Category Archives: Human Longevity

Blue Zones diet: Eat like the longest-living people

The Blue Zones diet is based on the eating patterns of people living in Blue Zones, parts of the world where people live the longest.

Staff Video, USA TODAY

Astudy released earlier this monthreportedthat eating a single hot dog can take 36 minutes off of a human's life. But what if there was a diet that aimed to add years?

The Blue Zones diet is based on the eating patterns of people living in Blue Zones the parts of the world where people live the longest.

The dietwas pioneered by DanBuettner, a National Geographic fellow and bestselling author.In a span of about eightyears, Buettner and ateam of colleagues conducted research anddiscovered fivepockets of the world that exhibited this outstanding longevity: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, GreeceandLoma Linda, California.

Through an analysis of these communities' dietary habits, they found people in these so-called "Blue Zones" were eating a mostly whole food and plant-based diet.

"The Blue Zones diet came alongseveral years after the initial project in really piecing (it) together. If you want to know what 100-year-oldsate to live to be 100... you have to know what they've done most of their lives," Buettner explains.

He's been personally following the dietfor about 10 years.

"I ate basically a standard American diet when I started, but it just became so glaringly clear that this way of eating is is yielding longevity. Also, it's delicious," he says.

He's also gained newfound attention on TikTok for sharing info and tips about the diet. One video, where he talked about meat consumption in the Blue Zones,garnered nearly 200,000 views and more than 25,000 likes.

Toskeptics, he says "you can do whatever you want, but the longest-livedpeople are eating this way."

The main pillars of every Blue Zones diet are:

People living in the Blue Zones also eatsome meat,on average about five times a month and fish once or twice a week. They also havea "little bit ofsheep's milk cheese or goat's milk cheese, but very little sugar. Probably a quarter of the sugar that we eat, and almost no processed food."

That also means no processed meats, which the World Health Organization also classifies as carcinogenic. The WHO defines processedmeats as those that are "transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smokingor other processes to enhance flavor or improve preservation." Examples includesthe aforementionedhot dogs as well assausages, corned beef and beef jerky.

While the Blue Zones diet may consist of less meat and dairy than most Americans are used to eating,Buettner says he wouldn't call it restrictive. Instead, he calls it putting a "plant slant" on your diet.

When he officiallyformulated the diet and created a Blue Zones cookbook, he decided to leave out meat and dairy altogether, explaining, "themore people can eat a whole food, plant-based diet, the better off they're going to be."

While this diet has similarities to theMediterranean diet, it pulls from communities beyond this region and puts less of an emphasis on seafood. Additionally,the Blue Zones diet aims to go beyond just eating by also focusingon a way of life that encourages social connection and movement.

In addition to the hope of living a long life, Buettner says the diet can also help with other health issues.

In a 10-week challengebroadcast on the "Today" show in 2019, people who stuck to the dietyielded impressiveresults. One woman said she lost 12 pounds and lowered her cholesterol by 22 points. Another lost 17 pounds and said she felt "happy (and) energized," while athird womanlost37 pounds.

"While the women we talked to saw the most dramatic change, everyone who stuck with the program for three months also reported weight loss," anchor Maria Shriver said in the segment. "But I think the thing that is the most exciting to me is that they all reported emotional well-being went up."

Going meatless or reducing meat intake can also helplower cholesterol and reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease, according to theAmerican Heart Association.

The dietcan also helpkeep you feeling full longer. A 2016 study comparing meals with vegetable protein sources versus animal proteinfoundthat satiety was higher after eating legumes such as beans and peas than meat.

Eating a hot dog takes 36 minutes off your 'healthy' life

A new study from the University of Michigan suggests that eating a hot dog can take 36 minutes off your healthy life. Researchers ranked more than 5,800 foods by how much they affect a persons healthiness.

unbranded - Lifestyle, unbranded - Lifestyle

"These fiber-filled sources are known to improve satiety,which can help manage our weight," explains Ashley Baumohl, assistant clinical nutrition manager with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.

Plant-based diets canalso help support bowel regularity and an increase in fiber is "directly associated with reducing risk for colon cancer and breast cancer," she says.

"So there are a lot of benefits in choosing these foods as our primary source of nutrition."

Diets can be hard to stick to on their own, Buetter says, so he suggests shaping your environment to make this way of eating easy.

"Most of us are on a 'see-food' diet so if you're putting that junk food away and you put in a big, beautiful fruit bowl in the middle of your table, you're way more likely to eat the fruit," he says.

People can be influential too, and surrounding yourself with people who also eat this way will help, he says, just like in the communities that the diet originates.

"One of the best things to do is to build your social network so you have a couple other people eat this way," he says.

He also suggests taking time tolearn some recipes you love, because taste will also be afactor in what you decide to eat.

"People eat this way for, basically,three different reasons. Number one, it'll improve my health. Number two, it's good for the environment. And number three, it reduces animal cruelty," he says. "(But) people want to eat what's delicious right now, so the most important ingredient is taste.So, if you can find a couple of handfuls of recipes that you and your family love...you're gonna want to eat it because it's pleasurable."

Baumohl agrees it helps to "get into the groove" of making new recipes that you find appetizing, but know that switching to plant-based when you're used to a more meat-filled dietcan involve a learning curve.

"(It) requires some education how to make it flavorful without adding in too much sodium, and what can we add in that is going to give us a greater variety of nutrients and make it taste good?" she says. "It that takes a lot of practice."

She also encourages people to make sure they're getting enough nutrients.

"It has to be a very intentional change," Baumohl explains. "There's definitely ways to get (plant-based protein), but... these aren't going to be as protein-dense are a Greek yogurt or three ounces of chicken or fish."

She also suggests adjusting any diet recommendations to your specific needs.

"Everyone is so individualized and has different levels of activity and different mental conditions and differentthings going on with their body where they might need more or less of something," she says. "I just want to make people aware of that."

More: Do you need to take pre-workout powders? Experts weigh in.

More: On TikTok, people are eating Rice Krispies Treats before working out. Is it effective?

Continue reading here:
What is the Blue Zones diet? How to eat like people who live the longest. - USA TODAY

Palm Beach, Florida, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After several months working with its digital media development partner EverConvert, JZZ Technologies Inc. (OTC Pink: JZZI) has launched its completely redesigned and reconceived website targeting audiences age 55+ at activelifestylemedia.com. The new site is built around increased audience engagement and generating direct revenue through digital marketing and e-commerce opportunities.

Charles Cardona, CEO of JZZ Technologies, Inc., explains, The new activelifestylemedia.com website developed with EverConvert is a showcase of our Company’s capabilities and a centerpiece for our online marketing efforts. We have invested significant time, effort, and money into creating this flagship of our digital marketing hub. We are genuinely excited to see the reaction of our audience and anticipate major increases in new traffic, better engagement, and significant repeat users because of these efforts.”

EverConvert is a leading digital marketing company based in South Carolina. For several months, the firm has been working with JZZ Technologies, Inc.’s marketing division to create a leading-edge website product streamlined for mobile traffic and conceived as a hub for service offerings, digital marketing, and e-commerce channels. EverConvert has an impeccable record for delivering returns for their clients as high as a 20 times monthly return on digital investment.

Cardona adds, We recognize that this is all in service of growing our marketing and e-commerce revenues. The data that we have received from leading marketing and data agencies indicates that we will be able to generate from 14% to 24% margins on our digital marketing offerings (source: Promethean Research). In cases where we can participate in co-branding or direct online sale of products as partners, that could be much, much higher since we could earn revenue as part of every sale through our site.”

The direct marketing opportunities already in place include health, wellness, and nutritional products. For example, the activelifestylemedia.com site features a direct marketing program for Avitas Bio Raw Honey a JZZ Technologies Inc. co-promotion. The company uses innovative marketing techniques developed in tandem with EverConvert to drive direct sales and revenues. These include marketing to the Company’s database, as well as paid advertising and promotional offers. The public can sample the direct e-commerce offer by clicking the link rawhoney and entering the promotional code LifestyleMedia21 to receive an additional 20% off their order.

JZZ Technologies, Inc.’s digital marketing applications are being implemented for subscriptions, products, and discounts across the website. For more information about offers, promotions discounts and to preview the Company’s new marketing efforts, see activelifestylemedia.com

About JZZ Technologies, Inc.

JZZ Technologies, Inc. is a diversified technology company rolling up projects and partnerships in two distinct business sectors that operate cohesively; its digital media business includes online media and apps (activelifestylemedia.com), content creation, digital marketing, streaming video content, publishing, and free over-the-air television (EyeOnTV) targeted at active adults 55+. The Company’s other business is focused on strategic biotechnology and bioscience acquisitions related to Human Life Extension and Human Longevity that can be immediately leveraged to support improved quality of life for aging populations.

DISCLAIMER and FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained herein are forward-looking” statements (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Because such statements include risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such Forward-Looking Statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the viability of the company’s business plans, the effect of acquisitions on our profitability, the effectiveness, profitability, and the marketability of the Company’s products; the Company’s ability to protect its proprietary information; general economic and business conditions; the volatility of the company’s operating results and financial condition; and other risks detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates, and projections about the company and the industry. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances or to changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, management cannot assure the public that their expectations will turn out to be correct. Investors are cautioned that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results.

Contact: JZZ Technologies, Inc. Charles Cardona, CEO Email: ccardona@jzztechnologies.com Website: https://www.jzztechnologies.com/

See the original post:
JZZ Technologies, Inc. Kicks Off Revenue Generation Through Its New ActiveLifestyleMedia.com Website - Stockhouse

Dr. Erica Friedman, Interim Dean of the CUNY School of Medicine (CSOM) at The City College of New York and a medical student educator for more than 25 years, is a recipient of the 2021 Hispanic Health Leadership Award from the National Hispanic Health Foundation (NHHF). The award is presented to outstanding individuals who have served in significant leadership roles and have helped improve the health of Hispanics and other underserved populations.

Friedman was specifically cited by the NHHF for her leadership in ensuring the longevity of the Sophie Davis Biomedical Education Program mission in leading its transformation into the 7-yearBS/MD CUNY School of Medicine.

The goal of NHHF, the foundation for the National Hispanic Medical Association, is to improve the health of Hispanics and the underserved, to eliminate health disparities, to support Hispanic researchers and research, and to advance culturally competent quality health care and diversity in the workforce, said Elena Rios, MD, NHHF president. We are proud to acknowledge your leadership and vision and would like to recognize you as a top leader.

Friedman, whos also chair of the Department of Medical Education, will receive the award on Dec. 2 at the annual Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship Gala at The Sheraton Times Square Hotel in Manhattan.

She has served as Interim Dean of CSOM since Feb. 2019, having joined the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education in 2013 as Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs, and medical professor. She will remain Deputy Dean when her tenure as Interim ends on Sept. 30, 2021.

Friedman has been hailed for devoting tremendous energy and skill to the administration of the Sophie Davis School and to the establishment of CSOM in 2015 in partnership with Bronx-based St. Barnabas Hospital (a part of the SBH System). Since then, she has developed additional CSOM clinical partnerships with Staten Island University Hospital, Northwell, Harlem Hospital and Jacobi/North Central Bronx. She has been instrumental in expanding the Health and Hospitals partnership in conjunction with CUNY Health and Human Services Dean Patricia S. Boyce.

CSOM is the only public medical school in Manhattan and is known for producing excellent and diverse health professionals who are leaders in providing primary care and serving in health professional shortage areas.

Prior to her arrival at CCNY, Friedman had a long career at several academic medical centers, including at the NYU School of Medicine, New York Medical College and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is physician board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology, and in addition to being a practicing rheumatologist, she has done clinical research focusing on Lyme Disease.

About the City College of New YorkSince 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Emsi puts at $1.9 billion CCNYs annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the for dollar return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.

Excerpt from:
Hispanic health foundation presents top award to CUNY medical school Interim Dean Erica Friedman - The City College of New York News

In 2014, Croatian geneticist Dr. Tomislav Domazet-Loo and his colleagues at the University of Kiel in Germany published a paper describing tumors in two different species of tiny freshwater Hydra. Little more than a tube with tentacles, Hydra comprise three distinct groups of stem cells. One of these groups, known as interstitial stem cells, turned out to be the source of the cancers, which severely impacted growth and fertility. Its important to note that these tumors were entirely spontaneous: the researchers didnt use any techniques such as genetic modifications or treatment with chemical agents to induce them. But while Hydra may be the simplest organisms currently known to develop cancer, they are far from the only example outside our own species.Cancer has been found on virtually every branch of the tree of multicellular life, from the simplest to the most complex. Invasive cancer is medically defined by whether or not tumor cells have broken through the basement membrane that wraps around tissues and organs. Some types of organisms dont have this barrier layer yet can still be affected by cells multiplying out of control. For example, plants develop large growths known as galls that are usually the result of infection or parasitism. Tumor-like masses can be found in red algae and invasive growths have been spotted in mushrooms, while simple molds can start proliferating in abnormal ways that are similar to cancer.

Naked mole rat tissues make an unusually large and sticky version of hyaluronan, a kind of "cellular glue" that might reinforce contacts and communication between cells, preventing them from becoming cancerous. Cells from naked mole rats are also more resistant to stress and DNA damage than those from other small rodents, and are highly sensitive to contact inhibition, ceasing to proliferate if they become overcrowded.Other species have solved Petos paradox in their own way. For example, capybaras have particularly vigilant immune cells that seek out and destroy rogue cells before they can grow into a tumor. Elephants have evolved multiple copies of a gene encoding a molecule called p53 the so-called "Guardian of the Genome" which rapidly activates the apoptosis cell suicide pathway in damaged cells before they have the chance to become cancerous.Studying cancer in other species helps us to gain deeper insights into the vulnerabilities in our own human cells and how we might overcome them. We are now able to open natures toolbox, revealing the recipes and ingredients that have evolved over millions of years to produce different cancer defense mechanisms and modify risk.About the authorKat Arney is a writer, broadcaster and Creative Director of the life sciences communications agency First Create The Media. Her latest book, Rebel Cell: Cancer, evolution and the science of life (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) is out now.

Read the original:
All Cancers, Great and Small - Technology Networks

Legendary actor and theatre playwright John Kani speaks to us about his career and appearing on his first Drum cover.

He still remembers it to this day the first time he appeared in DRUM magazine. Its not something thats easy to forget, at least not for him, says award-winning and internationally acclaimed actor John Kani. DRUM is only 70? Oh man, its so young, he says with a laugh. Maybe its because Im not as young. When he talks of DRUM, he cant help but gush over what the brand has meant and means for black people. He made his first appearance in the print product in 1975, John (77) recalls.

We [he and celebrated playwright and actor Winston Ntshona] had just come back from New York after winning a Tony Award for The Island. [Photojournalist] Alf Kumalo was waiting for us at the then Jan Smuts airport, now OR Tambo. We came through and he came to us and said, Show me this thing. So I opened this wonderful little velvet bag and there was the Tony award and on it was written, John Kani, dramatic star on Broadway. Alf asked Winston and I to jump in the air and say, Got it. And that picture in front of OR Tambo was in the magazine.

I made it. Im in the DRUM magazine, I thought. It meant that he became known in every corner of the republic even the deepest rural communities because hed appeared in the magazine. Everybody knows Im a star. Because the DRUM was that kind of magazine. Even people who couldnt read loved it, he says. Theyd look at the pictures and get to know the stars.

Subscribe to News24 for just R75 per month to read all our investigative and in-depth journalism.You can cancel any time.

Excerpt from:
Drum 70th| John Kani speaks to us about the longevity of his career and what Drum has meant to him over the years | Drum - News24

To the editor:

My letter is in response to a letter to the editor sent by Judith Wootten, published September 20. She wanted us all to know that she was amazed at comments made at a county health department meeting by an advisory board member, Tim Novak, who spoke out in concern of potential vaccine mandates. I believe the word Wootten was looking for was: insulted. Thats her actual problem with Mr. Novak, since he didnt regurgitate the same asinine rhetoric that she has been programmed with over the last 18 months.

Her closing paragraph stated: If people choose not to get vaccinated against the virus, they should not be serving on the Health Department Advisory Council. They should not be admitted into emergency rooms or hospitals. Let them wait their turn after people who have surgeries scheduled. If they cant breathe, it is their choice. They chose not to be vaccinated. Let them choose to die, too.

Ms. Wootten, prepare to be even more amazed by the fact that its not up to you to decide who gets to serve on the council, or who is permitted to be treated at a hospital, especially not as a retired English professor.

I am more amazed at her delusions of assumed authority. Her fantasy would result in a situation where Mr. Novak and I could attend her next medical appointment and take over the decision making. If shes looking for health and longevity, we arent going to take the path of least resistance. Get ready to go out hiking four miles, four days a week. We also need access to the kitchen so that we can throw away anything that isnt completely nutritious. Lets also go over medications to ensure that they arent causing organ toxicity or opening up a susceptibility to infection.

If she fails to follow these mandates, we can decide shes on her own for treatment for the remainder of her time here. Thats the type of consequence she wants for those that make the wrong decision. I cant wait to see how she feels about folks struggling with addiction.

Incidentally, based on the pittance of knowledge that she did enlighten us on, I definitely do not want her making medical decisions for me. She should stick to scolding people about commas and there and their.

Ms. Wootten believes her vaccination status has made her superhuman over a respiratory virus, and now she can protect the world. Unless, of course, someone else hasnt been vaccinated, then no ones vaccinations can possibly work. Meanwhile, on average, 7,700 people die across this country every single day, both now and before the crisis, from all causes. Vaccinations cannot lower that number. Medical error kills between 250,000-440,000 people annually in America. Its a leading cause of death. Where are our protections from that deadly statistic?

Wootten somehow acquired the position that vaccines have not caused life-threatening reactions. I suggest she use a portion of her university-learned skills to perform more thorough research on the Vaccine Adverse Effect Reporting System (VAERS) database, and further recognize that vaccine manufacturers have been excluded from liability since 1986.

She should also research autoimmune illnesses (AIs). There are now 100+ AI diagnoses, and estimates say that 50 million people in this country (20%) are affected 75% of them being women. Though, that number is most definitely higher due to lack of diagnosis. These chronic and debilitating conditions are considered idiopathic (unknown causes), and take years to get diagnosed, usually only after a patient has been forced through a handful of expensive specialists and tests.

Why is the human bodys immune system so ready to attack itself, Ms. Wootten? If you want to make medical decisions for other people and demand they inject themselves or die, then you need to know why. There are countless personal accounts of vaccine injuries available from children, adults, and service members. Go learn about them. Lets hope it can straighten out your total lack of compassion for people that arent in your situation or who disagree with your version of health.

STACEY JARRETT,

Salem

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

Here is the original post:
And another response to the same letter | News, Sports, Jobs - SalemNews.net

If youre one of those people who composts everything you can think of because you want to build up your garden soil, you might like me this summer learn to love the maggots of black soldier flies. They put composting on speed dial.

When other volunteers planted or weeded at our community garden, I took on running two spinning composting bins. I filled both 50-gallon composters with kitchen scraps and woody material. But surprise, two Sundays later, black soldier flies had appeared. Id inadvertently attracted them by leaving the bins in a state of putrescence, because while I was gone for a couple of weeks, no one tended them. They stunk up the place, but the good news was that soldier flies had detected that delicious rot and moved right in.

Peering into the bin, I saw nothing but the flies off-white larvae wriggling over each other. All that remained were pistachio hulls and wood chips. My first instinct was to call an exterminator, but after watching YouTube and seeing 200,000 fly larvae demolish a pizza, I realized the endless possibilities of maggots and not just for gardeners.

Ive come to think of the creatures as natures high-tech answer to organic waste. Simply spread the larvae on rotting food or animal or human poop, for that matter and they will chew the mess into something remarkably small. (To start your own colony, check out the many YouTube videos that provide helpful tips.)

Wyoming Extension Service entomologist Scott Schell is a fan of black soldier flies. He calls barnyard flies filth flies because they stomp around in poop and then hop on food in our kitchens, spreading bacteria that can make people sick. Even nastier, he says, are the stable flies that suck the blood of mammals.

Black soldier flies, however, dont bite. They look something like wasps, and their wriggling larvae can chew through organic material and double their body weight in a day. You could call them the super-grubs of any compost heap.

Black soldier flies, Hermetia illucens, are present on six continents and in most states. The adult flies live just two weeks, using up the vast stores of energy accumulated during their five stages of pupation. While growing, the young larvae nosh like guests at an all-you-can-eat buffet, taking short breaks to digest and poop. Schell calls black soldier flies a biological deterrent since their voracious menu includes larvae of all fliesfilth flies included.

Their poop is called frass, and it needs more time curing before it can be used as a soil amendment. Because the flies wondrous guts break down bacteria of all kind, frass contains no pathogens such as E. coli.

For chicken farms or dairy operations that swim in animal waste (one dairy cow produces 120 pounds of manure daily), black soldier flies can seem miraculous. But theres even more to admire because the grubs themselves may be wriggling gold. With a fat content of up to 35 percent, protein up to 50 percent (depending on what they eat) and plenty of calcium, they are a super-food for fish or poultry, reports Nature.com.

Because millions of acres of arable land go into cultivating food for animals, and because overfishing has harmed fish populations, the United Nations champions maggots and insect production. Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture authorized the sale of insect larvae to commercial fish and chicken farms.

As rural Western towns suburbanize, black soldier flies could also reduce what gets dumped in landfills, but only if kitchen waste gets separated from ordinary trash. Organic waste is a great producer of methane, aka renewable natural gas, and once you remove materials that rot from landfills, you slow climate change.

As a sign of things to come, Enviroflight, a division of Darling Ingredients, is already running a commercial-scale Black Flies business in Maysville, Kentucky. It produces pet food and recently announced plans to build a second facility.

As the West grows in population, dealing with not-in-my-backyard issues like smell and flies will move to the top of many municipalities to-do lists. So just imagine a future where castoff organic waste is upcycled right in the neighborhood, where its turned into garden compost, chicken feed and, one day, even biodiesel for buses.

Dave Marston is the publisher of Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, a nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He lives part-time in Colorado.

Read the original:
Writers on the Range: How I learned to love maggots - Craig Press

Searching for the key to immortality may sound like the preoccupation of a superhero-movie villain, but a growing number of biotech companies and billionaires with cash to spare are investing in research that could prevent and reverse the ageing process in humans.

Having returned from a brief trip to outer space in July, the next bold frontier Amazon founder and multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos hopes to conquer is, reportedly, eternal life. According to MIT Technology Review, Bezos has invested in Altos Labs, a mysterious new start-up pursuing biological reprogramming to rejuvenate cells in the lab. The company reportedly intends to apply the technology to entire animal bodies, ultimately halting biological ageing and extending the human lifespan.

Altos Labs, which is yet to make a public announcement, was founded by billionaire entrepreneur and tech investor Yuri Milner earlier this year. American scientist Richard Klausner, who served as the eleventh director of the US National Cancer Institute and co-founded both Juno Therapeutics and GRAIL, has been appointed as CEO.

While many ageing-focused biotech companies seek to combat the diseases associated with getting older, Altos Labs hopes to postpone death by rejuvenating the entire human body on a cellular level.

Altos Labs research is centred on biological reprogramming, a technique discovered in 2006 by scientist Shinya Yamanaka, who will chair the companys scientific advisory board. Yamanakas work revealed that after adding just four proteins, now known as Yamanaka factors, cells can be made pluripotent that is, able to become any cell in the body.

In 2016, a study led by Spanish biochemist Juan Carlos Izpisa Belmonte, who will be joining Altos Labs, saw the technique reduce cellular and physiological signs of ageing in living mice and extend their lifespan by an average of six weeks. Following the studys success, Izpisa Belmonte hailed cellular reprogramming as the elixir of life.

Another study, published in 2020, successfully restored the eyesight of mice using the technique.

While researchers hope the promising results seen in reprogrammed mice could someday be translated to human beings, there is likely decades of work to be done before age reversal in humans becomes anything close to reality. Only a handful of papers have been published on the topic so far, and its not all rosy; though some mice did indeed see extended lifespans after biological reprogramming, others developed tumours known as teratomas as a result of the experiments.

Yamanaka told MIT Technology Review: Although there are many hurdles to overcome, there is huge potential.

Altos Labs will also pursue biological clock technology, pioneered by ageing researcher Steve Horvath, which makes it possible to accurately measure the age of cells or whole organisms. The ageing biomarker would help to establish the efficacy and effects of any age-reversal therapies developed by Altos Labs.

Altos Labs is far from the first biotech to explore anti-ageing and longevity and its not Bezoss first foray into the field, either. California-headquartered Unity Biotechnology, a start-up pursuing therapies to slow or reverse the symptoms of ageing, has attracted investors like Bezos, venture capitalist Robert Nelson and billionaire PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel in the ten years since it was founded.

The company suffered a major blow last year when its lead anti-ageing candidate, osteoarthritis drug UBX0101, failed to meet its primary endpoint at 12 weeks in a Phase II trial and Unitys shares dropped 60% as a result.

Google-backed Calico Labs, founded in 2013, is a US-based R&D biotech that hopes to uncover the biological processes behind ageing and tackle age-related diseases. The companys main aim is to develop and market new therapies for age-related conditions such as neurodegeneration and cancer, but it is also researching how biological reprogramming can reverse ageing in cells and tissues in the lab.

Calico is in a long-running research collaboration with global biopharma AbbVie, but as yet its unclear how much progress the partnership has made in terms of discovering novel therapies for age-related disease.

Other biotech companies hoping to prolong the human lifespan through cell reprogramming include billionaire-backed AgeX Therapeutics, UK-based Shift Bioscience, and US drugmaker Life Biosciences. So far, no ageing-focused companies have seen a reprogramming-based therapy advance into clinical trials on humans.

The global anti-ageing market is predicted to skyrocket from around $191.5bn currently to a whopping $421.4bn by 2030, according to a report by P&S Intelligence. With hundreds of millions of dollars being raised by wealthy investors to fund the reprogramming field alone, the coming years could prove promising for age reversal research.

Though a recent study has suggested that the ageing process might simply be unstoppable, proponents of biological reprogramming believe ageing is far more malleable than we think. In any case, billionaires like Bezos appear to be convinced that extended youth could someday be a reality. While it could be argued that the urge to take on natural ageing reflects a doomed need among business titans to control the one element of their lives that they have yet to conquer, innovative biotechs including Altos Labs have advanced credible science that could make it possible.

In a final letter to Amazon shareholders before his departure as the companys CEO earlier this year, Bezos quoted the biologist Richard Dawkins, writing: Staving off death is a thing that you have to work at If living things dont actively work to prevent it, they would eventually merge with their surroundings and cease to exist as autonomous beings. That is what happens when they die.

For those exploring ways to prolong human life, death isnt an inevitability; rather, its a problem to be solved. Whether the solution to the problem is within humanitys reach remains to be seen, but companies like Altos and their financial backers are making the early bet that it is. If a breakthrough is possible in the coming decades, it will surely herald a new paradigm in human health and a new market in life sciences with almost limitless potential.

Climate Control, Security and Quality Management

28 Aug 2020

Raw Material Handling and Containment Solutions for the Pharmaceutical Sector

28 Aug 2020

Consulting Services for Compliance in Pharmaceutical Quality Management Systems and General Process Optimisation

28 Aug 2020

Read this article:
Billionaires are betting on anti-ageing research, but can ageing really be cured? - Pharmaceutical Technology

OK, it's more of a cheeky response than an actual "clinic," but the logic totally stands. See, when you sleep, your body shifts into "rest mode," with a focus on repair and restoration for practically every cell in your bodythat's why proper shut-eye is essential to brain function, immunity, muscle repair, metabolic health, and much, much more. It's even clinically shown to support a longer lifespan, which is why Young files sleep into one of his aforementioned "longevity buckets."

In terms of how much sleep carries you over the threshold, it's not so cut and driedeveryone has a different ideal sleep schedule, after all. "My rule is eight hours in the bed, seven hours of sleep," Young offers. Still, he suggests prioritizing deep, quality sleep over quantity (because it's not just about clocking hours). "When people ask me what they can change in the next two weeks, I'm always advising them to run on vegetables and give your body and mind enough sleep," Young adds. "The transformation that you can do in two or three weeks is really amazing."

Continue reading here:
Oh, Cool: The Best "Longevity Clinic" In The World Is One You Already Own - mindbodygreen.com

Results of Study ITI-214-104 show that lenrispodun, in a Phase 1/2a Study, is well tolerated and acts as an inodilator in patients with heart failure without inducing abnormal heart rhythms (Circulation: Heart Failure; Gilotra, et al, 2021)

A novel cellular mechanism has been identified by which lenrispodun promotes cardiomyocyte contraction, offering a potential effective and safer alternative for the treatment of heart failure (Circulation Research; Muller, et al, 2021)

In two additional recent studies using genetic models of accelerated aging, lenrispodun was shown to ameliorate arteriopathy associated with aging (Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics; Golshiri et al. 2021; and Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity; Ataabadi, et al, 2021)

These findings further define the mechanism of action and potential therapeutic utility of PDE1 inhibitors for several conditions, including diseases where inflammation plays a role, such as Parkinsons disease and indications where the cardiovascular system may be affected

NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITCI) today highlights the publication of four manuscripts that report on the mechanism of action of lenrispodun (ITI-214) and the potential cardiovascular therapeutic effects of Phosphodiesterase Type I (PDE1) inhibition.

PDE1 inhibition restores intracellular signaling by elevating the second messengers cAMP and cGMP in certain pathological states associated with low levels of these signaling molecules. PDE1 enzymes require calcium and calmodulin for their activation and are expressed in multiple tissues including smooth and cardiac muscle, neurons, and macrophages/microglia providing opportunities to treat multiple diseases, said Robert Davis, PhD, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Intra-Cellular Therapies. The findings highlighted today describe beneficial effects of lenrispodun in the treatment of patients with heart failure, and in age-related vascular changes in preclinical models associated with stiffening of arteries, vascular endothelial dysfunction, and increased inflammation. Vascular dysfunction is an important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In addition, a novel cellular mechanism has been identified by which PDE1 stimulates cardiac contraction. These findings have broad implications as cardiovascular dysfunction and inflammation play important roles across multiple chronic and age-related human diseases.

The first manuscript entitled Acute Hemodynamic Effects and Tolerability of Phosphodiesterase-1 Inhibition With ITI-214 in Human Systolic Heart Failure was published online in Circulation: Heart Failure (Gilotra, et al, 2021).

Story continues

This manuscript reports on the findings of study ITI-214-104. This was the first study of a PDE1 inhibitor (lenrispodun, ITI-214) in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Acute, single oral doses of lenrispodun (30 or 90 mg) increased mean left ventricular power index, cardiac output and heart rate while inducing systemic arterial vasodilation. Importantly, lenrispodun was well-tolerated in these patients. The hemodynamic profile of acute lenrispodun in humans was analogous to that reported in our animal preclinical studies (Hashimoto, et al., 2018). Topline data from this study has previously been presented.

The second manuscript entitled PDE1 inhibition modulates Cav1.2 channel to stimulate cardiomyocyte contraction was published online in Journal Circulation Research (Muller, et al, 2021).

This manuscript describes studies in cardiomyocytes that express the PDE1C isoform, the predominant isoform in human heart, and elucidates a mechanism by which lenrispodun increases cardiac contractility. New findings in this study reveal that the action of lenrispodun, our PDE1 inhibitor, improves cardiac contractility by activating protein kinase A, results in increased L-type calcium channel conductance but does not require changes in other intracellular calcium stores (e.g., sarcoplasmic reticulum).

The findings of these two studies indicate that PDE1 inhibition caused by lenrispodun may provide a positive inotropic therapy for heart failure which is mediated by a novel mechanism of action.

The third manuscript entitled Selective PDE1 inhibition ameliorates vascular function, reduces inflammatory response, and lowers blood pressure in ageing animals was published online in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (Golshiri et al. 2021).

This manuscript describes the acute and chronic effects of PDE1 inhibition using lenrispodun on prominent aging related changes in macro- and micro- circulation and inflammatory status in a mouse model of accelerated aging involving a genetic deletion yielding a reduction in the activity of the DNA repair enzyme, ERCC1 (excision repair cross complement 1) endonuclease (Ercc1/- mice). This accelerated aging model enables pharmacotherapy during the entire course of the aging process. This study showed that lenrispodun treatment reduced age-related elevated vasoconstriction of the aorta, and coronary arteries, and as a consequence increased blood flow in the microcirculation in these mice. In addition, lenrispodun reduced cardiac hypertrophy and levels of pro-inflammatory but not anti-inflammatory cytokines in this model.

The fourth manuscript entitled Vascular Ageing Features Caused by Selective DNA Damage in Smooth Muscle Cell. was published online in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity (Ataabadi, et al, 2021).

This manuscript describes studies using a model of accelerated aging similar to the one described above but where the activity of the Ercc1 enzyme was selectively knocked out only in smooth muscle (SMC) and not in the entire body. These SMC- Ercc1/- mice show a progressive aging phenotype in resistant and conduit arteries. Importantly, PDE1 inhibition by lenrispodun normalizes vasodilator function in progressive vascular smooth muscle dysfunction in this mouse model.

Stiffening of arteries, vascular endothelial dysfunction, and increased inflammation may represent important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The ability of lenrispodun to ameliorate these deficits, if translated to humans, suggests a potential therapeutic utility in treating arteriopathy associated with aging.

Phosphodiesterase type 1 (PDE1) inhibitor Portfolio

Our PDE1 inhibitor program is focused on diseases in which the PDE1 enzyme is over-expressed and/or abnormal immune cell function contributes to disease pathology providing opportunities to pursue innovative treatments for multiple diseases including Parkinsons disease, heart failure and other diseases including cancer.

Lenrispodun is a potent and selective PDE1 Inhibitor and is the lead compound in the Companys PDE1 portfolio. Lenrispodun works by blocking the breakdown of cyclic nucleotides (cAMP, cGMP), thus allowing these molecules to build up in the cells and to exert important functions. Lenrispodun has been generally well tolerated with a favorable safety profile in eight Phase 1/2a clinical trials. Lenrispodun is in clinical development for the treatment of symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease and for the treatment of heart failure.

Previous studies have described the mechanism of action of lenrispodun in the brain. The mechanism of action of lenrispodun and our other PDE1 inhibitors suggests therapeutic potential across a variety of diseases including neurological and cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

About Intra-Cellular Therapies

Intra-Cellular Therapies is a biopharmaceutical company founded on Nobel prize-winning research that allows us to understand how therapies affect the inner-workings of cells in the body. The company leverages this intracellular approach to develop innovative treatments for people living with complex psychiatric and neurologic diseases. For more information, please visit http://www.intracellulartherapies.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding, among other things, the therapeutic value, clinical and non-clinical development plans and commercial potential of our drug product candidates; the progress, timing and results of our clinical trials and preclinical studies; our beliefs about the extent to which the results of our clinical trials and preclinical studies to date support new drug application filings for product candidates; the safety and efficacy of our product development candidates; our beliefs about the potential uses and benefits of our drug product candidates; the potential for ITI-214 to represent a novel approach for the treatment of human heart failure; that ITI-214 offers a potential new treatment for heart failure with a novel mechanism of action that may provide an effective and safer alternative to existing therapies and development efforts and plans under the caption "About Intra-Cellular Therapies." All such forward-looking statements are based on management's present expectations and are subject to certain factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, outcome of events, timing and performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to the following: our current and planned clinical trials, other studies for our product candidates may not be successful or may take longer and be more costly than anticipated; product candidates that appeared promising in earlier research and clinical trials may not demonstrate safety and/or efficacy in larger-scale or later clinical trials; our proposals with respect to the regulatory path for our product candidates may not be acceptable to the FDA; our reliance on collaborative partners and other third parties for development of our product candidates; the COVID-19 pandemic may negatively impact the conduct of, and the timing of enrollment, completion and reporting with respect to, our clinical trials; any other impacts on our business as a result of or related to the COVID-19 pandemic; and the other risk factors detailed in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All statements contained in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release, and we do not intend to update this information unless required by law.

Contact:

Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.Juan Sanchez, M.D. Vice President, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations646-440-9333

Burns McClellan, Inc.Lisa Burnscradinovici@burnsmc.com212-213-0006

MEDIA INQUIRIES:Sara FranksCorporate Media Relations W2O Groupsfranks@w2ogroup.com410-991-4287

See the article here:
Intra-Cellular Therapies Announces Publications Highlighting Beneficial Effects of Phosphodiesterase Type I Inhibition with Lenrispodun (ITI-214) on...