Weekend Edition: The quest for the Fountain of Youth

The search for ways to extend our lifespan is older than science itself, but that doesn't make the idea any less appealing to us mere mortals. In this weekend's edition we back look at some of the significant advances we've covered over the past couple of years that could help us achieve longer, and importantly, healthier lives. It makes for fascinating reading. [Health & Wellbeing]( [Promising naturally occurring anti-aging compound looks to human trials]( [A new mouse study has confirmed prior findings relating to anti-aging properties of AKG, laying the groundwork for a human trial]( A new study has found mice given supplements of an endogenous metabolite display significant healthspan improvements. The research follows on from other animal studies with the same compound and a clinical trial in middle-aged humans is getting underway. [Read more]( [Medical]( [Diluted blood plasma found to reverse aging in mice]( [Older mice exhibited many more new muscle fibers (seen as the pink “donut” shapes), after undergoing a blood plasma dilution procedure (bottom)]( New research has shown how diluting the blood plasma of older mice can have strong rejuvenation effect on tissues and organs, by reducing the concentration of inflammatory proteins that typically increase with age. [Read more]( [Medical]( [Stem cell technique winds back aging in human cells]( [Stem cell technology could help rewind aging on human cells]( Stanford scientists may have found a way to essentially return older cells to a more youthful state. The adult cells are treated with a mix of proteins from early embryonic development, which removes many of the molecular signs of aging. [Read more]( [Medical]( [Walk slow, age fast: Healthspan linked to walking speed]( [A study suggests slow gait at the age of 45 may be a sign of accelerated aging]( Gait speed, or the pace at which a person walks, has been effectively used as a biomarker for health in older subjects. A new study is now suggesting that gait speed may be an effective measure of biological aging for someone in their 40s. [Read more]( [Biology]( [Worm lifespans extended 500 percent in surprising new aging study]( [The worm species C. elegans was found to pass down learned behaviors through four generations]( Finding ways to slow down aging would help reduce all kinds of diseases. And now scientists have made a pretty substantial breakthrough, extending the lifespan of worms by a staggering 500 percent by tweaking a couple of cellular pathways. [Read more]( [Medical]( [Protein from the blood of young mice found to extend lifespan of older mice]( [The lifespan of older mice was extended when a protein called eNAMPT was isolated from the blood of young mice]( A new study is offering a new hypothesis to explain the long-standing idea that transfusions of young blood can reverse the effects of aging. The study reveals when older mice are supplemented with a protein taken from the blood of young mice, they live longer and exhibit youthful characteristics. [Read more]( [Health & Wellbeing]( [Gene study suggests healthy aging linked to blood iron levels]( [New research suggests the genes linked to healthy aging also play a role in iron metabolism]( A large gene study has discovered several genomic regions linked to longer and healthier lives are also involved in metabolizing iron in the blood. The research suggests abnormal blood iron levels may fundamentally underpin many age-related diseases. [Read more]( [Health & Wellbeing]( [Comprehensive study suggests biological aging is slowing down]( [A comprehensive new study shows that Americans are biologically aging more slowly now than 20 years ago]( How well are our anti-aging efforts paying off? A comprehensive new study from Yale University and the University of Southern California (USC) has found that Americans seem to be aging more slowly now than they were 20 years ago. [Read more]( [Medical]( [Three-drug combo greatly extends fruit fly lifespan]( [A drug cocktail consisting of three drugs already used in humans has significantly extended the lifespan of fruit flies]( Researchers have extend the lifespan of fruit flies by 48 percent using a triple drug combination made up of drugs already used in people. [Read more]( [Medical]( [Stanford team develops brain-rejuvenating antibodies that let old mice think like youngsters]( [Researchers were able to improve the cognitive function of older mice after blocking a protein's activity on brain cells known as microglia]( Stanford neuroscientists have hunted down a single gene that encodes a protein responsible for age-related cognitive losses, targeted it with special blocking antibodies, and shown in mice that these antibodies can rejuvenate old brains to work as well as young ones. [Read more]( [Biology]( ["Feces of youth" extends fish lifespan by 37 percent]( [Eat shit and live!]( The mysterious world of gut bacteria is a hot area of research in science right now. The systemic implications of gut flora are being found to have vast holistic effects, and now living longer could be joining that list. 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