthy papers to choose from to highlight in our blog. Ultimately however, we decided to focus on this report of a remarkable 36% extension of average female mouse lifespan when given an ovarian transplant in middle-age. These results suggest that, at least in females, ovarian function may affect healthspan and lifespan to a greater extent than is usually appreciated at the present time. 

This past week the MIT Technology Review published their 10 Breakthrough Technologies for 2020, and we were excited to see a company we’ve invested in, Oisín Biotechnologies, make the list as one of the “Key Players” in the anti-aging space. Their groundbreaking research and technology is “demonstrating that the solution to mitigating the effects of age-related diseases is to address the damage created by the aging process itself”.

With confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the US, Europe and abroad, a growing number of people are rightly concerned what the odds of them contracting the virus is, how it can be avoided, and how they can prepare for a potential lockdown or quarantine in their area. The below page, from cdc.gov, contains concise and updated information including: the global situation summary, what you need to know, how you can protect your home, and even information for specific audiences such as medical professionals, teachers, and those who travel frequently.

A study published in January by researchers in Greece recently focused on the importance of muscle mass in those 45 years of age and older, with no pre-existing heart conditions. Participants in the study were tested and then reassessed 10 years later.

According to the World Health Organization, more people are now dying from being overweight than underweight. And while obesity has long been known to cause premature death, researchers at Concordia University are now arguing that obesity directly accelerates the mechanisms of aging. The researchers write that obesity influences a number of alterations associated with aging. Hopefully this research will help people better understand how obesity works and stimulate ideas on how to treat it.