Longevity Meme Newsletter, October 06 2003

LONGEVITY MEME NEWSLETTER
October 06 2003

The Longevity Meme Newsletter is a biweekly e-mail containing news,
opinions and happenings for people interested in healthy life
extension: making use of diet, lifestyle choices, technology and
proven medical advances to live healthy, longer lives. To subscribe or
unsubscribe from the Longevity Meme Newsletter, please visit
http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/.

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COMMENTARY

WELCOME ABOARD TO THE NEW FOLKS

This newsletter has grown in leaps and bounds over the past few
months; so a warm welcome to the new folks. If you like what you read
here, you'll find an archive of old newsletters if you scroll down a
bit on the following page:

http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/

I also recommend reading our Introduction to Healthy Life Extension if
you haven't already done so:

http://www.longevitymeme.org/start.cfm

Healthy life extension and the Longevity Meme are so much more than
staying healthy and watching the advance of medical technology with
baited breath. We have to get out there and help to build the future
we want to see. Be vocal in your support of medical research; donate
to worthy research causes (such as the Methuselah Mouse prize fund);
tell your friends about the Longevity Meme!

WALK TO CURE AGING

No one group can ever do enough in promoting public understanding of
the nascent fight against aging. Few people realize that aging is just
another medical condition, and that medical science is within striking
distance of a cure if (IF) research is funded to the right level.
Activism for healthy life extension is still in its early stages; it's
an uphill fight, but there will be interesting times ahead! I'd like
to share one recent proposal for fundraising and awareness with you:
the Walk to Cure Aging.

The success of recurring charity events like Walk for the Cure, Walk
to Cure Juvenile Diabetes, AIDS Walk and many others has firmly
entrenched this form of charitable organization in our society. People
understand that a "Walk For..." event is designed to raise money for a
particular form of medical research.

I suggest organizing a yearly Walk to Cure Aging. This would serve a
number of purposes:

1) Raise awareness of current worthy work on aging, the conditions of
aging and age-retarding medicine;

2) Help to present the message that aging is a condition that can be
researched and cured; it is no more or less "natural" and "part of
life" than cancer, AIDS, or diabetes;

3) Raise funds for charitable causes that advance science towards a
cure for aging, such as the Methuselah Mouse research prize.

Organizing charitable events of these sorts is, fortunately, not
rocket science. It will be hard work, but hardly a venture into the
unknown. Charitable fundraising in this fashion is well understood,
and many people across the country have experience in putting together
organizations to support, manage and promote fundraising walks.

I would like to hear what you have to say about the Walk to Cure
Aging; new ideas and points of view are always welcome. Please post
your comments to this thread in the Immortality Institute forum:

http://imminst.org/forum/index.php?act=ST&f=1&t=1913&s=

See you there!

WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CRYONICS INDUSTRY?

Cryonics providers are companies that will freeze your body on death,
in the hopes that future medical technology will be able to revive and
repair you. It's a very small, tightly knit industry that has been
ever-so-slowly growing since the early 1970s. Responsible cryonicists
understand that cryonic suspension is an educated gamble, an ongoing
scientific experiment in which the chances of success are unknown. For
those who choose cryonic suspension over cremation or burial, people
who are missing the medical advances promised in the next few decades,
it is the only chance at a longer life sometime in the future. Cryonic
suspension is, after all, only the second worst thing that can happen
to you. To find out more about cryonics, you might want to peruse the
following locations:

http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryonics
http://www.cryonet.org/

In recent months, a lot of press and local government attention has
been directed towards Alcor, the Cryonics Institute and other, newer
ventures in the cryonics industry. This started with the cryonic
suspension of Ted Williams, of baseball fame. This would have been
business as usual for Alcor, but for the high profile family fight
over the will and the suspension itself. Both sides went to the press,
and the press was glad to use the legal battle to sell newspapers.
Since cryonics is still a largely unknown, fringe industry to most
people, this media attention naturally gravitated towards Alcor and
the process of cryonic suspension. A number of poorly researched,
hostile articles saw print (mainly in sports sections), but I think it
is a credit to the mainstream US media outlets that so many good,
balanced pieces were written on Alcor and cryonics at that time.

The Ted Williams affair was dying down when Alcor started to have very
publicly aired issues with a man characterized as a "disgruntled ex
employee." This is still ongoing, and both sides have filed legal
papers, so the less said about this the better. Alcor is a small
company in the grand scheme of things, and it's a truism that these
sorts of unfortunate events tend to happen in small businesses. People
get very invested in what they are doing and splits are often painful.
Let the dust settle before judging on the basis of second and third
hand accounts.

The biggest side effect of all this publicity is the sudden attention
of local governments on the cryonics industry. Local officials are
capitalizing on all the media attention, trying to be seen to be
"doing something." This is putting unnecessary roadblocks in the way
of a new cryonics venture in Florida:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/auto/epaper/editions/saturday/south_county_f357212aa5af12a300f0.html

Officials are also interfering in the ongoing business of the Cryonics
Institute:

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/2524494/detail.html

A thoughtful commentary on this sudden flurry of bureaucratic activity
can be found here:

http://www.interglobal.org/weblog/archives/003115.html

As is usual in politics, noble motives are conspicuous in their
absence. This is all about turf and appearances.

The title of this section is "What's going on in the cryonics
industry?" The answer really has little to do with press articles, Ted
Williams or Alcor's most vocal ex-employee. What is going on is
business as usual, with the prospects of industry growth from new
providers. Media creates storms in teacups, but cryonics providers,
supporters and volunteer teams continue to work hard to give good
service and improve cryonics technology. I, for one, hope that current
publicity, investment and hard work mark the start of a better, larger
and more professional cryonics industry. While many of us are assured
of living long enough to see the fruits of stem cell research and
advanced regenerative medicine, it is wrong to shut off all hope for
those who will not.

FIN

That's all for my commentary this time: a news roundup for the past
two weeks follows below.

DISCUSSION

Have comments for us, or want to discuss the newsletter? Visit the
Longevity Meme forum at http://www.longevitymeme.org/forum.cfm, or
send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Reason
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Founder, Longevity Meme

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RECENT NEWS

More On Cleveland Stem Cell Center (October 05 2003)
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1065173584264250.xml
It's a funny thing, but buildings are often more significant than
people when tracking long term funding trends in science. In this
respect, it is very reassuring to see the construction of stem cell
research centers happening throughout the US, despite pending
anti-research legislation. This article from the Plain Dealer goes
into more detail on the Cleveland Center and attempts to create a
local stem cell industry in that area. For a briefing on stem cell
medicine and how it can help us live longer, healthier lives, you
might want to visit InfoAging.

The Front Lines of Cancer Vaccine Research (October 05 2003)
http://www.fool.com/news/commentary/2003/commentary030930dmn.htm
A Motley Fool article on Geron provides an interesting view of the
front lines in the war on cancer. As research progresses, it becomes
increasingly apparent that cancer and aging are connected in one or
more ways at the cellular and biochemical levels. Scientists don't
have a full picture yet, but all research into cellular mechanisms
will useful in developing healthy life extension medicine. Defeating
cancer, just like defeating neurodegenerative diseases like
Alzheimer's, is an essential part of a medical foundation for
indefinite healthy lifespans.

Cryonics Institute Challenges State Order (October 04 2003)
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/2524494/detail.html
A short article from ClickOnDetroit notes that the Cryonics Institute
is challenging recent regulatory attempts by the local state
authorities. These would, fairly deliberately, place the Institute
into a regulatory regime that would effectively prohibit it from
carrying out cryonic suspensions. The Institute, along with Alcor, has
a long, successful history in this business. The only reason for all
this current attention is recent publicity over Alcor; these are not
exactly noble actions from state officials.

NIH And Congress Discuss Stem Cell Research (October 03 2003)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3219897,00.html
An article in the Guardian covers meetings between NIH representatives
and Congress. Both sides are being disingenuous on the harm being
caused to medical research in the US by anti-research legislation.
(Although money is still flowing in the private sector to expand stem
cell research centers). If you would like to see the US government
allow research into the future of healthy life extension, you have to
raise your voice. Contact your elected representatives today to ask
them why they oppose improving health and saving lives.

Canadian Stem Cell Debate Continues (October 03 2003)
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20031003.wbaby1003/BNStory/National/
The Globe and Mail notes the continuing debate in the Canadian
parliament over stem cell research legislation. As in the US,
uncertainty over the legal future of research is damaging progress.
Funding for stem cell based regenerative medicine is much lower than
it might otherwise be in both public and private sectors. Longer
delays from current and threatened legislation mean more death and
suffering before working stem cell therapies can be widely
commercialized. I encourage you to raise your voices in support of
medical research; ask your elected representatives why they are
blocking vital, promising research.

Regenerative Medicine Gaining Recognition (October 02 2003)
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20030923005188&newsLang=en
Regenerative medicine is gaining widespread name recognition as a
legitimate, promising field of medicine; the 1st World Congress on
Regenerative Medicine is this month, the fourth annual Regenerative
Medicine conference is next month, and meaningful funding is starting
to flow. The NIH is recognizing the field, and was congratulated for
doing so by the Alliance for Aging Research. Stem cell medicine is
simply one part of a broad advance towards "rebuilding the body,
restoring function." This is the medicine of the future that must be
supported and encouraged to fight aging and extend our healthy
lifespans.

Israel Stem Cell Therapy Consortium Underway (October 02 2003)
http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=Zone&enDispWho=InThePress&enZone=InThePress&Date=10/2/03%203:00%20PM
Israel21C notes that the Israel Stem Cell Therapy Consortium, a group
of medical companies and academic research facilities, is now
underway. The consortium is embarking on a $15-20 million program to
develop the tools and techniques for widespread development of stem
cell based therapies. This is the sort of initiative that we need to
see more of elsewhere in the world: determined, sensible, well-planned
steps towards creating the healthy life extension medicine of the
future. The will is there in the US and Europe, but current and
pending anti-research legislation is scaring away funding and
investment.

An Introduction to Cryonics (October 01 2003)
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/accent/content/auto/epaper/editions/today/accent_f387b9c1a5af00a61031.html
Since we're talking about cryonics today, here's a great introduction
from the Palm Beach Post (found via Transhumanity). When did cryonics
start up, what is it all about, and - most importantly - what does it
offer for you? Read the article and find out; it's a very human view
of this young industry. If this catches your interest, you can find
resources and a friendly online community at CryoNet. The Alcor web
site also provides a great deal of useful information about cryonics
and cryonic suspension.

More Controversy For Alcor (October 01 2003)
http://www.arizonatribune.com/index.php?sty=10636
The Arizona Tribune carries an article on the latest developments in
the ongoing Alcor stories. Detectives are investigating a 1992 cryonic
suspension as a result of materials submitted by a disgruntled
ex-employee; you might remember the initial filing of lawsuits and
throwing of dirt in that matter not so long ago. All in all, it looks
fairly messy, but it's important not to judge too quickly when looking
at two parties throwing claims and counter-claims. Wait for the dust
to settle. As I have said before, I hope that this unpleasantness and
the associated publicity help to pave the way to a more professional,
businesslike cryonics industry.

A Reminder As To Why We're Here (September 30 2003)
http://www.longevitymeme.org/projects/
The Longevity Meme, in addition to serving up news and showing you the
best way to live a longer, healthier life now, is devoted to raising
awareness and supporting the medical research that will extend our
healthy lifespans. Being informed is a very good thing, and I
encourage you to use this site as a stepping stone to a greater
understanding of healthy life extension. However, being informed is
simply the first step. To ensure our future health and longevity, we
must also take action to support and encourage medical research. We
try to make activism accessible here at the Longevity Meme, so I
encourage you to take a look and see how you can help.

Premature Aging Syndrome Linked to Normal Aging (September 30 2003)
http://www.betterhumans.com/News/news.aspx?articleID=2003-09-29-8
At Betterhumans, exciting news from the Baltimore National Institute
on Aging labs. It seems that the genetic changes and damage caused by
Werner's syndrome, a premature aging condition, are very similar to
those caused by normal aging; close enough, in fact, to say that
Werner's syndrome is probably an acceleration of the normal aging
process. This presents an immediate opportunity to learn far more
about the mechanisms of aging, and I predict that we will be hearing
more on this topic in the year ahead.

Bioengineering Our Way to Longer, Healthier Lives (September 29 2003)
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2003/09/30/bioengineering/index.html
A very forward-looking article at Salon discusses the revolution just
getting underway in medical research today. As the author correctly
points out, we are on the verge of a flood of advancements in
artificial body parts and biomedicine, designed to improve our quality
of life. While many of the ideas are further into our future, the
article gives a good idea as to the range of research going on today,
and the near term improvements that will result.

Slight Funding For Stem Cell Research (September 29 2003)
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=3527141
>>From this Reuters article, it seems the the US government (the
National Institutes of Health in particular) is still providing a very
small amount of funding for stem cell research. Any money to further
this vital foundation for regenerative and healthy life extension
medicine is welcome, but far more is needed. Stem cell therapies offer
the prospect of cures for many, possibly all, degenerative diseases
and effects of aging. Given the ongoing death toll from aging,
shouldn't we be funding and supporting this research far more eagerly?

The War Over Anti-Aging Medicine (September 28 2003)
http://www.sagecrossroads.com/091703transcript.cfm
The transcript of the latest SAGE Crossroads webcast, a discussion on
the war over anti-aging medicine, is now online. In essence, the
quackery, false claims and over the top marketing associated with much
of the commercial "anti-aging" industry has damaged the legitimate,
scientific fight against aging. Funding for meaningful research rests
on public opinion and public understanding of the near time
possibilities of healthy life extension. Large segments of the
commercial "anti-aging" industry have muddied the waters, engaged in
unethical practices and generally made life harder for the rest of us.
Unless this problem is overcome, we will all suffer the consequences:
less funding, less research, less progress, shorter and more unhealthy
lives.

Alzheimer's: Searching for a Cure (September 28 2003)
http://www.breakthroughdigest.com/html/feature092603.shtml
>>From BreakThrough Digest, a long article on Alzheimer's and the
current state of medical research. Despite a flurry of small
breakthroughs in Alzheimer's research over the past few years (not all
of which are mentioned in this article), widely available options for
therapy are still thin on the ground. As yet, there is no cure in
humans. The best defense against developing Alzheimer's appears to be
- as it is for so many diseases of aging - to adopt a good diet, lose
weight, take supplements, exercise your mind and body, and stick to
that regiment. Remember: nothing tastes as good as being thin feels!

New Florida Cryonics Firm Blocked (September 27 2003)
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/auto/epaper/editions/saturday/south_county_f357212aa5af12a300f0.html
>>From the Palm Beach Post (found via Transhumanity), news of a
legislative block to the hopes of a new cryonic suspension provider.
Local government wants to regulate the business under funeral parlor
rules that would effectively prevent cryonic suspensions from being
performed. Some pro- and anti-technology views from locals round out
the article, but all in all this is a disappointing setback for the
nascent cryonics industry as a whole. It could take years to sort this
mess out, and the cost would likely be prohibitive to most new
cryonics companies.

Stem Cell Heart Therapy Standoff in Germany (September 26 2003)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20030926/05/
BioMed Central reports on the debate over administering working stem
cell therapies for heart damage in Germany. Oddly enough, given
current restrictive Germany legislation, work appears to be
progressing further in Germany than in the US. Here, the FDA simply
stepped in to block treatments and human trials. Studies and human
trials in the US, Japan and Germany have shown that this therapy works
extraordinarily well; it saves lives that would otherwise be lost to
heart disease, damage or failure. Despite this evidence, German and US
government regulatory bodies are still blocking or attempting to block
human trials.

Commentary on Regulating Alcor (September 26 2003)
http://www.interglobal.org/weblog/archives/003115.html#003115
(Found via the Speculist). There have been rumblings in Arizona about
regulating Alcor, a cryonics provider. Some people in the cryonics
community view government regulation as a necessary or desirable
stepping stone towards a larger, more professional, stable cryonic
suspension marketplace. This commentary from Rand Simberg is more
middle of the road; it is a sensible examination of the current
situation, and points out some of the pitfalls and possibly unethical
actors in this play.

Yeast Offers Insight into Aging and Cancer (September 25 2003)
http://www.betterhumans.com/News/news.aspx?articleID=2003-09-25-3
Yeast, mice, rats and flies are the tools of basic research into aging
and related conditions. Today, it's yeast. This article from
Betterhumans discusses recent work that will lead to a better
understanding of the link between aging and cancer. The chance of
developing cancer increases rapidly after a certain age, suggesting a
biochemical trigger of some sort. This research puts scientists on
track to find - and then hopefully fix - this mechanism in humans. As
I have said before, scientists are at the stage where any and all new
information can be turned to positive use in the fight against aging.

California Approves Stem Cell Research (September 25 2003)
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/6852381.htm
The Mercury News notes that the California governor has signed bills
approving stem cell research in that state. State funding is as yet
not in the picture, but this approval should help to dispel some of
the miasma over all stem cell research, private and government-funded,
caused by current and pending Federal anti-research legislation. Stem
cell research is the gateway to the first effective therapies that
will repair the effects of aging, cure degenerative conditions and
extend healthy lifespan. Any delay in developing this new field of
medicine leads to more suffering and more death, all of which could be
prevented.

More on Starting Low Calorie Diets (September 24 2003)
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0921diet21.html
(From azcentral.com). If something is worth saying, it's worth saying
a few times: it's never too late to start a low calorie diet (like
calorie restriction). Health benefits and a longer healthy lifespan
are possible even if you start a low calorie diet later in life. The
article offers cautions, but calorie restriction is still the current
gold standard of healthy life extension, with decades of scientific
research and positive studies behind it. This will help you live
healthily for longer, but remember that is just a stepping stone on
the way to far longer lives: we need to support medical research for
the future of healthy life extension!

Ronald Bailey on Supplements, FDA, LEF (September 24 2003)
http://www.reason.com/rb/rb092403.shtml
This article at Reason Online is somewhat tangential to the real
business of healthy life extension, but the FDA and Life Extension
Foundation are influential players in the ongoing battles over
research, supplements and consumer rights. From where I stand, the FDA
is one of the most outrageous examples of government waste and
senseless obstruction. The FDA, alongside anti-research legislation,
is causing great harm to the development of age-retarding
pharmaceuticals, stem cell therapies and regenerative medicine - all
essential first steps towards indefinite healthy lifespans.

US Legislation Continues to Block Vital Research (September 23 2003)
http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,60546,00.html
In an article in Wired, the continuing effects of US anti-research
legislation are spelled out. Stem cell research is still suffering in
the US due to existing legislation that blocks federal funding and
fear of pending legislation that would ban most current stem cell
work. This research has already produced working therapies for heart
disease and regenerative medicine that can cure Crohn's Disease or
alleviate Parkinson's symptoms. I encourage you to write to your
representatives and ask them why the US government is trying to block
this promising, successful medical research.

Faster Worm Screening for a Longer Life (September 23 2003)
http://www.nanoaging.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=31
(From NanoAging). Occasionally, I like to illustrate the amazing
advances in automation that drive biomedical research. It's easy to
forget that the current rapid pace of research rests on decades of
hard work by toolmakers. This article discusses a recent advance in
screening potentially life-extending compounds on nematode worms;
seemingly boring tools like this can speed up the whole drug-discovery
process by a factor of a hundred or more. That end result is certainly
not boring!

More Methuselah Mouse Press (September 22 2003)
http://www.nature.com/nsu/030915/030915-13.html
The Methuselah Mouse Prize is garnering more press, this time from the
esteemed science journal Nature. The prize also gets a mention in
Slashdot and a Telegraph article on telomeres and healthy life
extension. From the Nature article, the prize "draws attention to some
very worthwhile research." The Methuselah Mouse prize is gathering
momentum! This is very heartening, as it is indeed drawing attention
to vital groundwork in the fight against aging and age-related
conditions. Have you made a donation yet? You can read more about
research prizes and the reasons to donate here at the Longevity Meme.

A New Cryonics Lab in Florida (September 22 2003)
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/6822902.htm
A mixed article in the Miami Herald (found via Transhumanity) on
cryonics and the opening of a new provider. The Life Extension
Foundation funds a lot of the new cryonics activity in the US, as well
as more conventional healthy life extension research. It's important
to remember that cryonic suspension is an educated gamble in
scientific research, made by people who do not want to die but have no
other medical options. It is unproven, but a far, far better option
than the alternative. Most of the critics of cryonic suspension would
no doubt be more receptive if they themslves were dying of old age or
uncurable disease.

Theraputic Cloning Shown to Cure Parkinson's In Mice (September 22
2003)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/09/030922063529.htm
Science Daily delivers this good news. Theraputic cloning has been
shown to cure mice suffering from the mouse equivelant of Parkinson's.
Getting a treatment to work in mice is a big step forward in
developing a working therapy for humans. Given the similarities
between Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases, this family
of therapies should have broad applications. This advance is exactly
the sort of high profile breakthrough needed to help block
anti-research legislation. As a reminder, a bill banning theraputic
cloning research is still awaiting a final Senate vote. I encourage
you to write to your senator in protest.


______________________________

Do you have comments for us, or want to discuss the newsletter? Visit
the Longevity Meme forum at http://www.longevitymeme.org/forum.cfm, or
send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]