Category Archives: Immortality Medicine

For thousands of years, humans have tried -- and failed -- to achieve physical immortality. At least, most of us. Rumors of immortals have abounded throughout history, but did anyone actually achieve eternal life? Tune in to learn more about modern medicine and the bizarre story of Henrietta Lacks.

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Is immortality within our reach? Maybe not yet, but we are definitely trying. While the new film Self/Lessfeatures an interesting science fiction take on achieving immortality, various advances have been taking place in the very real scientific community. We may have a long way to go before we can transfer our consciousness into Ryan Reynolds body, butscience is working pretty hard on some fascinating alternatives to the notion of immortality:

Anti-Aging Genetic Engineering Maybe someday anti-aging will really reverse aging and keep us young forever, but until that day current anti-aging discoveriesare atleast helping to slow down specific aspects of the aging process. This spring, scientists at UC Berkeley discovered a drug called the Alk5 kinase inhibitor that helps restore brain and muscle tissues to youthful levels through stem cells used in tests on mice. The Alk5 kinase inhibitor limits the release of TGF-beta1, a chemical that restricts astem cells ability to repair the body. This chemical tends to become over-produced as people age, but in restricting its release, it is hoped thatthe Alk5 kinase inhibitorcan keep people healthier in old age by lessening the onset of aging related diseases, such asAlzheimers, increasing the quality of life and cutting down medical costs.

The inhibitor is currently in trials as an anticancer agent, and the hope is that one day death will not be the result a prolonged, painful disease, but through a quicker, more natural means like cardiac arrest or stroke. Heres what Irina Conboy, one of the scientists at UC Berkeley, said about the motivations behind the teams efforts.

The goals of my colleagues and I are not to live forever. Instead of becoming old and becoming a burden on society, we can age ourselves more with integrity.

Regenerative Medicine One of the main goals of regenerative medicine has been developing the ability to produce hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) suitable for blood cell transplants, or bone marrow transplants. These transplants are limited by the challengeof finding a good match and the rarity of naturally occurring HSCs, but in 2014 researchers at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute programmed mature blood cells in mice into reprogrammed HSCs by reversing the process of stem cells, to progenitors, to mature effector cells.

Tests have not yet been performed on human subjects, but the progress seen so far is enough to makeStuart Orkin of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, feel very confident about the future.

This discovery could have a radical effect on transplantation You could have gene-matched donors, you could use a patients own cells to create iHSCs. Its a long way off, but this is a good step in the right direction.

But thats not the only advance in stem cell research. This year, scientists at the Salk Institute discovered a type of stem cell whose identity is tied to their location in a developing embryo, and not their time-related stage of development. These region-selective pluripotent stem cells (rsPSCs) are easier to grow in the laboratory, offer advantages for gene editing, and, unlike conventional stem cells, have the ability to integrate into modified mouse embryos.

As Jun Wu, a postdoctoral researcher describes; understanding the spatial characteristics of the stem cells could be crucial to generate functional and mature cell types for regenerative medicine. It could well be that in the near future, parts of the body that have degenerated due to age, could be regenerated at will by the introduction of these fascinating stem cells.

Nanomedicine We have previously featured nanobots in medicine, but there are many more theoretical uses of nanomedicine that could someday affect our lifespan. According to Frank Boehm, author of Nanomedical Device and Systems Design: Challenges, Possibilities, Visions,a conceptual Vascular Cartographic Scanning Nanodevice could scan the entire human vasculature down to the capillary level and transfer the image to a Pixel Matrix display, holograph, or virtual reality system, allowing for a detailed inspection of the system to find aneurysm risks, especially in the brain.

Ananodevice imbued with data on toxins and pathogens could be used to enhance the human immune system by recognizing and destroying an invasive agent. Nanotechnology could also be used to remove lipofuscin, a product that accumulates in lysosomes negatively impacting cell function and manifesting in age related conditions. All of these technologies are speculative, but nanobots are already lengthening our lives in tests to fight cancer, and many believe such technologies are truly the future of the medical industry.

Digital Immortality At Transhuman Vision 2014, Randal Koene, a neuroscientist and neuro-engineer described his plan to upload his brain to a computer by mapping the brain, reducing its activity to computations, and reproducing these computations in code. While it sounds remarkably like that awful Johnny Depp movie, Transcendence, Koene and many neuroscientists believes that our memories, emotions, consciousness, and more are just the sum of signals from electrochemical signal jumps from synapse to synapse.

Computer programmers have already created artificial neural networks that can form associations and learn through pattern-recognition, but they dont possess the complexity of the human brain. However, if our consciousness is just based on brain activity and if technology can record and analyze them, they could possibly be reduced to computations. Advances have already been made with animal tests, and in 2011 a team from the University of Southern California and Wake Forest University created the first artificial neural implant, a device that produces electrical activity that causes a rat to react as thoughthe signal came from its own brain.

Cyborgization While it may sound the most sci-fi of all these scenarios, cyborg technology is already a part of our lives. We have artificial retinas, cochlear implants, pacemakers, and even deep-brain implants to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinsons. In fact, the list of real world cyborg technologies is seemingly endless, so much so that weve had to reduce it to bullet form. Below youll find a few ways that humans and electronics have merged in beautiful harmony:

Current advances in anti-aging, regenerative medicine, nanomedicine, digital immortality, and cyborgization may only be focusing on prolonging life at the moment. But these technologies have already improved our lives, and as the possibility of immortality is played out on the movie screen, we can see the world of fiction slowly melding with our own reality.

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From Cyborgs to Nanobots: 5 Ways Scientists Hope to ...

Lisa Miller is a Contributing Editor at New York magazine. She has won the Wilbur Award for religion writing (2008, 2009), the New York Newswomen's Award for feature writing (2014), and last year w...

Lisa Miller is a Contributing Editor at New York magazine. She has won the Wilbur Award for religion writing (2008, 2009), the New York Newswomen's Award for feature writing (2014), and last year was a finalist for a National Magazine Award in the features and profiles category for her story about Newtown, Ct., one year after the shooting there. Author of "Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife," Miller was formerly on the staffs of Newsweek magazine, the Wall Street Journal and the New Yorker. Her articles have also appeared in the Washington Post, Redbook magazine, Self magazine, and the New York Times. She is a frequent guest commentator on radio and television, including appearances on Morning Joe and the Colbert Report. A graduate of Oberlin College, Miller lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and daughter.

Link:
AI, Immortality and the Future of Selves | SXSW 2015 Event ...

In China, reishi mushrooms have earned the nickname, The Mushrooms of Immortality, and if their longstanding reputation is any indication, this nickname could be appropriate for a few different reasons. Some archaeological evidence points to reishi mushrooms having been used as far back as 7,000 years ago, and with good reason. The benefits of these mushrooms arent only applicable to diseases and conditions that existed thousands of years ago, but to those that plague mankind today as well.

Reishi mushrooms are known for their red, oblong-shaped caps and tough texture and woody flavor. Unlike other conventional mushrooms, however, they arent the tastiest things to put on a salad or in a stir-fry, and instead modern man is most likely to reap their benefits from extracts.

Its these reishi mushroom extracts that have been used in a variety of scientific studies. These studies have linked the mushrooms to reduced blood pressure, weight loss, improved nervous system function, and even the treatment and prevention of cancer and diabetestwo top modern health concerns.

Researchers with Bellarmine University found polysaccharides and saponins in reishi mushrooms that are able to reduce cell proliferation (or multiplying) in cancerous lungs. This is because the mushrooms compounds trigger apoptosis or cell death, essentially targeting cancerous cells and ensuring their demise.

Read: The Mushroom Used to Suppress Cancer Tumors

Another study, from the MARA Institute of Technology in Malaysia, found that reishi extract was able to boost the immune systemmaking it better able to fight cancer. They also found that reishi could assist in reducing the side effects of conventional cancer treatments, like radiation and chemotherapy. Though the researchers admitted the results varied depending on the type of cancer, they recommended taking six 500 mg capsules of extract each day to assist in cancer treatment.

In diabetes research, reishi mushrooms have been found to lower blood sugar in lab animals. Reishi extract was able to lower blood glucose levels of mice within only a week of treatment. A study from Peking University in Beijing found that reishi mushrooms could protect the kidneys from stress caused by diabetes, potentially even stopping kidney complications.

These mushrooms have survived as a natural medicine for thousands of years, and it isnt by pure coincidence. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is at the foundation of modern natural medicine, and reishi mushrooms have earned their place in both.

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Reishi Mushrooms an Ancient Medicine for Modern Diseases ...

Amrita (IAST: amta) is a Sanskrit word that literally means "immortality" and is often referred to in texts as nectar. Amta is etymologically related to the Greek ambrosia[1] and it carries the same meaning.[2] The word's earliest occurrence is in the Rigveda, where it is one of several synonyms for soma, the drink which confers immortality upon the gods.

Amrita has various significances in different Indian religions.

Amrit is also a common first name for Hindus; the feminine form is "Amrit".

Amrit is repeatedly referred to as the drink of the devas which grants them immortality.

Amrit features in the samudra manthan legend, which describes how the devas, because of a curse from the sage Durvasa, begin to lose their immortality. Assisted by their mortal enemies, the asuras, they churn the ocean and create (among other wonderful things) amrit, the nectar of immortality.[3]

In Hindu philosophy, amrit is a fluid that can flow from the pituitary gland down the throat in deep states of meditation. It is considered quite a boon: some yogic texts say that one drop is enough to conquer death and achieve immortality.

Amrit is sometimes said to miraculously form on, or flow from, statues of Hindu gods. The substance so formed is consumed by worshippers and is alleged to be sweet-tasting and not at all similar to honey or sugar water.

Amrit was the last of the fourteen treasure jewels that emerged from the churning of the ocean and contained in a pot borne by Dhanvantari, the physician of the Gods.

Amrit (Punjabi: ) is the name of the holy water used in the baptism ceremony or Amrit Sanchar in Sikhism. This ceremony is observed to initiate the Sikhs into the Khalsa and requires drinking amrit. This is created by mixing a number of soluble ingredients, including sugar, and is then rolled with a khanda with the accompaniment of scriptural recitation of five sacred verses.

Metaphorically, God's name is also referred to as a nectar:

Continue reading here:
Amrita - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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ESSENTIALS OF TAOISM

and the Taoist Influence on Herbal Medicine Literature

by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon

Note on transliteration: In most ITM documents, Chinese words are transliterated via the pinyin system that was widely adopted during the 1980s. Taoism was extensively discussed in English-language literature prior to the 1980s, so that there is considerable transliteration already well-established based on the earlier Wade-Giles system. In this situation, the transliteration adopted for the current article is based on simplified Wade-Giles, leaving out the apostrophes that were used to develop more precision. The term "Tao" is transliterated in pinyin as Dao, but Taoism, a term long used in the West, is not a Chinese word and shifting to Daoism is a questionable approach to dealing with transliteration. The book of Taoism commonly known as the Tao Te Ching would be written in pinyin Dao De Jing, and this would be appropriate, except that few people will find one of its many English translations with the title spelled that way.

Taoism was a highly influential philosophy that evolved about 2,500 years ago in China. Its principle proponent was Lao Tsu (Lao Tzu) who was a contemporary of Confucius, the originator of another highly influential and differently-oriented philosophy. The essence of Taoism was preserved in the writings attributed to Lao Tsu called the Tao Te Ching, written in 81 short chapters, with a total of about 5,000 characters. From this base, Taoism developed rich and varied manifestations in Chinese culture. A subgroup of the Taoists pursued alchemy and medicine, and their work had a substantial impact on the development of herbal medicine. Taoism remains of interest to many people around the world today, even though its influence in China has waned considerably from its former level. It has been said that there are more translations of the Tao Te Ching than any other book besides the Christian bible.

The Tao Te Ching has many sayings that are inspirational, and many sayings that are mysterious (difficult to understand). In this essay, I present what I perceive as the core teaching of Taoism by extracting certain lines from the Tao Te Ching as illustrations of the fundamentals. For that purpose, I will quote from the translation by Gia-fu Feng and Jane English (Lao Tsu Tao Te Ching, 1972 Random House, New York). Another valuable translation is by Thomas Miles (Tao Te Ching, 1992 Avery Publishing, New York). I also propose to describe, in less prosaic terms than in the original text, the basic concept of Taoism.

Perhaps the most frequently portrayed aspect of Taoism is the image of the unobstructed flow of life. In the Tao Te Ching (chapter 48) it is said: "The world is ruled by letting things take their course, it cannot be ruled by interfering." An image of water flowing through a stream bed is sometimes used to convey the concept. That the flow of water has great potential, as one can see by the deep gorges in solid rock carved by a stream, is also mentioned (chapter 78): "Nothing is more soft and yielding than water, yet for attacking the solid and the strong, nothing is better." Letting things take their course is often described as "being in harmony with nature." Nature is one with the Tao, and to not go against nature is to be in harmony with nature. Harmony with nature requires yielding, but it results in great things. The Tao, often translated as the Way (capitalized because it is beyond ordinary description), might be called the "yielding way;" Te is usually translated as power; the book title Tao Te Ching means, roughly, the classic about the power of the yielding way.

Despite the common reference to this aspect of Taoism, I think that this view of the teaching, when taken out of the larger context of the Tao Te Ching, is usually too difficult to put into practice because it is so abstract. What does it mean to lead a life that flows like water and harmonizes with nature? In this article, I want to call attention to another aspect of the Taoist teaching that may prove more practical, because it answers the question in relation to how humans live: not just with nature, but with each other and with the powers and vagaries of one's own mind.

The underlying principle presented in the Tao Te Ching is that one should take care of things that are in need of doing, and then move on to the next thing that needs to be done, without any attachment to the accomplishment. By avoiding any "attachment to the accomplishment" it is meant that one should not dwell in such things as taking credit for it, accumulating rewards (including material things and power), or spending time with retelling it in order to get recognition.

More here:
Taoism and Herbal Medicine: The Crooked Road

In 1904, less than six years before his death, William James made a revealing statement in response to a questionnaire circulated by his former student James Pratt. To the question, Do you believe in personal immortality? James answered, Never keenly, but more strongly as I grow older. If so, why? Because I am just getting fit to live.

Not a ringing endorsement perhaps, but James was sure of one thing: that the common arguments against immortality need not deter us. In his 1898 Ingersoll Lecture on Immortality, James set out with his usual relish to kick over the obstacles to belief. Chief among those obstacles was a general climate of learned doubt.

Our situation today is not so different. Although social surveys indicate that roughly 80 percent of Americans believe in life after death, it is a belief cherished against the grain of perceived official skepticism; and among academically trained religious thinkers, one finds a greater measure of skepticism than in the population at large. For many, immortality is not a matter for reasoned debate, but is simply ruled out of play, along with guardian angels and statues that weep. It is taken for granted, as if it were a premise accepted by all reasonable people, that no one seriously believes in Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory, in the life of the soul, the resurrection of the body, or the personality of God as the concrete realities they were once imagined to be.

One thinks especially of Rudolf Bultmann, who made it a cornerstone of his New Testament hermeneutics that the three-story structure of the cosmos (Heaven above, Earth in the middle, Hell below) is over, finished; it cannot be repristinated. Similarly, Jrgen Moltmann began his 1967 Ingersoll Lecture by observing that the old ways of thinking about the future life have dried up like fish in a drained pond.

More than any particular objections, this assumption that the traditional mythos can no longer speak to us weighs heavily against belief in immortality. The burden of proof shifts from the skeptic to the believer, and the believer finds that not only his reasons but also his motives are under suspicion. Belief in immortality begins to look shabby and self-serving, like something we fall back on in weak moments but rise above when we are at our best.

The specific objections to immortality are secondary, and can be briefly stated. Belief in immortality is criticized on moral grounds as self-aggrandizing, on psychological grounds as self-deceiving, and on philosophical grounds as dualistic. Concern for the soul is faulted for making us disregard the body, neglect our responsibilities to the Earth, and deny our kinship with other life forms. We share 90 percent of our genes with mice. Even the lowliest bacterium is our cousin. Why do we persist in imagining that there is some fifth essence in us that sets us apart?

To the first objection, we can say that there is no correlation between narcissism and belief in personal immortality. We feel the need for immortality most acutely when we are made sensible of the inexhaustible value of another person or the tragedy of a life cut short. None of the developed traditions about immortality fosters self-absorption. What are our images of eternal life if not ways of picturing a wider sphere of existence, a more generous personal life, less closed in upon ourselves, less fearful and grasping, more real in every respect? It is by contrast to the real person we hope to be in Heaven that we realize how self-absorbed we are most of the time here below.

As for dualism, much has been said of the violence it does to our unity as psycho-physical creatures, but this is questionable. Multiplicity and disunity are as strong a feature of our existence as psychosomatic unity. We are legion, as the demons say. It is a marvel that all our different parts work together. At best, we are a symphony; but the second violins have quarreled with the wind section, and as we age these quarrels increase. Why should it surprise us if at death the soul separates from the body? Separating is the order of our lives as we tend toward death. If a mans jowls can sink down while his brow stays up, why cant his soul rise up when his body sinks down? All of our flesh is being pulled downward by the gravity of the grave; every day our skin is sloughing off cell by cell; at each stage of life we slough off the skin of a previous stage; and at death we lose what was left of those skins. Perhaps that will be the chance to emerge as the person one was meant to be.

Against the charge that soul-talk is superfluous, there is the common witness of humanity that some language of this sort is necessary to capture the full range of human experience. Long after the human genome is completely mapped, and the neurophysiology of awareness and cognition thoroughly understood, we will still stand in awe before the mystery of consciousness and selfhood. We may be made in the image and likeness of a mouse, genetically speaking, but our kinship with the mouse is a kinship with life that is perishing. There remains an irreducible quality to our experience which tells us that we are not perishing with it, that we are also made in the image and likeness of Another, whose code is transcendent.

But if dualism troubles youas it sometimes troubles methere are non-dualistic ways of thinking about life after death. If you have studied classical Buddhist literature, you know that one need not be committed to a substantial soul in order to affirm the reality of persons, their identity over time, or their capacity for transcendence. Consciousness may be understood as an emergent phenomenon which, upon coming forth from its neural matrix, has the capacity to generate ever more complex structures of awareness, including an autobiographical sense of self. It can then be left to God to decide whether the self that emerges shall endure after its neural basis is destroyed. And once God is in the picture, the emergence of consciousness begins to look foreordained, as in the words to Jeremiah: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you (Jeremiah 1:5).

The rest is here:
In Defense of Immortality by Carol Zaleski - First Things

Gynostemma pentaphyllum, also called jiaogulan (Simplified Chinese: , Traditional Chinese: , Pinyin: jiogln), literally "twisting, crotched indigo plant" (or "crossed thighs indigo plant"), is a dioecious, herbaceous climbing vine of the family Cucurbitaceae (cucumber or gourd family) indigenous to the southern reaches of China, northern Vietnam, southern Korea, and Japan. Jiaogulan is best known as an herbal medicine reputed to have powerful antioxidant and adaptogenic effects purported to increase longevity. Pharmacological research has indicated a number of therapeutic qualities of Jiaogulan, such as lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure, strengthening immunity, and inhibiting tumors.

Jiaogulan belongs to the genus Gynostemma, in the family Cucurbitaceae, which includes cucumbers, gourds, and melons, although it lacks the characteristic fruit. It is a climbing vine, attaching itself to supports using tendrils. The serrated leaflets commonly grow in groups of five (as in G. pentaphyllum) although some species can have groups of three or seven leaflets. The plant is dioecious, meaning each plant exists either as male or female. Therefore, if seeds are desired, both a male and female plant must be grown.

Gynostemma pentaphyllum is known as Jiaogulan (Chinese: "twisting crotched indigo plant") in China. The plant was first described in 1406 CE by Zhu Xiao, who presented a description and sketch in the book Materia Medica for Famine as a survival food rather than a medicinal herb.[1] The earliest record of jiaogulan's use as a drug comes from herbalist Li Shizhen's book Compendium of Materia Medica published in 1578, identifying jiaogulan for treating various ailments such as hematuria, edema in the pharynx and neck, tumors, and trauma. While Li Shi-Zhen had confused jiaogulan with an analogous herb Wulianmei, in 1848 Wu Qi-Jun rectified this confusion in Textual Investigation of Herbal Plants, which also added more information on medicinal usage.[2]

Modern recognition of the plant outside of China originated from research in sugar substitutes. In the 1970s, while analyzing the sweet component of the jiaogulan plant (known as amachazuru in Japan), Dr. Masahiro Nagai discovered chemical compounds identical to some of those found in Panax ginseng, an unrelated plant.[3] Afterward, Dr. Tsunematsu Takemoto discovered that jiaogulan contains four saponins identical to those in Panax ginseng as well as seventeen other similar saponins. Over the next decade 82 saponins (gypenosides) were identified in jiaogulan, compared to the 28 (ginsenosides) found in Panax ginseng.

Over thirty species of Gynostemma are known to grow throughout China, predominantly in the Southwest, although most species exist in at least one other country. The species G. pentaphyllum has the widest distribution outside of China, ranging from India to Southeast Asia to Japan and Korea.

Jiaogulan is a vine hardy to USDA zone 8 in which it may grow as a short lived perennial plant. It can be grown as an annual in most temperate climates, in well-drained soil with full sun. It does not grow well in cold climates with temperatures below freezing.

Jiaogulan, does not show toxicity.[4][5] However, several related plants in the Cucurbitaceae (cucumber) family contain Cucurbitacin compounds, which are responsible for the bitter taste in some edible plants of this family but are highly toxic to mammals.[6]

The plant is best known for its use as an herbal medicine. Jiaogulan is most often consumed as an herbal tea, and is also available as an alcohol extract and in capsule or pill form.[7] It has not seen widespread use in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) because it grows far from central China where TCM evolved; consequently, it was not included in the standard pharmacopoeia of the TCM system. Until recently it was a locally-known herb used primarily in mountainous regions of southern China and in northern Vietnam. It is described by the local inhabitants as the "immortality herb", because people within Guizhou Province, where jiaogulan herbal teas are consumed regularly, are said to have a history of unusual longevity.[8][9]

Jiaogulan has been found to increase superoxide dismutase (SOD), which is a powerful endogenous cellular antioxidant. Studies have found it increases the activities of macrophages, T lymphocytes and natural killer cells and that it acts as a tumor inhibitor.[10]

Jiaogulan is known as an adaptogen, which is an herb reputed to help the body to maintain optimal homeostasis.[11] Its chemical constituents include the triterpenoid saponins gypenosides which are closely structurally related to the ginsenosides which are present in ginseng.[12] Most research has been done since the 1960s when the Chinese realized that it might be an inexpensive source of adaptogenic compounds, removing pressure from the ginseng stock. Adaptogenic effects include regulating blood pressure and the immune system, improving stamina and endurance.[13] Jiaogulan is also believed to be useful in combination with codonopsis for jet lag and altitude sickness.[9]

Read more:
Gynostemma pentaphyllum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Allens remark that I dont want to achieve immortality through my work, I want to achieve it through not dying echoes true for most humans. Unfortunately for you, Allen and Tumotech, immortality is still far away. At present there are approximately 150,000 people dying per day worldwide, of which two thirds are dying of ageing[1]. Immortality has however moved from the realm of madness, to that of possibility due to the disruptive emergence of regenerative medicine briefly explained below.

We will be covering today:

-What is regenerative medicine and how is the industry structured?-Whats driving the interest in regenerative medicine? -What challenges does regenerative medicine face?

We then conclude that despite the excitement surrounding regenerative medicine, it is not a near term prospect.

Ok I understand what regenerative medicine is, but how is the industry structured?

The industry can be split into the following four key sectors 1.Therapeutics& Devices-This refers to a variety of technologies including cell-based therapies, small molecule and biologic based therapies. Thearputerics and devices represent the biggest and most mature regenerative medicine sector at 40%.

2. Cell &tissuebanks- A tissue bank refers to an establishment that collects and harvests human cadaver tissue for the purposes of medical research and education. A tissue bank may also refer to a location where biomedical tissue is stored under cryogenic conditions. This is the second largest sector at 33% and is crucially for providing the data for the research.

3.Tools & reagent companies- This group of regenerative medicine companies develop tools such as stem cells for drug discovery and toxicity testing, as well as clinical tools.

4.Service companies- Service companies specialize in clinical trial management, manufacturing, characterization, engineering and quality control, among others.

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Regenerative medicine trends , the quest for immortality ...

Aubrey de Grey, 51, believes he will unlock secrets to huge advances in life The former Harrow School and Cambridge scholar is a biomedical theorist He has a hugely rich and influential following in Calfornia's Silicon Valley Raised in Chelsea, he inherited 11million when his mother passed away It's been invested in his Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence The eccentric claims: 'Aging is a disease that can and should be cured'

By Caroline Graham for The Mail on Sunday

Published: 16:08 EST, 11 April 2015 | Updated: 16:40 EST, 11 April 2015

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Aubrey de Grey (pictured) says ageing is a 'disease that can and should be cured'

With his Rasputin beard and lines etched deep into his forehead, Aubrey de Grey looks like a man a lot older than his 51 years. A penchant for beer, fried food and an aversion to exercise could fool you into believing the lanky ex-public schoolboy cares little about ageing.

But you would be wrong.

For de Grey, a charismatic Harrow School and Cambridge-educated biomedical theorist, firmly believes there is no reason, with the right 'therapies', why any of us shouldn't reach 500, 1,000 or even 5,000 years of age.

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He's an old Harrovian multi-millionaire with a wife and two girlfriends - and he's the toast of California. Why ...