A new approach to attacking viruses has been discovered by US doctors.

The new approach is an alternative to targeting the parts of the virus which they continually modify – as current vaccines do.

Antibodies have now been discovered which attack a part of the virus which does not change. These destroy the virus.

Though I often disagree with mass immunization, this is an interesting step forward in our understanding of viruses.

I wonder if there are any immune vitamins or herbs which stimulate the same antibodies.

Details at shs100.net blog:

Effective Immune Treatment For ‘Flu on Horizon

New Immune Treatment Attacks ‘Flu Virus 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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An overactive immune system is the main cause of degenerative disease and aging, according to Mark Liponis, a Director of Canyon Ranch health resorts. He puts forward this theory in this new book.

He points out that white blood cells are closely involved in arteriosclerosis, cancer, arthritis and Alzheimer’s Disease, for example.

He also has observed that aging takes place in ‘spurts’, rather than steadily. He aims to help us to reduce these ‘spurts’ to a minimum in his book Ultra-Longevity.

One way to see the level of immune system overactivity is to measure C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood. This should be at or below 1.5 mg/L for women and 0.6mg/L for men. (Philip Lee Miller, Life Extension Revolution.) If you are having blood tests taken to assess overall health, CRP should certainly be one of them.

Take Liponis’ light-hearted quiz to find out how your immune system scores out of 100.

Immune System – Key to Aging? is a post from: Living To 150

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