The long-term study involved 954 residents of the New Zealand city of Dunedin.
The results of the study conducted by large group scientists from Great Britain, USA, Israel and New Zealand. The experiment involving almost a thousand people lasted 12 years. Its results can change the life of every person on the planet. The results of the research were summed up in the journal National Academy of Science.
The long-term study involved 954 residents of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. All of them were 38 years old at the end of the experiment. But their biological ages varied from 30 to 60. This means that some of them grew younger over the years, others aged three times faster than usual.
Those who grew old quickly turned out to be much more fortunate than those who became younger. There were only three of them, but this is enough to talk about a scientifically proven phenomenon. Physiologically, they turned out to be the same age as at the beginning of the experiment, and looked like the children of their peers, who looked like they could be 60. Studying these three could reveal the molecular and behavioral secrets of “eternal” youth and active longevity.
Lead researcher Dan Belsky, a professor of geriatrics at Duke University in the US, said there was no prospect of fighting the diseases that come with aging. "If we want to be able to prevent age-related diseases, we must begin actively studying the aging of young people,” the Daily Mail quotes the scientist. In other words, we must fight the cause, not the effect.
The secret of eternal youth has not yet been revealed. But scientists made the first conclusions based on the results of the experiment. Quitting smoking, within your means, helps preserve youth physical exercise, balanced moderate nutrition and... high intelligence. All three lucky ones turned out to be educated and creative people. They have already agreed to continue the research. Therefore, there remains hope of finding a cure for old age for everyone.
Many people know a terrible and still little-studied disease called progeria. Children suffering from it turn into little old men and die in early youth. But it turns out that there is practically the opposite syndrome.
In March 2002, in one of the secluded corners of the old Tbilisi cemetery, a unique person was buried - Coco Lomidze, better known in criminal circles as a thief in law nicknamed Old Man. An outside viewer would be incredibly surprised to see in the coffin, instead of a 54-year-old man... a man who looked like a ten-year-old boy!
Indeed, Lomidze’s exceptionality did not lie in the fact that at the age of 15 he was recognized as the most dexterous pickpocket in Georgia.
Those around him once noticed that he had stopped aging. Time seemed to flow backwards for him.
Metamorphoses began when Coco turned 25 years old. The gray hair that appeared early began to gradually disappear, wrinkles were smoothed out, the oval of the face was rounded, hard stubble was replaced by youthful fluff. Inexplicable changes in appearance - the “rejuvenation” that many women dream of - lasted almost thirty years! Wherein psychological condition, mental capacity matched his actual age: Over the years, he became more and more enterprising and strong-willed.
Lomidze found practical, and of course criminal, use for his mysterious transformation from a mature man into a boy when he turned 36 years old.
Dog wedding with dowry
In 1983, after the suicide of Mikhail Georgadze, his widow Manana moved from Moscow to Tbilisi and settled in a luxurious apartment with an armored door and cast-iron bars on the windows.
Our information: Mikhail Porfirievich Georgadze, born in 1912, Georgian, native of Tbilisi, permanent secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR for 26 years.
In 1983, on the initiative Secretary General The Central Committee of the CPSU Yuri Andropov opened a criminal case against Georgadze for receiving bribes on an especially large scale for providing deputy mandates of the Supreme Council to his fellow countrymen, appointing them to various positions in the State Planning Committee, Vneshtorg and the Council of Ministers of the USSR. During a search at his dacha near Moscow, more than 20 kg of jewelry made of gold and platinum were discovered, precious stones with a total weight of more than 4,000 carats, about 5 million rubles, tens of thousands of US dollars, German marks, British pounds sterling and other foreign currency.
At the end of the search, Georgadze, without waiting for the court’s verdict, shot himself, and his wife, taking jewelry and money hidden in caches that investigators could not find, fled to Tbilisi.
Lomidze knew that the elderly Manana never leaves her home, she is a distrustful woman, strangers doesn't let in. There are three Great Danes living in the apartment, each the size of a calf. However, Coco's intriguing mind told him a way out, or rather an entrance.
By the scheduled day of the raid on the apartment of the “millionaire in exile,” Lomidze had already turned 36 years old, and he looked like a 15-year-old boy. Coco put on school uniform, tied a pioneer tie. To neutralize the four-legged guards, I purchased three shepherd bitches from a dog kennel who were in heat.
After the doorbell rang, Manana, looking through the door peephole, asked what the “pioneer” wanted. Coco squeaked, saying that their school was collecting waste paper. Door opened. Immediately the bitches were launched into the apartment, which, forgetting about everything, were immediately taken over by the Great Danes. A Coco and his two accomplices took care of the mistress. The “bombers” took so much valuables that they caroused for a whole year, forgetting about thieves.
Don't kiss strange boys
Lomidze remembered April 9, 1989 better than his own birthday. It was on this day that Eduard Shevardnadze, after long wanderings around the world in the rank of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, finally managed to visit Tbilisi. His program included a visit to the Palace of Pioneers. Not only the management of the institution, but also the criminal community of Georgia were preparing for the visit.
In the Caucasus, public humiliation is worse for a person than a blow with a dagger. It is no coincidence that at a gathering of thieves, the “crowned” authorities decided to humiliate the Gray Fox (Shevardnadze’s nickname). Sophisticated revenge was due to him for the “inconveniences” that he created for them in the 1960-1970s, being first the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and then the first secretary of the Communist Party of the republic. Coco Lomidze was appointed executor of the execution, who, if successful, was promised highest title criminal world: thief in law.
There were a lot of flowers, smiles and music. Children in red ties were lined up on either side of the red carpet leading into the Palace. The right flank was... Coco. He was 42 years old at that time, but outwardly it was impossible to distinguish him from the surrounding youths!
As soon as Shevardnadze, surrounded by bodyguards, stepped onto the carpet, Coco rushed towards him. He shouted: “Batono, batono Edward, son of Ambrose, you are our messiah, we have been waiting for your appearance to the people for so long! You are our savior, you, like Moses, will lead us out of the desert... Let me kiss your hand!”
Yakov Tsiperovich. Another unique person who, at 60, looked no older than 30.
Shevardnadze brushed away a tear that had rolled, picked up the little boy and kissed him three times. These moments were more than enough to wrist watch the guests ended up in Lomidze's pocket. A second later he disappeared into the crowd of pioneers, and half an hour later - from Tbilisi.
Shevardnadze missed the loss only after crossing the threshold of the office of the director of the Palace of Pioneers. "Philipp Patek" with a gold bracelet decorated with a scattering of diamonds - the most expensive in the world Swiss Watches- were presented to him by the President of the Union of Industrialists of the Federal Republic of Germany as an advance payment for his efforts in the speedy withdrawal of the Group Soviet troops from the GDR.
Two days later, the thieves returned the watch, but they did it in such a way that all Georgian newspapers would trumpet it. The public shaming of Shevardnadze has taken place!
And at the crib...
In 1989, Lomidze’s male function began to fade, and Tamara, his partner, insisted that he contact Semyon Dalakishvili, deputy director of the All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Morphology and Gerontology, about his “rejuvenation.” Having laid out photographs of Coco on the table, the professor began to think. Finally, looking up at the patient, he said:
If your “rejuvenation” continues at the same pace, then you will celebrate your sixtieth birthday in a cradle with a pacifier in your mouth... Sorry for the dark humor. You most likely have problems at the genetic level. Unfortunately, neither my institute nor foreign clinics can help...
In May 1990, a unique patient was examined by the Minister of Health of the USSR E.I. Chazov. I quote his comment verbatim:
“Biological age does not necessarily coincide with a person’s calendar age. There are examples of extremely early old age, when even 5-7 year olds show all the signs of aging. This genetic disease called progeria. But for the aging process to actually reverse, the body begins to rejuvenate itself - this is impossible! Medicine does not have such facts, therefore there is no special term for such a “disease”. Aging is a multi-link, destructive and, alas, irreversible process.
It is difficult for me to judge what happened in the case of Lomidze - I saw this patient only once, and he was not observed in our specialized clinics. Surely some genetic disorders he had. Lomidze’s sensational rejuvenation can be explained - cases when the process of external aging slowed down, sometimes for decades, are known. But, of course, Lomidze was not getting any younger. This is not given to any mortal!
The most eloquent evidence of the aging of the organism of the unique person from Tbilisi is his early decline male functions. As for external signs“rejuvenation” of the patient, then this, I repeat, is most likely only a manifestation of an anomaly at the genetic level.”
It turns out that there are ageless people in the world who remain young at the age of 97. And this is not a consequence of any operations or injections, or any falsification. They really do not age, frozen at a certain age mark. There are also those who are getting younger every year.
Phenomenon: a person who does not age
Every year there are more cases when a person not only stops aging, but also begins to look younger. They do nothing to rejuvenate themselves, neither in terms of lifestyle changes nor in terms of medical intervention. Scientists call this phenomenon a phenomenon. Its nature is not clear, but is of great interest.
The oldest ageless man celebrated his 97th birthday.
Cases of stopping aging and turning aging into rejuvenation are different. These stories have both a happy ending and a sad one. There are children who remain at their age immediately after birth. Their bodies age, but unevenly, causing deformation. The aging process is slow. One year of growing up for such children is equal to 4 years for ordinary children. Such a child will never be able to grow old, because he will die from other causes. ahead of schedule. For parents, this is not a miracle, but a real disaster. Scientists believe that the cause lies in gene mutation. But they can’t say anything for sure yet.
There are also people who stop aging after certain circumstances occur. They quickly get younger, but then they begin to age again more intensively than before and die. Also, there are more optimistic cases when a person simply does not age as quickly as ordinary people. The rate of his aging is so slow that it is almost invisible to others.
Ageless Candy Lo
The model is of Chinese origin. Candy is now 50 years old, but she looks like a 30-year-old woman in her prime. Mother of three children. She believes that slow aging in her case is due to in an ideal way life, absence bad habits, positive psychological attitude and sports. Realizing that she was significantly younger than her peers, Candy used her advantage for commercial purposes by writing a book about her story. The book is called Timeless.
Young Rosa Faroni
This woman is now 97 years old, can you believe it? This is exactly the man who, having lived to 97 years, still does not age. Vice versa, Rosa Faroni became so much younger that her acquaintances no longer recognized her, confusing her with her daughter.
Now she jokes about how if she decides to get pregnant, wouldn't it be funny to give birth when her 100th birthday is around the corner? At the same time, as gerontologists note, she became younger not only in body, but also in mind.
All her data is at least 70 years younger than her passport age. She has a sharp mind, excellent memory, physical fitness. All her life she never followed any diets, did not lead a healthy lifestyle, smoked and drank. This is a real phenomenon.
Sleepless Yakov Tsiperovich
At 58 years old, this guy looks like he's in his 30s. This is a man who lives in Germany. After a clinical death experience that lasted about an hour, he woke up and stopped aging. This happened in 1979.
An interesting fact about this man’s story is that he doesn’t need sleep. He can't sleep at all. He learned over time to give his body a horizontal position, but it does not need sleep.
In order to learn to lie down on the surface without hindrance, he needed time and yoga classes. Now Yakov Tsiperovich is 58 years old, he is completely healthy and looks exactly the same as he did before his clinical death.
Ageless Sei Senagon
The Japanese woman Sei had just turned 75 years old when she stopped aging. She began to look younger. Physiological process her body completely turned into the process of rejuvenation. Hair, teeth renewed, wrinkles disappeared, restarted menstrual cycle, and sexual desire appeared. Over time, the woman began to look completely young. She had to divorce her husband and remarry a younger man, with whom she had a child.
Is there a possibility of turning the phenomenon into a norm?
This possibility exists. Scientists from the United States of America have concluded that the aging process is not natural for the human body. Genetically, a person has a complex program to counteract aging.
Video: How to stop aging with antioxidants and free radicals.
For longevity in human body A whole group of genes is responsible. By studying the DNA of elderly people over 90 years old, scientists were able to create a human genetic map. The group of people tested consisted of sisters and brothers related by blood.
The discovery turned out to be stunning. It turned out that in the elderly people studied, a group of genes was found that blocks genes that trigger the aging process.
They were called genes of youth. The problem is that these genes usually remain inactive. Today, the challenge for gerontologists is to understand the mechanism by which these genes are activated. When this happens, ageless people will appear more and more often, until all of humanity is rejuvenated.
Every year, doctors around the world record about a hundred cases of sudden rejuvenation, which is commonly called age regression. These cases occur in various countries and, interestingly, with people who cannot boast in a healthy way life, reports http://esoreiter.ru
SAD STORIES
Senpu Issa, who worked as a waste disposal operator, and Sei Senagon, a seamstress who made kimonos, survived the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. At the end of the 70s of the last century, they were already sick old people and were in the hospital for treatment. On the night of October 24, 1979, Sei Senagon and Senpu Issa experienced sustained and intense sexual arousal. In the morning, the clinic staff did not recognize the patients. Their gray hair disappeared, their natural hair color returned, a week later their old teeth fell out, and after another week new ones began to appear. The bones became strong, and the entire skin became young and elastic. The ophthalmologist, who was surprised by the sharply worsening vision of the patients, discovered that the clouding of their lenses had completely disappeared. Cardiologists have stated that the blood pressure of former old people is like that of eighteen-year-olds. The symptoms of progressive Alzheimer's disease also completely disappeared.
Peers Sei Senagon and Senpu Issa no longer recognized them when they met on the street. In 1981, “young old people” had the appearance of people who were at most thirty years old. At the same time, Sampu Issa married his seventeen-year-old neighbor and soon became the father of a daughter. Sei Senagon also married and had a child. The Japanese press regularly reported on the lives of these phenomenal people, who were even called immortals.
However, in 1985, such publications were interrupted by the message that life had returned to its place. Sei Senagon and Senpu Issa grew old and died in one week. Their children began to suffer from illnesses characteristic of very old people, and after some time they also died.
In one of the Moscow scientific laboratories, the spine was treated using a new experimental device using magnetic fields. While carrying out the procedure, the laboratory assistant accidentally got distracted and entered non-standard parameters. The patient was a woman of about fifty who did not notice anything special, but after the session she suddenly began to look younger. She felt more and more energetic and began to look better. At first, the woman was naturally happy and continued to get younger day by day - until people began to confuse her with her daughter. Then she was frightened, and being frightened, she began to grow old again. The laboratory assistant, who mixed up the device settings, was unable to find out anything.
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Soso Lomidze was well known in the former Soviet Union as a man who grew younger rather than older over time, and also as a thief in law with the nickname Old Man. At the time of his death (he died in 1998 at the age of 56), Lomidze looked like a child. Soso stopped aging when he was 25 years old. The stubble on his face was replaced by fluff, his face became rounder. Lomidze began to lose weight and decrease in height. At the same time, his physical and mental abilities were preserved. Lomidze committed his last two most high-profile cases while in the guise of a child pioneer.
OPTIMISTIC STORIES
However, not everything is so sad. There are people who, having suddenly become younger, remain so to this day. So, Rosa Faroni, at 97 years old, began to rapidly look younger. In 2007, she had six grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren, and looked almost younger than her own granddaughter. Rosa, like her doctor, cannot say what caused such changes, why her body began to look younger. She says she eats everything, smokes and drinks even more than she should. The only thing that discourages a woman is the possibility of getting pregnant: if you’re already close to a hundred, it’s funny to give birth.
Vyacheslav Klimov, a fifteen-year-old teenager, had a car accident and received multiple burns. In total, 70 percent of the skin was burned. Slava suffered twice clinical death and still survived. And a few years later he suddenly began to look younger. Now Vyacheslav Klimov is 46 years old, but he looks 20 years younger. The man participates in the work of the Cosmopoisk association and studies various kinds of anomalous phenomena.
Unfortunately, despite the statistics (as already mentioned, one hundred people in the world are getting younger every year), there is practically no information about them. But how interesting it would be to follow the fate of such people...
In 2015, one of the most unusual and revolutionary experiments in human rejuvenation began. Volunteer and researcher Elizabeth Parrish agreed to change her own genome to stop the aging process of her body. Now the first results of the experiment have become known.
Elizabeth Parrish, a 44-year-old American researcher, is the first woman on Earth to have her genes artificially altered. The experiment began in 2015, and now the first results are available to us... It sounds like the plot of a science fiction thriller, no less than Prometheus or Interstellar, but this is the reality of 2016.
Research into aging processes today is one of the most popular and promising. And not only because we all dream of being forever young, but also because scientific progress finally allows us to look a little deeper into the topic than before.
A new building block in progress was laid by BioViva scientists, who last year began their incredible experiment to change the human genome. A volunteer and part-time one of the leaders of the scientific and medical company that started this experiment, Elizabeth Parrish, was injected with genetic material that, having penetrated into the nucleus of every cell in her body, was supposed to trigger changes that would stop aging and rejuvenate the body. The results of such an intervention could be the most incredible.
Firstly, no one had previously conducted such experiments on humans. Secondly, the developed drug itself is so innovative that it has not yet been approved by the FDA food products and US medicines. So the injection itself was administered to Parrish in Columbia. Before this, she also had to record a video message in which she confirms that she understands everything possible consequences, accepts the fact that anything can happen, and also relieves others of all responsibility for what can happen to her and her body. The scientist also noted that even if the consequences turn out to be fatal, she still will not regret taking such a risk, because any results of this experiment are incredibly valuable for millions of lives.
And so, the first stage of the experiment was completed, which gave the first positive results, namely, the “rejuvenation” of Liz’s body by 20 years was recorded. No, the girl did not look like a university graduate; the main changes occurred, of course, inside her body, which is much more important than elastic skin and shiny hair. According to new data, the leukocytes in Parrish’s blood became younger, and the telomeres “lengthened” by 20 years. And this can be considered an incredible scientific breakthrough.
It is known that the aging process is formed at the DNA level. It begins with the reduction of telomeres, the ends of chromosomes. The length of these DNA sections is directly related to the biological age of a person - the older we are, the shorter they are.
(photo: telomeres)
Cell division begins with the doubling of its chromosomes thanks to an enzyme called DNA polymerase. Moving along the DNA chain, it synthesizes another similar chain. The problem is that DNA polymerase begins its work not from the very end of the chromosome, but slightly back from the beginning of the DNA chain. Accordingly, with each cell division, part of the DNA simply falls out of the process.
Telomeres are the ends that are lost during cell division. They do not contain valuable genetic information, therefore, until a certain moment, our body does not feel these “losses”. However, sooner or later there comes a moment when the shortening of the chromosome ceases to occur due to these same telomeres, and then the DNA polymerase, starting its work once again, notices that the shortening begins “not from the empty end,” but from a segment with “data.” Then the enzyme can begin to connect different chromosomes to each other in order to “restore” the broken connection. When a certain amount of such “compounds” accumulates, the apoptosis mechanism is triggered in the cell, that is, the process of cell death. Simply aging.
So: new data from a BioViva study suggests that the drug injected into Parrish’s vein can “lengthen” telomeres by 20 years, that is, delay the process of apoptosis by almost a quarter of a century. And these are extremely encouraging results that can truly change our entire understanding of old age and bring us closer to the dream of eternal youth.
It is also interesting to note that despite the revolutionary nature of the research in which Parrish is taking part, this is not the first attempt to lengthen human telomeres. In 2014, scientists at Stanford University developed a technology that also makes it possible to extend the ends of DNA. The drug they developed gradually increases the activity of telomerase (an enzyme that adds new sections to the end of DNA) for one to two days, during which telomeres quickly lengthen. This technology was used exclusively on cultured cells, which are used for testing new drugs and modeling various diseases. Of course, there was no talk of experiments on humans then.
The data from Stanford University, as well as that from BioViva, is incredibly valuable because it shows that humans are slowly getting closer to solving the mystery of the nature of aging. It seems that very soon we will learn, if not to program our genes, then at least to understand those processes that for many centuries seemed a mystery.
Thanks to colleagues and friends from International Alliance for life extension (International Longevity Alliance) Journalists from Komsomolskaya Pravda became the first popular media outlet that managed to contact the brave tester and ask her the most exciting questions.
Full interview with ElizabethParrish
“Hello,” Elizabeth smiles welcomingly on the screen when we connect via Skype, and immediately amazes us. She does not at all resemble either a mad scientist who has lost touch with reality, or an aging lady who, out of desperation, decided on a desperate experiment to regain her youth. Before us is a cheerful, attractive woman, and the KP operators look at each other in surprise: there is no way to give this beauty her 44 years old.
— Liz, history stores the names of scientists and doctors who experienced infection dangerous diseases, first invented vaccines, and their actions subsequently saved millions of lives. But when your predecessors took risks, the public could understand that they were doing it to cure specific serious diseases. How much risk do you take and how did you explain to your loved ones why you are taking this?
- I'm sure this is the most important step that needs to be done today. Many people don't think about it, but aging has now become the number one killer in most countries. Cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and other life-killing diseases begin because the body ages and is unable to correct problems. At the same time, laboratory experiments on animals clearly confirm: if you stop aging and rejuvenate the body, you can be saved from dangerous diseases and prolong a healthy life. And it's real.
- We can't allow any more age-related diseases kill us - Elizabeth emphasizes excitedly.“The elderly population around the world is growing, and these are people who have the potential to be healthy, strong and able to care for themselves rather than end their days in wheelchairs in nursing homes.
“As for the risk, I am well aware that I could get seriously hurt,” continues the researcher.“But at the same time, I understand that if I don’t do this, I will still die from the diseases that aging brings with it.” If the experiment is successful, it will help save millions of people.
My family, friends and colleagues supported this move. They know me well, my lifestyle and understand why I made this choice.
—Have you done risky things before?
- No, this is the first really big risky step in my life. I’ve always been interested in science and research, but I’m not a rock climber, I don’t go deep sea diving or skydive,” Liz laughs. “I think I took a very calculated and justified risk.”
- Liz, you are optimistic, but skeptics are worried that one of the components of your genetic design - an adenovirus - is not a very accurate and safe tool for inserting genes into the right places. Could you clearly explain the essence of the procedure and how gene therapy works?
— We take a human gene that has a certain beneficial effect, regulates the production of any necessary protein,” Elizabeth shows on her fingers (see video). - We also take the virus and, as it were, clean it - we deprive it of the ability to spread the disease. We insert a gene inside the virus and introduce this construct into the body (Liz was given an injection into a vein. - Auto.).
The so-called viral vector spreads throughout the cells, penetrates and transfers the gene, integrating it into the cell nucleus. The gene activates the production of those proteins that we need, making us healthier and younger.
So the point is gene therapy is what we put into the body great amount viruses that are not capable of infecting you with disease, but distribute and insert useful genes into cells - summarizes Elizabeth Parrish.
As for the virus itself, we use AAV - this is an adeno-associated virus that delivers the gene directly into the cell nucleus and inserts it into certain areas of the 19th chromosome. That is, in fact, this is a fairly accurate and predictable method.
— How much time has passed since the beginning of the experiment and when will the first control measurement be taken to see the effect?
— A little more than a month has passed (we spoke with Liz on October 20. — Auto.), and in three months there will be the first big examination and summing up of the first biological results.
— Do you keep a diary of your feelings, has your mood changed? What thoughts come to you in the morning, for example?
— Yes, I keep a diary where I write down a lot of information. I have a person who helps with this and, perhaps, in a year we will write a book about our experiment. Of course I'll follow external changes, including looking at my face, because people are always interested in this, and I will have to inform them.
What I have already noticed quite clearly and what turned out to be surprising for me: when I get up in the morning, I feel very energetic, I don’t need coffee or anyone’s help to wake up, this is amazing. At the same time, in the evening I feel like a 5-year-old child: as soon as I get to bed, I immediately fall asleep and sleep perfectly without any sleeping pills.
My muscles also hurt a little - apparently because new tissue is beginning to grow in them, but so far this is hardly noticeable. Overall I feel great.
— One of the most controversial issues today is what to consider as biomarkers of aging, that is, what indicators reliably indicate the real biological age person. This determines how to evaluate the effect of anti-aging therapy. What will you focus on when summing up the results of the experiment?
— Soon I will be tested to determine DNA methylation indicators (over the course of life, the location of the so-called methyl groups in our body changes, and a pattern has been discovered that allows us to judge biological age. — Auto.). We also measure telomere length and various other indicators of cell condition. I also undergo a visual examination and a physiological examination to determine the same muscle mass. All this is recorded.
— You received one injection of genetic material. Is this enough or is something more required?
— As for the myostatin inhibitor to stimulate muscle growth, its single administration is usually sufficient for the rest of life. There are already patients whose positive effects of this therapy continue for many years.
With the telomerase gene, I may need a second injection if it turns out that I was not able to cover the first time sufficient quantity cells.
— How reversible are the changes in the body? If something suddenly goes wrong, you can “turn off” the introduced genes?
“Since stimulation of the telomerase gene has not yet been tested in humans, we could introduce a small amount of material. Then the effect of therapy would be more short-term. But we are so confident in positive effect, which was immediately entered maximum amount genetic constructs. If unwanted side effects appear, then, in principle, there are drugs that can “turn off” a previously activated gene.
— Are irreversible effects still possible that cannot be eliminated?
“Yes, I hope it will be youth and health,” laughs Liz.
— Since you are a pioneer, I would like to know some more details. They say the location of the procedure is kept secret.
— The fact is that we had an information leak even before our team was ready to start the experiment. Therefore, we were forced to take measures for sufficient confidentiality. And we still keep strictly secret the place where the procedure was done, the name of the doctor, and all this will not be revealed until we are awarded Nobel Prize (laughs). Seriously, we do this because we must protect our team, our company from the administrative system built in the United States.
FDA work ( Food and drug administration - Food and Drug Administration. —Auth.) is certainly important for ensuring the safety of medicines and products. But, unfortunately, today this regulatory system greatly slows down science and prevents the timely implementation of its achievements. Hundreds of thousands of people die from aging, and for them gene therapy would be very important.
— They say you had the procedure done in Colombia. If we had to comply with all the regulations prescribed by the FDA, how much time and money would it take to legalize gene therapy as a treatment for aging in the United States?
— It would take at least another 15–20 years and more than a billion dollars. At the same time, if we spent that kind of money, then even if successful, there would be a therapy that few could afford - in order to return the funds to investors, we would have to make it very expensive.
— When can this therapy become widespread and accessible to everyone?
— To make gene treatment of aging generally available, two conditions are necessary. Firstly, find a state where we can officially work (we are currently doing this). And secondly, investors are needed to develop this therapy for mass use. All this could realistically be organized within 3–5 years. If we talk about global forecasts, then in 15 years, I think, the governments of countries could agree to make such therapy free for citizens. After all, if it prevents age-related diseases, it allows you to save a lot of money, which is now spent on treating cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, caring for the sick, etc. The US now spends trillions of dollars a year on this, with 85% of healthcare costs coming from medical service elderly people in last years their lives.
Gene therapy as part of Elizabeth Parrish's experiment cost $1.5 million.
Such “aging treatment” could cost from 40 to 60 thousand dollars in 5-6 years, if the experiment is successful and the therapy is put into production.
— Liz, as a very busy person, it’s probably difficult for you to comply strict regime day, but you look great. Can you tell us what you do for this and what you would advise other people?
- One of the most important rules- enjoy life.
— You repeat the words of scientists who study the phenomenon of longevity: all people who live to be 100 are great optimists.
— Rule number two is to find something that you would like to change in the world, nearby, and move towards that goal. Everyone is capable of achieving one goal or another if they put in enough effort and try hard. Rule number three - get out of the house and enjoy the world around you. He is beautiful! Look at the beauty of nature and the things that man creates. Notice the good things people do. Although people can also do bad things, focus on the good things and they will happen more often for you.
Will it become a thing of the past? plastic surgery
— Many Hollywood stars and others public people They do not hide the fact that they use advanced advances in medicine, including anti-aging plastic surgery. How do you feel about this, have you used such services and are you planning to?
— I think that with the spread of gene therapy there will be less and less need to cut off something unnecessary or add in case of age-related changes— we will correct these shortcomings by intelligently influencing genes. If I don’t wait for this, and I get a lot of wrinkles, then perhaps I’ll use something else from the arsenal of anti-aging products. But I am more hopeful that the current therapy will work.
In any case, plastic surgery is unlikely to become a thing of the past - it will always be used to improve one's body. Moreover, if thanks to gene therapy people can seriously extend their lives, at the age of 120 or 130 they will probably want to change something about themselves ( laughs). Why not.
“I am well aware that I could get seriously hurt. But at the same time, I understand that if I don’t do this, I will still die from the diseases that aging brings with it. If the experiment is successful, it will help save millions of people,” Parrish said.
— When Komsomolskaya Pravda writes about the fight against aging, some readers leave perplexed responses on our website kp.ru: they say, why prolong life? If it is long, it will become uninteresting.
— When we talk about the fight against aging, we need to think first of all about the fact that in this way we save people from serious age-related diseases. You don't want to suffer from heart disease, have a heart attack or stroke, get cancer, Alzheimer's disease. A by-effect getting rid of these diseases will mean that life continues and becomes longer. I would really like to live another 100 years and 44 years and remain cheerful, able to work, be creative, and see the world. If you stay healthy, you will be able to acquire new skills and implement them successfully thanks to a young brain and body. Such a life cannot be boring.
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