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[A1CR]

[posted on behalf of CRON4healthyfuture; 2003-07-08]

On Tue, 8 Jul 2003 , A long-time CRONie wrote:

> >Everything from an apparent AKA CRON4healthyfuture to de Grey himself in this
> >collection from the new journal below, Sci Aging Knowl Environ.
> >
> >Many new ideas and there are leads to Aging Cell that should be useful.
> >
> >Cheers
> >
> >Sci Aging Knowl Environ. 2003 Feb 26;2003(8):NS4.
> >
> >Dietary drawbacks.
> >
> >Hopkin K.
> >
> >The benefits of dietary restriction are well documented: Creatures that
consume
> >one-third fewer calories are leaner, livelier, and longer lived than their
fully
> >fed kin. But such drastic dieting also has a dark side. Restricted animals
get
> >chilled and pick up infections unusually easily, and they're less fertile
than
> >their more portly compatriots are. Furthermore, cutting calories doesn't
enhance
> >longevity in all animals, according to several studies. These observations
have
> >many researchers wondering what dietary restriction--or a drug that mimics
its
> >effects--might do for people who are hoping to live longer and healthier
lives.
> >
> >PMID: 12844545 [PubMed - in process]

What is the deal with this "pick up infections" unusually easily? Gimme a
break.

> >
> >
> >Sci Aging Knowl Environ. 2003 Feb 12;2003(6):NS1.
> >
> >Stress for success.
> >
> >Leslie M.
> >
> >Researchers in aging and other fields are warming to hormesis, the idea
that
> >moderate doses of heat, toxicants, radiation, or other stresses are
helpful. The
> >notion fell into disrepute because of early supporters' belief in
homeopathy,
> >but a plethora of data supports it. Experts on aging are now trying to
dissect
> >the molecular pathways behind hormesis to find out how they increase life-
span
> >and bestow other benefits. The small amount investigators have learned
suggests
> >that hormesis might erect some of the same defenses as do life-extending
> >mutations, such as increased amounts of heat shock proteins that prevent
other
> >proteins from unfolding. Further research might allow doctors to use
hormesis to
> >aid aging patients.


> >PMID: 12844550 [PubMed - in process]


Whoever this "Leslie M" is, they sure do know a thing or two about how CR
probably works. Hmmm.....sounds so close to someone else I know, who could
it be?

>> >>
> >
> >Sci Aging Knowl Environ. 2003 Feb 19;2003(7):NF4.
> >
> >Wake-up call.
> >
> >Chen I.
> >
> >Theoretical biologist Aubrey de Grey thinks aging is an uncivilized
> >phenomenon that neither he nor anyone else should have to put up with.

Too bad Aubrey, because judging from your picture you *are* putting up with
it, regardless of attitudinal variables. ;P

> >A computer scientist
> >by training,

EVERYONE, I MEAN EVERYONE, READ THAT PART AGAIN! ;P I have respect for
physicists, they are smarter than biologists. I have respect for chemists,
they too are smarter than biologists. I even have respect for engineers,
they ultimately have more analytical capability than biologists. But a
computer scientist? He can take his damn subroutines and shove them up his
ass. ;P

he got converted to the field of biology in part by asking his
> >geneticist wife about her work.

Awww, how cute. Little compu-scientist wants to run with the big dogs.
Isn't it precious?

> >Although he doesn't do benchwork himself,

Understatement of the year?

> >by
> >poring over the literature and formulating new--and often controversial--
> >ideas,

I like this "Chen"'s style. Since when did "controversial" become a
euphemism for "wrong"?

> >he is prodding gerontologists toward the development of medicines to
reverse aging.

I think the only thing he could possible by prodding would be himself.


> >
> >Sci Aging Knowl Environ. 2003 May 14;2003(19):NF10.
> >
> >Hungering for simplicity.
> >
> >Strauss E.
> >
> >New work on yeast indicates that glucose restriction goads a protein
without
> >previously known antiaging talents to activate a longevity pathway. The
protein,
> >Pnc1p, acts through an enzyme called Sir2p that slows aging in several
> >organisms, and the new results suggest an unexpected means of controlling
Sir2p:
> >with the small molecule nicotinamide. The work also supports the notions
that
> >glucose restriction activates a stress-response longevity pathway and that
> >hormesis can counteract aging.
> >
> >PMID: 12844531 [PubMed - in process]

Strauss rules.

> >
> >
> >Sci Aging Knowl Environ. 2003 Jun 4;2003(22):PE13.
> >
> >Creating new neurons in old brains.
> >
> >Wise PM.
> >
> >The brains of aged rodents exhibit decreased neurogenesis as compared to
those
> >of young adult rodents. Basal neurogenesis has previously been shown to
increase
> >in the young adult rodent brain upon the administration of growth factors.
> >However, it is unknown whether similar treatment can affect this process
in the
> >aging brain. A recent paper published in the June 2003 issue of the journal
> >Aging Cell reveals that two growth factors can stimulate neurogensis in
aged
> >mice. This result raises the possibility that similar treatments may be
used in
> >humans to help maintain normal brain function in old age.
> >
> >PMID: 12844527 [PubMed - in process]

Wise rules.

> >
> >
> >Sci Aging Knowl Environ. 2003 Jun 11;2003(23):OA1.
> >
> >Immunity challenge.
> >
> >Davenport RJ.
> >
> >As people get older, their immune systems falter. The elderly are more
> >susceptible to infections than youngsters are, and hyperactive inflammatory
> >responses appear to contribute to some age-associated illnesses, including
> >Alzheimer's disease and atherosclerosis. Investigating the effect of aging
on
> >the immune system was once a scientific stepchild, but card-carrying
> >immunologists are now tackling the problem head-on. Despite the immune
system's
> >complexity, researchers have started to make sense of how its components
change
> >with age. As the research progresses, scientists hope to bolster elderly
> >people's response to infectious diseases and quiet the inflammation that
can
> >make aging a painful experience.
> >
> >PMID: 12844525 [PubMed - in process]

Davenport rules.
> >
> >
> >Sci Aging Knowl Environ. 2003 Apr 23;2003(16):PE8.
> >
> >Is DNA cut out for a long life?
> >
> >Sinclair D.
> >
> >Much attention has been focused on the DNA repair hypothesis of aging.
Studies
> >in mammals that seek to test the validity of this model are complicated by
both
> >the functional redundancy and the essential nature of genes involved in the
> >repair process. Compared to mammals, the study of DNA repair and aging in
yeast
> >has considerably fewer complicating factors. In this Perspective, I discuss
> >results presented in this month's issue of Aging Cell that address whether
the
> >types of DNA damage repaired by the base excision repair pathway cause
aging in
> >yeast.
> >
> >PMID: 12844521 [PubMed - in process]

Sinclair rules.
> >
> >
> >Sci Aging Knowl Environ. 2003 Mar 12;2003(10):PE6.
> >
> >Vitamin b1 blocks damage caused by hyperglycemia.
> >
> >Obrenovich ME, Monnier VM.
> >
> >Diabetes accelerates the aging process and leads to complications that
include
> >blindness, renal failure, nerve damage, stroke, and cardiovascular
disease. It
> >has been hypothesized that high plasma glucose concentrations are
responsible
> >for increased mitochondrial free radical production and subsequent
inactivation
> >of glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) in vascular endothelial
cells
> >and other cells implicated in these complications. As a result of the
decreased
> >ability of GAPDH to process upstream metabolites, three pathways of
metabolic
> >damage are activated, which include the advanced glycation end-product
formation
> >pathway, the protein kinase C pathway, and the hexosamine pathway. All
three
> >pathways have been implicated in abnormal cell signaling in diabetes. A
group of
> >German and U.S. scientists has now found that treating diabetic rats with
high
> >doses of benfotiamine, a lipid-soluble form of vitamin B1, can prevent
diabetic
> >retinopathy and all three forms of metabolic damage by stimulating
transketolase
> >activity and thus diverting excess metabolites toward the pentose pathway.
> >Although vitamin B1 is available over the counter, the researchers at this
time
> >do not advocate self-treatment without further clinical data.
> >
> >PMID: 12844520 [PubMed - in process]

Interesting, but if vitamin B was the secret to long-life, then all of
these "Stresstab" manufacturers would have induced a longevity boom already.

> >
> >
> >Sci Aging Knowl Environ. 2003 Mar 26;2003(12):NF6.
> >
> >Mindful of metal.
> >
> >Leslie M.
> >
> >Harvard Medical School neuroscientist Ashley Bush likes to test his
mettle, both
> >in playing Australian-rules football and in promoting his theory that large
> >amounts of metals set off the devastating neural damage of Alzheimer's
disease.
> >Corrupting beta amyloid, the protein that jams the brains of AD patients,
spurs
> >production of harmful oxidants, he argues. Now, after more than a decade of
> >effort, his work is beginning to win medals.
> >
> >PMID: 12844516 [PubMed - in process]

Of course Leslie rules.

> >
> >
> >Sci Aging Knowl Environ. 2003 Jan 8;2003(1):VP1.
> >
> >An Engineer's Approach to the Development of Real Anti-Aging Medicine.
> >
> >De Grey AD.
> >
> >the Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street,
Cambridge
> >CB2 3EH, UK.
> >
> >In this Viewpoint, I list the various age-related molecular and cellular
changes
> >that are thought to limit mammalian life-span, and I outline a problem-
solving
> >approach to reversing these detrimental changes. This approach should help
to
> >prevent the development of these age-related changes into life-threatening
> >pathologies and possibly, in due course, allow a large increase in healthy
human
> >life expectancy.
> >
> >PMID: 12844502 [PubMed - in process]

A-ha, now I have his email address. Now the *real* fun begins! ;P

Oh yeah, about his dinky little paper. Bioengineers make materials that
get surgically implanted. Electrical engineers make good monitoring
devices. Computer engineers make the software that much of the diagnostic
equipment uses. Those functions represent the most fruitful applications of
engineering to contemporary biomedicine up until this point.

The application of actual engineering principles to biology itself is
pointless and counterproductive at this point.

It basically induces you to conceptualize the human body as a glorified
bicycle or steam engine.

[MR]

CRON4healthyfuture wrote:

>> > >Sci Aging Knowl Environ. 2003 Feb 19;2003(7):NF4.
>> > >
>> > >Wake-up call.
>> > >
>> > >Chen I.
>> > >
>> > >Theoretical biologist Aubrey de Grey thinks aging is an uncivilized
>> > >phenomenon that neither he nor anyone else should have to put up with.
> >
> > Too bad Aubrey, because judging from your picture you *are* putting up with
> > it, regardless of attitudinal variables. ;P

Er ... right. 'Is' vs 'ought' distinction.
> >
>> > >A computer scientist
>> > >by training,
> >
> > EVERYONE, I MEAN EVERYONE, READ THAT PART AGAIN! ;P I have respect for
> > physicists, they are smarter than biologists. I have respect for chemists,
> > they too are smarter than biologists. I even have respect for engineers,
> > they ultimately have more analytical capability than biologists. But a
> > computer scientist? He can take his damn subroutines and shove them up his
> > ass. ;P

One evaluates the soundness of an argument by the quality f the factual
data and the rigors of its logic. On both points, de Grey's book doesn't
seem to have any serious challenge -- or at least, I've yet to see any
counterarguments that can't be readily slapped down.

To suggest that an argument's authorship should in any way come into an
evaluation of its merits is a well-established logical fallacy.

In any case, in talking about the MAN, I personally have all the MORE
respect for someone who manages to retrain himself from one challenging
discipline into another, get hired on to Cambridge's Department of
Genetics, and get himself widely published and respected in his adopted
field -- enough to be able to invite Bruce Ames, Bartke, Campisi, Roger
McCarter and others (even Hayflick, whose views on the tractability of
aging could not be more opposed to de Grey's) to SENS conferences and
have them show up and contribute for free, & to be invited to organize
IABG 10.

A good example of this can be found in his recent invited lead editorial
in _Lifespan_, the newsletter of the British Society for Research on
Ageing (the professional organization behind _Mech Ageing Dev_):

"For reasons best known to himself, Richard [Aspinall, editor of
_Lifespan_ and the immunologist wwho showed that thymic function can be
restored in aging rodents with IL7] has asked me to offer my views on
how we [the UK biogerontological community] can best capitalise on our
present position [as the top place to do biogerontology in Europe &
perhaps the world] in the coming decade."

>> > >he got converted to the field of biology in part by asking his
>> > >geneticist wife about her work.
> >
> > Awww, how cute. Little compu-scientist wants to run with the big dogs.
> > Isn't it precious?

My, what a productive contribution to the discussion.

> >
>> > >Although he doesn't do benchwork himself,
> >
> > Understatement of the year?

Continuing on with his lead editorial in _Lifespan_: "It has been said
that my habit of making suggestions to my experimentalist colleagues,
when I myself have no clue how to run a gel, amounts to treating the
world’s PIs as my graduate students; perhaps that is fair. This time,
however, at least I have the defence that I am not doing so at my own
initiative [referring to Aspinall's invitation]."
> >
>> > >by
>> > >poring over the literature and formulating new--and often controversial--
>> > >ideas,
> >
> > I like this "Chen"'s style. Since when did "controversial" become a
> > euphemism for "wrong"?

Um, since never. Perhaps you ought to firm up the distinction in your mind.

>> > >he is prodding gerontologists toward the development of medicines to
> > reverse aging.
> >
> > I think the only thing he could possible by prodding would be himself.

Er ... huh?


>> > >Sci Aging Knowl Environ. 2003 Jan 8;2003(1):VP1.
>> > >
>> > >An Engineer's Approach to the Development of Real Anti-Aging Medicine.
>> > >
>> > >De Grey AD.
>> > >
>> > >the Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street,
> > Cambridge
>> > >CB2 3EH, UK. ag24@gen.cam.ac.uk
>> > >
>> > >In this Viewpoint, I list the various age-related molecular and cellular
>> > >changes that are thought to limit mammalian life-span, and I outline a
>> > >problem-solving approach to reversing these detrimental changes. This
>> > >approach should help to
>> > >prevent the development of these age-related changes into life-threatening
>> > >pathologies and possibly, in due course, allow a large increase in healthy
>> > >human life expectancy.
>> > >
>> > >PMID: 12844502 [PubMed - in process]
> >
> > A-ha, now I have his email address. Now the *real* fun begins! ;P

Only after you familiarize yourself with his work, of course. I take it
you don't just intend to spam him with nonsense unrelated to his actual ideas.

> > Oh yeah, about his dinky little paper.

Oh, right! This isn't JUST about attacking someone's character!

> > Bioengineers make materials that
> > get surgically implanted. Electrical engineers make good monitoring
> > devices. Computer engineers make the software that much of the diagnostic
> > equipment uses. Those functions represent the most fruitful applications of
> > engineering to contemporary biomedicine up until this point.

Um, MRIs? Drug-delivery systems (needles, transdermal patches,
computerized drug release pumps)? The Mammotome? The harmonic scalpel?
Laser surgery? The artificial heart? X-rays? Cardiac catheters?
Dialysis? Radiation therapy? Arguably, sulfanilamide, penicillin and on?

In any case, surely it's clear that he isn't referring to the narrow
idea of curing aging thru' bioengineering projects as such, but to an
ORIENTATION to problem: the development of anti-aging therapies, using
on an engineering approach rather than a 'pure science' approach:
highly empiricist, approaching specific problems, solving disputes
through proof-of-principle solutions based on 'going with what you've
got' rather than classical inductive evidence-accumulation until
definitive proof is achieved, focusing on second-order problems rather
than first-, focused on performance requirements rather than data
collection, etc.

> > The application of actual engineering principles to biology itself is
> > pointless and counterproductive at this point.
> >
> > It basically induces you to conceptualize the human body as a glorified
> > bicycle or steam engine.

As would the history of biology for the last century and a bit. Surely
we aren't going to hear "Hans Driesch rules" ...?

Further afield:

>> > >Sci Aging Knowl Environ. 2003 Mar 12;2003(10):PE6.
>> > >
>> > >Vitamin b1 blocks damage caused by hyperglycemia.
>> > >
>> > >Obrenovich ME, Monnier VM.

>> > >A group of
>> > >German and U.S. scientists has now found that treating diabetic rats with
>> > >high doses of benfotiamine, a lipid-soluble form of vitamin B1, can prevent
>> > >diabetic retinopathy and all three forms of metabolic damage by stimulating
>> > >transketolase activity and thus diverting excess metabolites toward
>> > >the pentose pathway.
>> > >
>> > >PMID: 12844520 [PubMed - in process]
> >
> > Interesting, but if vitamin B was the secret to long-life, then all of
> > these "Stresstab" manufacturers would have induced a longevity boom already.

Stresstab manufacturers do not put Benfotiamine into their pills.

*PLUG from interested party*: A O R, however, does .