It is illuminating to think back to the 1920’s when very many were still dying from the effects of bacterial infections – tuberculosis, syphilis, gonorrhoea, blood poisoning.

If you had told people back then that these diseases would be virtually wiped out within a decade, you would have been greeted with ridicule. But, penicillin was discovered – and they were wiped out.

James Watson is one of the giants of 20th century biology. Along with Francis Crick, he predicted accurately the structure of DNA to be a double helix.

Well, Watson is still active in research at the age of 83. His interesting prediction is that the back of most cancers will be broken within 5 to 10 years.

There is still a lot of fear around cancer. But just think that most cancers could, according to Watson, be curable by 2022.

The thing is, there are pathways through which cancer is able to multiply itself indefinitely – at least, it can now. But once these are found, then blocking these pathways will clobber any cancer easily.

Today, it’s hard to accept that. But it was equally hard for people in the 1920’s to imagine the effects of penicillin on bugs which had been killing a large proportion of the population for generations.

Hard as it is to accept, cancer is now on the run.

Related articles

• The high school student who devised a cure for cancer | Mail Online (madworldz.wordpress.com)

Cancer Cure in Sight in 5-10 Years is a post from: Living To 150

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1. Skin Cancer Process Identified
2. Resveratrol Enhances Breast Cancer Treatment

Cost of Genome Sequencing Plunges (dullhunk, Flickr)

Genetic testing – sequencing the genome – will be used more and more for individuals – and health services – as the price comes down. The cost is now around $10,000, down from $100,000 only two years ago.  In a very few years the cost will be hundreds of dollars.

But what will we be able to use genetic testing for? Here are three areas.

Cancer

Knowing the genetic cause of a person’s cancer will become more and crucial to treatment. Already, research is being put into ‘smart drugs’ which work only when certain genetic mutations are present. This will make cancer treatment much more focused.

Infectious Diseases

Knowing the exact genome of a bacterium – such as MRSA – will enable treatment and prevention to be much more targeted. The sources of infections will be easier to find and deal with: and treatments will be more readily available, and more accurate.

Screening

Each year, hundreds of people die suddenly and prematurely from a variety of ailments including sudden heart attacks. Genetic screening will be able to identify those at risk, and preventive measures – of lifestyle and, perhaps, drugs – recommended.

In, five years, certainly, these measures will become commonplace in the Western world, as the cost of genetic testing continues to fall rapidly. More applications will be found, no doubt, for the insights genetic screening provides.

Related articles

• Do You Need Genetic Testing? (everydayhealth.com)
• Should You Get Colon Cancer Genetic Testing? (everydayhealth.com)
• Can genetic tests tell me if I have cancer? (zocdoc.com)
• Genetic and Blood Tests for Celiac Disease (everydayhealth.com)
• DNA-Based Medicine: Race Emerges in Debate (theroot.com)

What Use Is Genetic Testing? is a post from: Living To 150

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1. Genome Sequencing Used For First UK Medical Diagnosis
2. Is The NHS Ready For Genetic Medicine?

Resveratrol From Red Wine

More evidence shows benefits of taking Resveratrol supplements – the anti-aging antioxidant derived from red wine.

A meta-study at the University of Florida showed that resveratrol appeared to have anti-aging, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

The study aimed to collate all knowledge to date about the effects of resveratrol, and covered thousands of laboratory studies. This important task often serves to point out the general direction of a body of research: and the general direction of this research seems to point in the direction of supplementing with resveratrol.

Up to now, there have been few human studies involving resveratrol: so its benefits are not yet certain. Nearly all the studies have been on animals. But the potential benefits of resveratrol are undeniable.

The authors make the point that the apparent ability of resveratrol to lessen human frailties will become more important as 76 million baby boomers in the USA alone head towards older age.

University of Florida news article

Related Articles About Red Wine And Resveratrol

• Recent Study – Red Wine Helps Prevent Heart Disease (lizpalmer.wordpress.com)
• Red wine, grapes and nuts can fight radiation sickness (news.bioscholar.com)
• Researchers evaluate red wine compound for treating concussions in pro boxers (sciencedaily.com)
• Resveratrol and Weight Loss (brianeraines.wordpress.com)

More Evidence For Resveratrol Health Boost is a post from: Living To 150

Related posts:

1. Resveratrol Supplements – A Summary Of The Good News
2. Resveratrol Enhances Breast Cancer Treatment
3. More Antioxidants – Use Lemon In Tea

Image via Wikipedia

Resveratrol, the polyphenol derived from red wine which appears to have anti-aging properties, has been found to have a use in anti-cancer therapy. When used alongside cancer drug rapamycin there is a strong suggestion that resveratrol enhances its treatment effect on breast cancer cells.

Rapamycin, a drug primarily used as an immunosuppressant following organ transplant, has been known to have anti-cancer properties for some time; the problem is, that after a while its effectiveness rapidly reduces as the cancer cells become resistant to it.

But when combined with the low dose of resveratrol the beneficial effects of the rapamycin are enhanced – the resistance reduces.

Specifically, a low dose of both the drug and the polyphenols served to reduce the growth of three different types of breast cancer by 50 percent in this study. This is a significant result which highlights a potentially powerful effect of the remarkable compound, resveratrol.

**The main benefit of resveratrol is that it stimulates the SIRT1 gene, and this effect has been shown to extend life in yeast cells, and in roundworms sells. This means that it is highly likely to have this same effect on human cells.

Related articles

• Red Wine Compound Increase Anti Cancer Effect of Rapamycin (E! Science News)
• Compounds in Red Wine Fight Breast Cancer (blogwinecellar.com)
• Red wine compound increases anti-tumor effect of rapamycin (eurekalert.org)

Resveratrol Enhances Breast Cancer Treatment is a post from: Living To 150

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1. Resveratrol Supplements – A Summary Of The Good News
2. Sirtuins Are Worthy Candidates For Research
3. Skin Cancer Process Identified

Resveratrol Supplements have been clearly shown to have various benefits for human health. Resveratrol is the substance which was discovered to be present in red wine.

These benefits are particularly related to the reduction of cancer and also of heart disease. As these two are the two main diseases afflicting Western society, this highlights the extreme importance of resveratrol supplements.

Image via Wikipedia

The Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences have recently publish a series of papers about these benefits, and the other benefits which with resveratrol has been found to have. These are summarised – in understandable form    by RevGenetics.

Resveratrol has such clear benefits for health that I can only wonder how long it going to take before it becomes more widely used by the population at large.

Related articles about Resveratrol and Resveratrol Supplements

• Resveratrol and quercetin tame inflammation and prevent insulin resistance (gracemedeirosmj.wordpress.com)
• Resveratrol May Suppress Inflammation in Humans (webmd.com)
• Resveratrol’s Benefits Linked To Fat Hormones (gracemedeirosmj.wordpress.com)
• Nature’s Cure for Heart Disease? (everydayhealth.com)

Resveratrol Supplements – A Summary Of The Good News is a post from: Living To 150

Related posts:

1. Sirtuins Are Worthy Candidates For Research

Image by Jun Seita via Flickr

Skin cancer can be a very unpleasant and rapidly growing type of cancer.

Researchers believe they have found one pathway via which some skin cells can become cancerous.

They have found that a powerful “oncogene” called Ras in combination with excessive activity from specific a protein stimulates skin cells to produce a substance called “keratin 15″. This substance tends to encourage cancer.

Understanding the process by which cancer can be triggered is very important because it means that firstly treatments can be applied to stop it happening, and secondly if it has already happened, treatments can be found to stop it.

The full details are reported in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Related articles on Skin Cancer and also Stem Cells

• CSHL study unmasks a stem cell origin of skin cancer and the genetic roots of malignancy (eurekalert.org)
• MicroRNA cocktail helps turn skin cells into stem cells (physorg.com)
• The skin gun (boingboing.net)

Skin Cancer Process Identified is a post from: Living To 150

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A method of ridding future generations of some serious inherited disease will soon be used on humans, scientists predict.

This method, called germline therapy, has been used successfully on monkeys. The work, carried out by the Oregan Health and Science University, has been published in the journal Nature. The method can be used for mothers undergoing IVF treatment. It involves a change in the DHA existing in the mitochondria – the energy production units of the cell. Being outside of the chromosomes, this therapy is permitted without the need for new legislation.

The types of diseases germline therapy could avoid include terribly debilitating diseases such as some cancer, nerve diseases, muscle diseases and diabetes.

The method involves ‘splicing’ mitochondrial DNA from two female donors, fertilizing the resulting egg, and implanting it into the womb. The resulting child would no longer have the genetic material which caused the identified disease.

Of course this procedure raises ethical questions; however, the option of avoiding future serious disease for an individual makes it a procedure worthy of serious consideration and study.

Method to Combat Genetic Disease is a post from: Living To 150

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A recent study has shown that among 1.279 bowel cancer sufferers, those who took aspirin daily following diagnosis were 30% less likely to die of the disease.

The same people were also 20% less likely to die at all – of any cause.

For many years, it has been been common to recommend aspirin to those in danger of heart attack or stroke.

A spokesperson at Cancer Research UK said that it was necessary to weigh up the possible benefit of taking aspirin with the potential side effects. These particularly relate to damage of the stomach lining.

Inflammation

Aspirin acts as an anti-inflammatory – and it’s a fair bet that this is the reason for its benefits in this case.

It can further be suggested that a natural anti-inflammatory such as the omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil would have had a similar effect. And there would be no side effects.

There is increasing evidence that fish oil supplementation benefits various cancers, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes.

There is tremendous potential for research into the anti-inflammatory properties of fish oil. This will take time, as there is little money around for research into such natural supplements.

Aspirin Reduces Cancer – And Death In General is a post from: Living To 150

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A study by the University of Pittsburgh of 100,000 women between 50 and 79 showed that those with a positive attitude were 9% less likely to develop cancer.

The difference was judged by how much the women agreed with statements such as: “If something can go wrong for me, it will”, as opposed to: “In unclear times I usually expect the best.”

The lead researcher said: “The evidence suggests that sustained, high degrees of negativity are hazardous to health.”

We always thought that   -  Nice to have it confirmed.

Question: Have you found effective ways to turn negativity into positivity? Post a comment about it.

Keep Positive For Good Health is a post from: Living To 150

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Continuing a review of the lifestyle changes I made after last year’s blood tests in Fort Lauderdale (April 2008), I will sumarize the changes I made.

They were, basically:

1. Avoiding glycation.

2. Reducing sugar – of all types – in my diet

3. Increasing exercise

In this entry I look briefly at:

2. Reducing the amount of sugar in my diet

After my last blood tests it became clearer to me just how much of my diet consisted of sugar. Bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, fruit, sweet vegetables – all had a high proportion of sugar. Juiced fruit is as sugar rich as soda (eg cola) without having the natural fruit fibre to slow absorption down. And a high level of sugar in the diet correlates with Metabolic Syndrome, diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

So I did the following:

1.  Virtually cut out potatoes, rice, pasta and bread in daily use.

2. Cut out fruit juices and smoothies with fruit.

3. Chose my cooked vegetables to reduce sweet ones – carrots, peas, sweet corn, swwet peppers, parsnips; and focus on none-sweet – greens, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans.

4. When eating the sweet vegetables, I tried to eat them raw, eg with humus.

This had the effect of my eating fish and salad or chicken and salad for many meals.

Next I look at My Lifestyle Change – Exercise

——————–

Question: What do you think about cutting down all starchy food in your diet? Potatoes, pasta, even rice? Post a comment

My Lifestyle Changes – Sugar is a post from: Living To 150

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We all know that aerobic exercise help us to keep healthy, and help avoid cancer and heart disease.

Moderate weight training – such as on machines at the gym – has been shown to help maintain muscle bulk as we age – an important factor, as many falls by old people are due to weakened muscles.

The latest research shows an additional benefit of weight training: it reduces cancer.

In this study, scientists led from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, tracked 8,677 men aged between 20 and 82 for more than two decades, and studied their weight training habits.

The results were that men who regularly worked out with weights and had the greatest  muscle strength were 30 to 40 per cent less likely to die from a cancerous tumour.

Exercise Regime

It seems clear that exercise needs to be of two kinds:

1. Aerobic exercise – such as fast walking, swimming, running – any exercise where there is no rest. This should be for 20 minutes or more twice a week.

2. Weight training of the major muscle groups, also twice a week, and perhaps for 45 minutes a time. However, previously, it was thought that this just prevented muscle degeneration with aging.  This study seems to show a protective benefit against cancer too.

Although the study was of men, women should benefit too. Weight training does not have to result in big muscles – your trainer will advise if you don’t want to ‘get chunky’!

Report

Weight Train To Avoid Cancer is a post from: Living To 150

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The number of UK serious skin cancer cases has exceeded 10,000 cases in a full year. The cases of the deadly for of skin cancer – malignant melanoma – have tripled for women in the past 3 years.

For men it is even worse; cases have quintupled.

To keep yourself out of these statistics, it is vital to avoid sunburn or reddening of the skin. This is when the DNA damage which starts the cancer occurs.

Sunbed Damage

For women in particular the use of sunbeds has greatly increased since 1980.

Sunbeds are now triple the strength than in the past. UK pressure groups are asking for them to be banned for under 18-year-olds, and for unstaffed, coin-operated booths to be made illegal.

Marriage to Blame? 

The increase for men is blamed on the availability of cheaper foreign holidays in sunny places. One could guess that stag parties may well figure in the increase too. It has become de rigeur to travel abroad for a stag – or hen – ‘do’ these days.

Moderate Sun Only

Malignant melanoma is nearly all avoided if you avoid reddening of the skin. Be moderate in your exposure to the sun; and it is probably best to stay off the sunbeds. They are just too risky. Twenty minutes on one of these is equivalent to a whole day on the beach.

Daily Mail article

Skin Cancer Levels Top 10,000 is a post from: Living To 150

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  Scientists at Oxford University have developed a virus to deliver knockout therapy to cancer cells in the liver, while sparing the liver itself any damaging effects.

The problem with chemotherapy is that it targets cancer cells, but damages healthy cells in the process. This new therapy would damage the cancer without the additional – unwanted – damage.

This was achieved by changing the virus so that it kept its ability to reproduce within cancer cells in mice. But this was done in such a way that the mouse’s system realised that the virus cells were foreign, and so later killed them before they caused other damage.

The therapy has the possibility of being ‘tweaked’ to attack other harmful cells – such as hepatitis cells – while keeping all – or nearly all – the none-harmful cells safe.

Cancer Research UK article

Oxford University Creates Virus to Attack Cancer is a post from: Living To 150

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A small pilot study appears to show that lycopene – an antioxidant found in tomatoes – was protective against sunburn.

The subjects who received the lycopene supplement experienced a sunburn cell count six times lower than that of the placebo group. This is a significant benefit as sunburn causes DNA damage in cells.  Cancer often involves DNA damage.

The study was carried out by a company producing a lycopene supplement. However, confidence in the results was strengthened by the comments of David McDaniel, M.D., director of the Institute of Anti-Aging Research in Virginia Beach, USA, who said these  results “…are  impressive.” 

McDaniel added:

"Our research program has seen significant protection from UV damage from other topically applied super-potent antioxidants. We’ve also seen anecdotal evidence that oral lycopene supplementation in the 5mg to 10mg daily dose range may reduce the risk of sunburn in very sensitive, fair-skinned individuals. The apparent protection of Langerhans cells is also potentially significant," he notes, adding: "Oral supplements such as this mixture of lycopene and related carotenoids need further studies like this one to expand our understanding of how oral antioxidants impact our skin – both for health and beauty."

Further information on this study

The Richest Source of Lycopene

The fruit with the highest content of lycopene is called a gac. It is found in south east Asia, when it can be harvested during December and January. However, it is little know elsewhere. If you do live in Vietnam or nearby it is well worth seeking out gac, as it contains 80 – yes, 80! – times the lycopene found in tomatoes. Other foods have lesser amounts of lycopene, the only significant one being watermelon, which has about 1/4-1/3 of that found in tomato sauce.

Tomatoes Protect against Sunburn is a post from: Living To 150

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In the last post, I said that generalised inflammation is heavily implicated in causing or worsening the main degenerative diseases – cancer, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

After cutting down on Omega-6 in the diet, omega-3 supplementation is the top way for most people to reduce their level of generalised inflammation.

The reason for this is that nearly everyone has too many Omega-6 fatty acids in their diet, and too few Omega-3 fatty acids.

If you are taking a 3-6-9 fatty acid supplement: stop now! Why take extra Omega-6 fats when you are already taking too many in your diet? This is a marketing ruse.

Avoid Omega-6

I haven’t found anyone who can tell me why we should need to have extra Omega-6. Omega-6 is the enemy. I really don’t understand why companies sell it as a supplement. We have loads of it in meat, milk, cheese and the common oils – sunflower, safflower and soy.

If I have missed something – tell me in the comments.

Get More Omega-3

Omega-3 is only found in quantity in oily fish and walnuts. Green vegetables have a tiny amount: hemp seeds and linseeds have fair amounts – but it is nothing as accessible as that from oily fish or walnuts.

HOW TO DO IT

To counteract generalised inflammation, which accompanies cancer, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s, do the following to cut down on Omega-6 and increase Omega-3:

• Reduce fatty meat. Focus on low fat meat – chicken and turkey breast are good.
• Avoid or minimise sunflower, safflower and soy oils. (Use olive oil – which has little Omega-6 or Omega-3 – it contains mainly ‘monosaturated’ fats. )
• Eat plenty of oily fish – sardines, mackerel, north pacific salmon (this type has less chance of heavy metal contamination)
• Eat moderate amounts of walnuts.
• Supplement with a top quality Omega-3 supplement. Add up the EPA + DHA delivered  it should preferably be 100mg, or at least 500mg. Many health-shop brands deliver much less.

And do get your blood checked for C-Reactive Protein (CRP). (Hopefully you can persuade your doctor to do it – and save £75 or £100 in the UK – half that in the states!) Then you will know how much of a challenge you are facing – if any. After 6 months, retest the CRP to check how you are doing.

 Book on C-Reactive Protein

Supplementing with Omega-3 Fatty Acids is a post from: Living To 150

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Over the years there have been many changes of recommendation as to what types of fats are healthy for us. There is particular confusion over whether we need Omega-3 or Omega-6 fatty acids.

The truth is: we need Omega-3s.

We should generally shoot for a 1:1 balance of Omega-3 to Omega-6 in the diet. The problem is, our diets generally contain much too much Omega-6. Thus we need to reduce Omega-6 fats and increase Omega-3 fats.

Inflammation Kills

The main reason to increase Omega-3 fats is: Omega-3 reduces inflammation. Omega-6 fats increase inflammation – it is ‘pro-inflammatory’.

What is wrong with inflammation? ‘Good inflammation’ is designed to help the body to repair damage or counteract infection. It causes redness, pain and heat.

The ‘bad’ sort is generalised inflammation. This type does not cause pain or discomfort. It is insidious: it can be detected by a blood test, but is not felt. This generalised inflammation has been linked to all major degenerative diseases: cancer, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

A good test for generalised inflammation is to test the blood for c-reactive protein (CRP). Some UK doctors will test for CRP. They might tell you that 2-4 times normal CRP is acceptable: but check for yourself what you levels should – don’t trust the doctor’s view. Just twice the normal CRP level can double your chance of a heart attack.

Book on C-Reactive Protein

The top ways to reduce generalised inflammation are by:

1. Reducing intake of food high in Omega-6 – such as milk, cheese, and common vegetable oils, including sunflower (stick to cold-pressed olive oil), and
2. Supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acid; which means – fish oils.  Cod liver oil is fine; and eating oily fish – such as sardines, mackerel and salmon.

CRP is one proven measure of your propensity to develop all major degenerative diseases. You cannot be properly pro-active in safeguarding your own health if you do not know it.

Inflammation article

Take Your Omega 3′s is a post from: Living To 150

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Patrick Holford – one of the UK’s foremost publicists for natural healthcare – has started a bandwagon rolling to make the population aware of metabolic syndrome. This is the syndrome focused around excessive sugar consumption which produces ‘insulin resistance’ of cells. Metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance probably kills most people in this country.

So it’s good that Holford is shouting about it.

Insulin Resistance of the Cells

In insulin resistance, our cells become more or less immune to the effects of insulin.

The insulin is produced to make the cells take sugar out of the blood. The result is that the sugar remains in the blood, causing increased inflammation. Inflammation, in turn, is linked to serious disease.

Which Diseases are Caused?

Metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance have been closely linked to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease.

All the ‘biggies’, really. This is a vital syndrome to know about. And the crucial point of understanding the symdrome is CUT DOWN ON SUGAR. That means all sugar; and you need to know that pasta, potatoes, bread (of all kinds – even wholemeal) and rice is nearly all sugar.

Holford says Metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance is worse for our health than excessive salt or fat in the diet.

He has a point.

How to Combat Metabolic Sydrome

His answer is to eat ‘Low GL’, or low glycaemic load. This is pretty much the same as low GI – low glycaemic index - which you might have already heard of.

It means that when you eat starchy food – oats, wheat, rice, pasta, bread – make sure it passes into the blood slowly. Eg wholemeal rather than white; porridge rather than popular cereals.

Vegetables, Fats, Protein Way to Go

Certainly – focus on low GI (I mean GL) when you do eat starchy food.

But fundamentally, think ‘low sugar’ with your diet. Eat starchy food rarely. This means cut down dramatically on rice, bread, pasta, potatoes. And sugary food itself, of course.

Pile on the vegetables and salads.

Focus on fish and lean meat – eg turkey and chicken breast.

Minimise sweet fruit, eg apples and mangoes, which are high in sugar; and fruit juices – which are very high in sugar. Do eat berries, though, which are lower in sugar and highly nutritious.

This is probably a very new approach to your diet; but it is essential if you are to avoid the ‘insulin resistance’ epidemic which is hitting us now. Crazy as it may sound, it will greatly help you to avoid the major degenerative diseases.

• More about Metabolic Syndrome
• Article about inflammation
• Patrick Holford’s GL Revolution Tour of 11 UK cities

Metabolic Syndrome Kills is a post from: Living To 150

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Many of us don’t want animals to be used at all in research – even if we will thereby live longer; however, at the same time, we do want the medical advances which such research allows.

Better medical treatment of Alzheimers Disease or cancer, for example would be most welcome – especially if it was needed for ourselves or a close relative. And most of us would like to live a longer, healthier life. Some advances in these conditions do depend, sadly, on animal research.

New Techniques

Happily, modern techniques have reduced the use of animals in research markedly. The use of rats and mice has reduced in some facilities by 80%.

At the same time, the results of testing have actually improved – largely because human cells can be used for much research.

Many experiments are being carried out on cells in test tubes. This is possible because skills have improved; and because of another controversial approach: the use of stem cells.

Stem Cells Are Vital – For Testing and Longevity

Most cells can divide and produce only copies of themselves. Stem cells, however, can differentiate into various body cells; hence their value. This means, for example, that a stem cell might be persuaded to divide and produce a heart cell or a muscle cell. This cluster of cells can then be used for accurate testing

Or, to further longevity, the cells can be grown into tissue for transplant. A recent story describes a case where longer life was certainly achieved by growing a person’s stem cells into part of a windpipe to replace their diseased one.

Stem Cell Controversy

From a longevity point of view, stem cells are the way in which organ replication will be enabled not far in the future.

The controversy over stem cells mainly centres around ‘embryonic stem cells’. However, stem cells are available from other sources in adult bodies, such as bone marrow. Use of these cells in less controversial – though knee-jerk reactions against their use are in evidence. We mustn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Stem cells are so valuable to promote healthy aging and a longer life – because the tissue match can be perfect. Rejection by the body’s immune system is thus avoided.

Difficult Choices for Healthy Aging

The use of techniques such as using stem cells will mean fewer and fewer animals used in research as well as better results in many cases.

Until then, we face the difficult choice of balancing the amount of animal research with the reduction in human suffering such research – even at a reduced level – can bring.

Animal Research Dramatically Reduced is a post from: Living To 150

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Important Longevity Weapon

Many, if not most, people die eventually of an infection which gets hold because we are weakened for some reason. Pneumonia is common. It is important for longevity that we can deal with such infections effectively as well as other immune system challenges such as autoimmune diseases.

Most drug companies have cut back on antibiotic research because it is not cost effective for them. They spend fortunes to develop an antibiotic, then the microbes jolly well adapt to it! Conventional drug companies also have little idea how to deal effectively with autoimmune diseases.

Some smaller biotech companies, however, are quickly developing very effective approaches to dealing with immune system problems.

The "Therapeutic Antibody" Approach

Simon Moroney, CEO of MorphoSys, has a library of 12 billion human antibodies, which provides the company with valuable data to help them to use simple building blocks to fight disease.

Antibodies are the weapons our defensive white blood cells use to fight infection and disease. Sometimes, however, the white cells do not produce enough of the right type of antibodies to cure us. Morphosys has worked out how to create antibodies in a Lego-like fashion as well as how to deliver them to specific targets: such as to pathogenic cells (bacteria or viruses); or to deal with auto-immune diseases, such as many cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, some thyroid diseases and lupus.

This therapeutic antibody approach is currently hot medicine.

It holds tremendous promise for longevity as it will be:

• Effective
• Quick to construct a closely targeted agent, and
• Will have few side effects

It will be interesting to see whether existing drug companies can take over companies like MorphoSys and keep up their ‘business as usual’; or whether the smaller companies’ size is a big advantage to them in this rapidly growing field of biotechnology. Either way, this is great medicine on the horizon for those interested in longevity.

“Therapeutic Antibodies” Target Bacteria & Cancer Cells is a post from: Living To 150

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The latest “Statins Beat Heart Attack” headlines would be wryly funny if they weren’t so tragic.

Short sighted journalists are fooled by profit-hungry drug companies who, as often seems to be the case, are driving partisan research chemists.

“Statins Reduce Heart Attacks”

This is not news, and it is not even surprising. Anything which reduces general inflammation in the body will reduce heart attacks. This includes Omega 3 fatty acids, and any number of herbs including nettles, ginger and turmeric. The problem with using statins instead is the many side-effects users have reported.

The New Trial

The new trial is clearly partisan. For a start, it is called ‘Jupiter’, which stands for Justify the Use of Statins… Hmmmh – little doubt about the results they are looking for, then.

The particular brand of statins it ‘justifies’ is Crestor, made by AstraZeneca which costs around £26 a month. As the predominant statins used in the UK are the generic Simvastatin which cost £1.42 a month, the trial results are great for AstraZeneca. No doubt certain sectors of the community will be calling for the replacement of Simvastatin with Crestor (is it me – or isn’t that also a toothpaste?).

Drug Company Strategy

Statins are the best thing that have happened to drug companies for a long time. They are turning into a license to print money. One prime benefit of selling statins is that they are being used by younger and younger people – and they ‘need’ them for life.

As the drug companies see their profits slashed by cheap generic replacements – they simply come up with a new twist – as in this case – to show, by a flawed study, the superiority of their new, replacement product. Then they get to milk it drug until the patent runs out.

This is exactly what they did with HRT (ERT); each time the evidence showed that HRT damaged health, new research unearthed a new supposed benefit of HRT so they could persuade doctors to keep prescribing it and journalists to keep writing about how good it was.

What To Do Instead Of Taking Statins

This trial was carried out by selecting people with a high level of c-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood. They were then given statins.

Agreed – CRP does indicate general inflammation in the body which gives a raised chance of heart and artery disease as well as of diabetes, various cancers and Alzheimers’ disease.

Where I don’t agree is the treatment. Drugs are not usually necessary.

To treat raised CRP a combination of herbal treatment and fish oils will usually bring it down. Take these, then recheck CRP in 2-3 months.

Ideally, CRP should be less than 0.5 mg/L (milligrams per litre) in men and less than 1.5 mg/L in women.

Avoiding Statins – or Coming Off Them

Don’t just stop statins if you are taking them. Come off them with professional guidance. Most certainly involve your doctor in this process. Similarly if you have been told that you need to take statins. Be cautious. Around 50% of people come off statins because of the side-effects; but don’t put yourself at risk by just not taking them – you need an alternative strategy.

1. The following link leads to an article which contains a list of 8 natural alternatives to lower cholesterol, based on sound science:
Natural ways to cut cholesterol

Extract from this article about avoiding statins:

“HOW TO AVOID STARTING STATINS
If your doctor advises you to begin taking a statin drug, suggest a lower dose or a delay in initiation of the drug until you have had two to three months to try natural cholesterol- and LDL-lowering agents. Patient involvement in treatment decisions is commonplace today, and most physicians will work with you. A rough rule of thumb: adherence to a low-fat, high-fiber diet (that eliminates processed foods), along with some of the nutritional supplements discussed in this article, will lower LDL cholesterol by as much as 30%. Keep this in mind when starting your program. ……..”

See the article for more detail.

2. This article covers the role of general inflammation in generating disease
Aging and Longevity – 4. Inflammation

Also, read Life Extension Revolution, by Miller, Chapter 7:  Cooling Inflammation: Disease-Proofing Your Body

Above all, don’t fall for the drug-company hype; because that’s what it is. In 2004 the pharmaceutical industry was estimated to be receiving $22 billion (£14 billion) from statin drugs.

Do your research and make your own mind up. And it’s not easy to get your CRP checked regularly – but is very, very useful to do so as it gives an early warning of problems to come.

Statins – Don’t Be Fooled By The Research is a post from: Living To 150

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