Category Archives: Human Longevity

According to the researchers, two cannabinoid acids commonly found in hemp varietals of cannabis, cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) were found to bound to the coronavirus spike proteins, which are the proteins that allow the virus to enter human cells. By biding to the spike protein, the cannabis compounds help prevent infection by stopping the virus from entering cells in the first place.

The findings also revealed that the cannabinoids were effective against new variants of the virus, which is of primary concern.

These variants are well known for evading antibodies against early lineage SARS-CoV-2, which is obviously concerning given that current vaccination strategies rely on the early lineage spike protein as an antigen, said study lead Richard van Breemen.

Our data show CBDA and CBGA are effective against the two variants we looked at, and we hope that trend will extend to other existing and future variants.

This is not the first study to highlight the potential that cannabis has when it comes to combating COVID-19.

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Is Cannabis The Secret To Combatting COVID-19? - Longevity LIVE - Longevity LIVE

Altos Labs, a new biotechnology company dedicated to unraveling the deep biology of cellular rejuvenation programming, was launched on Jan 18(Tuesday).

Altos said it will work on restoring cell health and resilience to reverse disease, injury, and the disabilities that can occur throughout life.

Altos is among a number of startups pursuing reprogramming technology, specifically aimed at rejuvenating parts or all of the human body. rejuvenate cells in the lab that some scientists think could be extended to revitalize entire animal bodies, ultimately prolonging human life.

Altos will be initially based in the US in the San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego, and in the UK in Cambridge. The company will also have significant collaborations in Japan.

The biological reprogramming company is said to be funded by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Russian-Israeli billionaire Yuri Milner.

The company has assembled an impressive community of leading scientists, clinicians, and leaders from both academia and industry.

Nobel Laurates As Advisors

Shinya Yamanaka, who shared a 2012 Nobel Prize for the discovery of reprogramming (induced pluripotent stem cells), will serve as Altos senior scientific advisor without remuneration and guide the activities of the lab in Japan.

Yamanaka is among the world's leading authorities on stem cell science. He currently serves as the director of the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA) at Kyoto University and a senior investigator at the Gladstone Institutes.

Yamanaka said, "I am delighted to be a part of Altos and believe it to be one of the most important and exciting new global scientific endeavors. The possibility of rejuvenation programming has only recently become a scientific reality and has the potential to enable us to approach human disease in an entirely new way. I am glad that I will help scientists in Japan to work in this exciting field."

Another notable scientist who will be part of the venture is Spanish developmental biologist Izpisua Belmonte.

Belmonte, who is currently a professor and chair at the Salk Institute, in La Jolla, California, is known for his research work on mixing human and monkey embryos. He also predicted that human lifespans could be increased by 50 years.

His team injected monkey embryos with human stem cells and watched them develop. They observed human and monkey cells divide and grow together in a dish, with at least 3 embryos surviving to 19 days after fertilization.

Besides Yamanaka, the company will have at least three other nobel laurates as part of the advisory group

Frances Arnold, PhD (Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology and Nobel Laureate)

Jennifer Doudna (Li Ka Shing Chancellor's Chair and Professor of Chemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, President of the Innovative Genomics Institute, and Nobel Laureate)

David Baltimore, PhD (President Emeritus and Judge Shirley Hufstedler Professor of Biology at the California Institute of Technology and Nobel Laureate),

Executive Team

Hal Barron, who is is currently the President of R&D and Chief Scientific Officer at GSK, will come on board as CEO and co-chair of the board.

Rick Klausner, a former director of the National Cancer Institute and an entrepreneur, will serve as the Chief Scientist.

Klausner is the co-founder of Altos along Hans Bishop, a former CEO of GRAIL and Juno Therapeutics. Bishop will serve as the president. Ann Lee-Karlon, a former Senior Vice President at Genentech, will serve as the chief operating office.

Altos said that the it will structure itself to integrate the best features of academia and industry -- from academia the freedom to pursue the most challenging problems in biology, and from industry the focus on a shared mission, ability to foster deep collaborations, and the passion and commitment to transform science into medicines.

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Altos Labs: A Startup In Silicon Valley Is Betting On Cellular Rejuvenation Programming To Enable 'Longevity' - Swarajya

Women whose paternal grandfathers and great-grandfathers started smoking before the age of 13 share one trait: they reportedly have higher body fat mass, according to new research. While research so far has focused attention on early smoking to health issues like asthma and lung impact, the genetic link impacting body fat is underresearched.

Published in the journal Scientific Reports last week, the study is among the first pieces of evidence to argue peoples exposure to certain substances may affect generations that follow.The present research gleaned information from three generations within a family, drawing parallels between the health and social aspects.

Whats quite pioneering is the longevity and scope of the study. The research, under the Children of the 90s project and led by the University of Bristol, has been studying a cohort of more than 14,000 individuals born in 1991 and 1992 in the U.K., along with their parents, for 30 years. The present study chose to pick the dataset pertaining to male smoking, with the researchers noting smoking among grandmothers and great-grandmothers would have been a relatively rarer habit.

This is not the first time the phenomenon was discovered. Earlierresearch from 2014 showed a fathers smoking habits, if they started before reaching puberty (before 11 years of age), influenced the sons body fat more than expected.Additionally, other experiments done on animals have found that when the male is exposed to chemicals before breeding, it can impact the anatomy of the offspring. However, scientific evidence has remained tepid in substantiating whether this trend is present in humans and what factors could be at play here.

If these associations are confirmed in other datasets, this will be one of the first human studies with data suitable to start to look at these associations and to begin to unpick the origin of potentially important cross-generation relationships, said Jean Golding, the founder of the Children of the 90s study and the reports lead author,in a news release.

Related on The Swaddle:

How Secondhand Smoke Is Harmful In the Long and Short Term

The study highlighted strong relationships which were sex-specific, both regarding the sex of the exposed grandparent and the sex of the affected grandchild. The body fat and smoking link were observed between paternal grandfathers and women only. Moreover, another finding from last year linked exposure to smoking in the paternal side of the family before puberty was associated with increased risk of asthma, reduced lung capacity, and increased fat mass in the offspring.

Arguably, the intergenerational link between ancestors and childrens anatomy is observed in other cases. 20 years ago, research found women who eat oily fish during pregnancy were more likely to have children with sharper eyesight. This was among the first correlations between a womans diet and a childs visual development. Some links were also made in children as young as eight-years-old, and finding markers of Type 2 diabetes in their blood from such a young age about 50 years before its commonly diagnosed. The researchers noted, this is about liability to disease and how genetics can tell us something about how the disease develops.

The interaction between smoking and genetics binds both how we view both smoking and obesity as public health challenges. A similar study in 2018 suggested smoking has a greater effect on the body mass index (BMI) and obesity-related traits than expected. In other words, a persons odds of being a smoker was higher if they had excess body fat even though smoking has long been associated with being relatively thin. Published in PLOS Genetics, the research highlighted the potential of using biomarkers as a measure of an individuals past environment and lifestyle. Moreover, the environment we experience may have long-term effects by altering the way our genetic makeup influences our health and related traits.

There also seems to be a circularity between smoking and obesity. United Nations scientists in 2018 cited research to state obese people were more likely to smoke; identifying a common biological basis for addictive behaviors, such as nicotine addiction and higher energy intake.

If there is a genetic relation here, it may shed new light on how we view obesity. One of the reasons why children become overweight maybe not so much to do with their current diet and exercise, rather than the lifestyle of their ancestors, added Golding.

For now, there remains much more to explore.

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New Study Finds a Generational Link Between Smoking and Body Fat - The Swaddle

My family and I have always enjoyed dining out. Whether we are at a two-star pancake house or a five-star restaurant, it is always a memorable occasion.

At the same time, there are drawbacks to dining out. Unknown ingredients, high calorie meals and general over-ordering can create unintended consequences. This week, I will discuss some dining out strategies to help reduce the downside while preserving all the things I love about restaurants.

It's no secret that restaurant meals are, in general, higher in saturated fat, sugar and salt when compared against home-cooked meals. There are certainly exceptions, but by and large restaurant meals are less healthful. So, the first tip for dining out relates to frequency.

A 2021 study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that people who dine out twice or more per day showed an increased risk for premature death. The study included 35,084 adults who reported their dietary habits via the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey from 1999-2014.

How many Arkansans dine out two times every day? My guess is not many (especially not lately). But there are lessons to be learned here. We should think about how often we eat out. It's not only healthier to cook at home but one's appreciation for a nice restaurant meal will be greater when it's less frequent. That's just human nature.

The other factor to consider is what to order when dining out. If our frequency is low, I think it's fine to splurge once in a while. But this strategy can backfire in terms of after-meal effects (you know what I mean). I like to find a balance by ordering a main dish that is grilled, roasted or baked. I also try to enjoy vegetables in different forms (soups, salads and side dishes) so that I'm not consuming a lot of starches or high-fat items.

These strategies have allowed me to maintain my enjoyment of dining out with very few negative side-effects. But barbecue is my guilty pleasure and it probably always will be. That's one type of meal that I find difficult to "throttle back," especially with all the great barbecue restaurants throughout the Midwest.

Now that my mouth is watering, it's time to introduce an exercise to help tighten up the midsection. Of course the best "exercise" for reducing excess belly fat is push-aways, as in push away from the table. But the Decline Plank Jack requires total body engagement, so it's a perfect addition to a "day after" routine.

1. Set an aerobics step on the lowest height.

2. Get into the "up" phase of a pushup with both feet on the end of the step.

3. Jump both feet out sideways so they land on the floor.

4. Jump them both back onto the step.

5. Continue this pattern of movement for 12 repetitions, and do two sets.

I know there will be readers who scoff at the notion of bringing any sort of discipline to dining out, especially in these pandemic days, when it's been such a special treat. For some, letting loose is part of the enjoyment. I get that. I just find a lot more enjoyment in sticking to a plan while enjoying a nice meal that I select with my health and longevity in mind. But even I am faced with kryptonite from time to time it's called brisket!

Director of business development and population health solutions for Quest Diagnostics, Matt Parrott began this column 20 years ago at Little Rock. He has a doctorate in education (sport studies), a master's in kinesiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.

[emailprotected]

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MASTER CLASS: Eating out doesn't have to hijack your health - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

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Unusual herbs and spices could be the best kept secret when it comes to boosting ones longevity. From its anti-cancer properties, increased brain cognition and reduction risks for diabetes, could a certain herb be your best answer to helping increase your lifespan?

A study, published online in the peer reviewed journal, Rejuvenation Research found the plant Rhodiola rosea increased the lifespan of fruit fly populations.

The study found that flies that ate a diet rich in Rhodiola rosea lived an average of 10 percent longer than those not eating the herb.

"Although this study does not present clinical evidence that Rhodiola can extend human life, the finding that it does extend the lifespan of a model organism, combined with its known health benefits in humans, make this herb a promising candidate for further anti-aging research," study leader Mahtab Jafari of the University of California, Irvine, said in a statement.

"Our results reveal that Rhodiola is worthy of continued study, and we are now investigating why this herb works to increase lifespan."

Rhodiola is one of the best herbs when it comes to brain health and longevity benefits. This is because it plays a strong role in boosting mental recovery.

"We need to be able to flip into a system that is performing well, but we also need to be able to flip out of it and be in that rest and digest and neutral state," says plant-based expert Rachelle Robinett.

She adds that Rhodiola also helps inhibit the release of cortisol, which is supremely helpful because no shock here stress can be very detrimental to your brain health in chronic doses.

In a review of 36 animal studies, Rhodiola was found to improve both learning and memory function.

In another study involving nursing students, Rhodiola showed to help reduce both mental and physical fatigue after 42 days.

The students took 364mg daily of either Rhodiola or a placebo at the start of their wakeful period, followed with up to one additional capsule within the following four hours.

An animal study found that just a single dose of Rhodiola increased memory and had an antidepressant effect on mice.

It suggested that Rhodiola could become a good tool to increase cognition and counteract mood disorders in people.

People with diabetes commonly use insulin injections or medications that increase insulin sensitivity to better manage their blood sugar levels.

Interestingly, animal research suggests Rhodiola may help improve diabetes.

The salidroside compound in Rhodiola has been shown to help protect against diabetes and diabetic nephropathy (kidney disease) in rats.

Read the rest here:
How to live longer: Lesser-known herb shown to reduce cancer and diabetes risk - Daily Express

When it comes to our brains, DHA is vital throughout the lifespan. It's important to get adequate amounts of EPA and DHA daily (the minimum is 250 to 500 milligrams per day) to ensure you're giving your brain all the fatty acids it needs to operate at full capacitynow and down the line.*

DHA is primarily found in fish, so consider introducing two servings or more of oily fish a week (per the Dietary Guidelines for Americans) to meet baseline omega-3 fatty acid needs. As nutrition scientist Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN, explains, however,"To reap the full-on benefits of marine omega-3s for brain, heart, and whole-body health, science indicates a higher dose (1 gram plus) of EPA plus DHA each day is where it's at. That's like eating 7 servings of oily fish a week, mind you."*

For these higher omega-3 levels, consider leveraging a premium-quality, sustainably sourced, health-expert-approved fish oil supplement with third-party verified traceability like mbg's omega-3 potency+. This daily essential delivers a potent 1.5 grams of EPA plus DHA (that's the omega-3 equivalent of one serving of fish per day!) so that meeting your omega-3 needs isn't another fish for you to fry.

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This Brain-Focused Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supports Cognitive Function & Longevity* - mindbodygreen.com

(Image source from: indianexpress.com)

How to improve the longevity of Liver:- Liver happens to be one of the crucial and important organs of the human body. It helps to digest the food and the storage of energy by removing the toxins. The liver is located on the upper right side of the belly and it should be protected from fatty liver (Alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and cirrhosis and liver damage. Diet and Detox are the first steps to treat the liver diseases. Excessive fat stays in the liver due to the alcohol and it is called as alcoholic fatty liver disease. When it happens due to the excessive sugars, drinks and saturated fats, it is known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Here are some tips that can give your live a better life:

Everyone has to be careful about their meals. Practice a carb curfew which can make your liver healthy. Restrict yourself from taking carbs during the evening hours. Sweat out on a regular basis through exercises. Workout for 20-40 minutes for five days in a week and this will keep the liver healthy. Processed foods and fats can raise the blood sugar levels which is not healthy for the liver. Avoid them and keep a track on the sugar drinks, desserts. Use omega-3s which can work well. Some of them are walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds oil, canola oil, fatty fish.

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How to improve the longevity of Liver? | Liver Health News - Andhrawishesh

This January, its time to take it easy and hone in on healthy habits that you can live with for an entire trip around the sunand beyond. Weve enlisted the help of industry experts to put together three four-week plans designed to help you move your body, eat more sustainably, or show yourself some loving care. Pick a planor threeand hit refresh. Get the Program

It's a well-known fact that exercise and mental health are intertwined. When you get sweaty, you're boosting your mood, increasing your self-esteem, and improving your memory and focus. Now, there's a new reason to sweat: Research hailing from the Memory and Aging Center at the University of California, San Francisco, indicates that movement may also play a major role in guarding our brains against dementia as we age.

Published in Alzheimer's and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, the study confirmed that exercise has a protective effect on the human brainespecially in later age. Scientists have long observed this benefit of exercise in mice test subjects before, but discovering the same relationship between movement and cognitive longevity in the humanbrain constitutes a major scientific milestone. The minds at UC-San Francisco uncovered this exercise-brain connection by studying people who donated their brains to scientific research as part of the Memory and Aging Project at Rush University in Chicago. The brains studied belonged to people who were between 70 and 80 years old at the time of their deaths.

Here's how they figured it out. A healthy brain is one that transmits electrical signals effortlessly through the synapses in our brains. You can think of synapses as little doorways between neurons that let the signals squeeze through, and proteins are essential for the maintenance of these little doorways. "There are many proteins present at the synapse that help facilitate different aspects of the cell-to-cell communication. Those proteins need to be in balance with one another in order for the synapse to function optimally," writes study author Kaitlin Casaletto, PhD.

As part of their research, Dr. Casaletto's team looked at the level of physical activity that the study participants had before they passed awayand found that those who exercised more tended to have more of those protective proteins in their brains. "We found that higher levels of everyday physical activity in older adults relate to higher levels of these synaptic proteins in brain tissue at autopsy," Dr. Casaletto tells Well+Good. "These are correlative so we do not know directionality, but it suggests that physical activity may promote maintenance of these protein levels even into the oldest ages."

"These findings begin to support the dynamic nature of the brain in response to our activities, and the capacity of the elderly brain to mount healthy responses to activityagain, even into the oldest ages." Kaitlin Casaletto, PhD

In short, this means that the more someone exercises, the more protective proteins develop in their brainregardless of whether or not the person breaking a sweat already has markers for Alzheimer's or dementia. "These findings begin to support the dynamic nature of the brain in response to our activities, and the capacity of the elderly brain to mount healthy responses to activityagain, even into the oldest ages. We also found fairly linear relationshipsmeaning the more physical activity, the higher the synaptic protein levels in brain tissue," says Dr. Casaletto, adding that she recommends aiming for about 150 minutes a week of physical activity.

So next time you're working out, make sure to dedicate a mile, burpee, or crunch to those little proteins in your brain. They're doing awholelot for you.

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Why Does Exercise Improve Brain Health as You Age? Scientists Just Unlocked a Major Key To Finding Out - Well+Good

Evolution is a great concept. As AI scientists we use it all the time to develop better algorithms rewarding and punishing them according to their actions in simulated environments. But when nature does it to us it feels very cruel. Our objective is to master our environment, compete, reproduce, take care of our young, the young of our young, and then gracefully decline and die. And when it comes to females nature is especially unfair as they carry much of the burden of reproduction and caring for the young. And while males can reproduce almost as long as they can live, the female reproductive period is limited and while they generally live longer, after reaching menopause they need to adjust to the new realities as their bodies shift gears.

Aging is generally unfair but it is especially unfair to women.

Menopause leads to the many diseases

By 20 weeks, a female fetus has a fully developed reproductive system; by the time this fetus is born, she will have approximately one million eggs. Yet, by the age of 30 a woman will have lost 90 percent of those eggs. Whats more, by the time a woman is 40 years old, roughly three percent of a womans eggs remain. As time continues on, this girl-turned-woman ages and so do her ovaries, but at a pace five times faster than any other human organ. Menopause lurks around the corner, with the onset between the ages of 40 and 60. This brings an onslaught of unfavorable symptoms including but not limited to fatigue, anxiety, vaginal dryness, and low libido. A taboo of a topic. Fact is, theres not a lot about womens reproductive health that is not taboo. From painful menstrual cycles to assisted fertility, to menopause, women suffer, and often suffer alone.

To make matters worse, there are serious medical consequences of menopause that go beyond symptoms. Menopause causes medical diseases including osteoporosis, heart disease, and dementia.

Whether female or not, nearly everyone can relate to being ill. However, the severity of illness caused by a complex amalgamation of hormonal changes that has been historically beyond a womans control is likely hard to relate to unless having lived experience. But female-related struggles do not cease at the health level, the issues permeate beyond a diagnosis.

Women are accustomed to either a healthcare provider or family member discussing fertility in some capacity. They may be informed about the decrease in chances of conception that comes with age; or, the higher probability of a genetic disorder for their unborn child should they choose to wait much longer to become pregnant. This pressure is fueled by an underlying fear a fear that all women possess in some way. The ticking biological clock chimes louder with each year and women are met with a decision they feel they must make and soon. It can consume a mind: What if I waited too long and can no longer have children? How can I balance my career and my family? Should I freeze my eggs?

Its fairly possible that by the time a woman finishes college, earns well-deserved promotions, builds a career, establishes financial stability, or demonstrates exceptional emotional maturity, she may have been failed by her ovaries. Critical career moments seemingly coincide with the time in a womans life when she needs to decide whether or not to have children. This has women caught in the crossroads of compromise. Or, the reality might spark an interest in leveraging an alternative method.

The technology of egg freezing has existed since the 1980s; however, in the past decade, technological advances have improved the efficacy of the method. Even so, the process of freezing eggs is cost-prohibitive and only a small percentage of corporations offer it as a medical benefit. Beyond the cost alone, the success rates are not overwhelming. While different fertility clinics vary on the percent of successful pregnancies, the average is 20%.

Much can be accomplished in a lifetime, especially since our life expectancy is increasing. If a womans average life expectancy is 80 years in the United States, is it not peculiar that her family planning needs to be achieved by her 30s? This point is dramatized when looking at mens capability to produce sperm (spermatogenesis) throughout a lifetime without the existence of premature reproductive aging. If overall life expectancy is increasing, and it has consistently over the past decade, we must realize that without extending female reproductive life, we are worsening gender inequality.

In recent years, the phenomenon of opting out of bearing children has burgeoned. In fact, the Census Bureau accounts for the United States having the slowest increase in population since the Bureau began making population estimates in the 18th century. From 2020 to 2021 year, the United States population grew only 0.1 percent. This is a significant socioeconomic concern.

We have witnessed this unraveling at the seams amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Since September 2021 alone, 300,00 women have left the workforce. As people have been pushed to work remotely, women have reportedly assumed the responsibility for both domestic work and childcare. It is no mystery as to why women are departing their places of work, as detrimental as it may be. These cumulative departures over the past two years will be costly to the United States economy, costing around $650 billion each year. These departures also threaten womens financial independence and set back the clock on pay equity. Women are more aware than ever that the social construction of having it all may very well be false. The cards seem stacked against women both in health and in career parity.

Fertility and longevity market size

But it is not all doom and gloom there are women writing a new chapter for their time on this earth, just as women have done before them. But this time, it involves money.

While the richest men in the world may be worth trillions, women have shattered enough glass to be worth billions, and theyre putting it to good use. Womens wealth is increasing as the recent Forbes Americas Richest Self-Made Women article demonstrated by the notable cutoff increase to $225mm: a $75mm increase.

These women have earned their stripes as founders, co-founders, CEOs, public figures, artists, and much more, and many are taking a stand for women by making impactful decisions about their employees health care choices, as demonstrated by Whitney Wolfe. Others, such as Anne Wojcicki, have taken successful healthcare companies public, while simultaneously acting as a lead investor in the female reproductive and fertility space. Women are starting new venture firms, creating powerful networks, and are investing in companies with female leadership.

It makes sense women are investing in companies that serve women. Its a true demonstration of women supporting women. And getting older is no longer a deterrent, instead, its a second life. From the comeback of Sex & the City to the influx of Botox use, to in vitro fertilization (IVF), women are creating their options rather than waiting for better options to come their way. Consider Viagra. This was a problem worth solving for men and thus scientists pursued solutions. Have we thought about the female equivalent of Viagra? What if just as erectile dysfunction can be circumvented, so too can menopause?

What is surprising, is that there are very few research institutions and companies going after female reproductive longevity and inequality. I personally got interested in the field when Nicole Shanaghan, at that time the founder and CEO of ClearAccessIP, an AI-powered IP management company that helped manage the IP of Insilico Medicine, got into this field from the philanthropic angle. That was around 2017-2018. She helped establish the research institutes on this subject at The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, and at the National University of Singapore. The Buck is, without doubt, the most reputable and productive non-profit research institution focusing exclusively on aging and with support from BiaEcho, their brilliant CEO, Dr. Eric Verdin set up a research center in record time. The center is now led by Jennifer Garrison, who I hope to interview for one of the follow-up articles.

However, on the commercial front, the situation is even bleaker. I would not be able to name even a dozen companies aiming to extend female reproductive longevity. It is not easy to start a company in this field. It requires very specific talent and experience, established animal models, regulatory pathways, expert investors, and pharmaceutical partners. It resembles the field of AI-powered drug discovery in 2013.

To understand this field a bit better, I recently chatted about this topic with Dina Radenkovic, MD, a longevity physician and entrepreneur, who has recently revealed her new company Gameto. And while I do not know much about their technology and can not make any claims in this area, the team looks impressive. Dina joined forces with Martin Varsavsky, a leader in the fertility space and founder of Prelude Fertility and Overture Life. Gameto is women-backed with six female investors: Maryanna Saenko of Future Ventures, Deena Shakir of Lux Capital, Deborah Jackson of Plum Alley, Kristina Simmons of Overwater Ventures, Viktorya Tigipko of TA Ventures and Caterina Fake of Yes VC. As a medical doctor with a background in aging, Dina is intent to position Gameto as a company redefining the narrative around female reproductive longevity and making it more around health and longevity. Gameto is applying the advances of cellular reprogramming to offer solutions for both menopause and fertility. This may just offer the optionality women are looking for and Dina hopes they might be able to make women suffer fewer health problems in their later life.

When ovaries are termed geriatric by many traditional medical criteria, the rest of the body is certainly not and this creates conflict for people pushing them to make compromises they may not wish to make. I hope our technology can in the future empower women and also make the second half of our lives, the best one. said Dr. Dina Radenkovic, CEO of Gameto.

Female-run and female invested Gameto

Every woman has a unique story to be told, but it is the cumulation of these stories that evoke fundamental change about how women choose to live. A selection of Gameto investors chose to share their sentiments on the essentiality of investment in womens reproductive health

Women's health is one of the highest potential and most important investment areas. It's been underfunded, and because of the acceleration of science/tech, now is the time. Gameto combines a powerful mission to make the biological clock option with strong science. Said Kristina Simmons, Founder & Managing Partner of Overwater Ventures who previously worked at Lululemon and Khosla Ventures.

Deborah Jackson, CEO of Plum Alley, a venture capital firm formed by previous Wall St. executives who are backing women in STEMM such as Jennifer Doudna, Co-Founder of Mammoth Biosciences and Mary Lou Japsen, CEO of Openwater shared, "The health of a woman's ovary is one of the fundamental drivers of her health over her lifetime, in addition to giving her the ability to conceive and make healthy offspring. As a woman, mother of two adult daughters and investor in frontier technologies, I have long been searching for breakthroughs that prioritize the uniqueness and brilliance of the female body. If we prevent disease and extend healthy living for women because of the work of Gameto, we will make one of the most profound scientific advances that is possible for all of humanity."

Deena Shakir, Partner at Lux Capital and investor in Gameto, recently wrote about this topic in Forbes and it seems her predictions may be coming true. She has shared that, "Transformative innovations in womens and family health not only advance health equity, but can also improve individual family finances and contribute more broadly to economic productivity."

Beyond the clear need in IVF/oocyte freezing, we are deeply excited about the prospect of a better standard of care for women undergoing menopause. The suffering caused by menopause is not a biological imperative, and the many complications that come along with menopause, particularly early-onset menopause, can be entirely avoided. - Maryanna Saenko and Steve Jurvetson of Future Ventures venture fund that led Gametos series A and backed an aging company Cambrian Biopharma as well as Neuralink, Deep Genomics and Space X.

While Gameto is still in the early days, solving the problem of accelerated ovarian aging for womens health and equality is a worthy cause, and a problem worth discussing.

There is a new season of women bound together by life experiences and by the realized necessity of optionality. The option of having a successful career without foregoing having children. The option to leverage biotechnology for relief from menopause or infertility. The option to discuss reproductive health without being shamed or silenced.

Read more:
Nature Is Sexist. Can Advances In Longevity Biotechnology Help Restore Reproductive Equality? - Forbes