Human Longevity | What If We Stopped Aging?

“Life is short.”

I am sure almost everyone has heard this incredibly famous phrase NUMEROUS times. Everyone reaches the end at some point, but what if I told you there was a way to prevent aging?

You’re probably wondering, how Is this possible?

In 2017, twenty-six million eight hundred eighty thousand people over the age of 50 died. This number accounts for about 50% of the deaths that happened that year.

Basic Knowledge

Before we delve into the article’s core content, there are a few things you should know.

1. What is human longevity? Human longevity is defined as the capability of a human to survive past the average age of death.
2. What happens when humans die? Cells stop receiving oxygen when the heart stops beating. The brain and nerve cells require a constant oxygen supply and will die within a few minutes. Some cells continue to work 4–10 mins after natural death but eventually, your body completely shuts down.
3. Why do some humans live longer than others? Your time of death is influenced by factors such as happiness, diet, exercise, environmental stress, chronic stress, etc. Your lifespan is also dependent on your genetics 🧬 (A long life may just run in your family).
4. Why do humans die? In simple terms, humans are programmed to die which means no human is immortal. Your cells can divide, grow, and carry out fundamental biological processes. However, cells age more quickly the more they divide. Cells eventually stop functioning correctly as a result.
5. What are telomeres? Telomeres are protective caps on the end of the DNA strands known as chromosomes, which house human genomes. Telomeres are shortened every time our cells replicate and naturally shorten as we age. If they become too short, the cell can’t divide; as a result, it either remains dormant or “senescent,” or it dies. A shorter lifespan is linked to aging, cancers, and a greater likelihood of passing away.

The protective caps at the end of chromosomes are often compared to the caps of a shoelace as both telomeres and shoelace caps prevent fraying/unravelling.

Why is aging such a problem?

It is a known fact that humans develop more chronic illnesses as we age. As you become older, you become far more susceptible to illnesses including cardiovascular disease, cancer, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease, among many others.

As visible through the graph, there is a positive correlation between aging and chronic illnesses. It is simple to understand that getting older makes your body more vulnerable to disease.

Fortunately, scientists are trying to stop aging from limiting our lifespan.

Most probable causes of death?

1. Senescent Cells

Senescent cells are cells that become “zombies.” After a cell goes through the process of mitosis or cell division multiple times, the caps on the cells also known as the telomeres reduce until the ends of the chromosomes are completely gone. This kills cells and senescent cells are created.

These cells underproduce proteins that tell the cells when to die. When senescent cells are created, they are resistant to apoptosis (the process by which cells die). This leaves a large number of senescent cells in your body. Since the number of times your cells have divided increases with age, the older you are, the more senescent cells you have.

They harm surrounding cells and are responsible for diseases such as kidney failure and diabetes associated with old age.

2. NAD+

NAD+ Repairs DNA and Alters DNA Expression. NAD+ benefits include protecting cells from stress, maintaining healthy sleep cycles and helping your cells repair damaged DNA. What makes DNA so crucial? Simply said, DNA holds the instructions required for life. Our DNA contains instructions on how to build the proteins necessary for our growth, development, and overall wellness.

Without NAD+, we would be on the fast track to death

All the parts of cells are required to make your body function. With old age, the process of cleaning up these parts becomes difficult. According to research, NAD+ levels decrease with aging. Age-related illnesses including diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, heart disease, and loss of muscular tone are all traced directly to this deterioration.

3. Stem Cells

The “master cells” of an organism are stem cells. All organs, tissues, blood, and the immune system are constructed from them. Stem cells don’t have a specific structure or function in your body and instead can replace any human cells.

Ex) Human intestine lining is required to be replaced every 4 days. Stem cells are lying beneath the lining to replace these linings as they wear out.

Stem cells’ capacity for renewal declines with aging, and also results in changes in their capacity to identify among numerous cell types. As stem cells begin to die, the body ages and you are more susceptible to disease.

How are scientists curing aging?

With the use of biotechnology and gene therapy, scientists have developed methods to postpone, halt, and even reverse aging as the world continues to evolve.

1. Treating senescent cells

Senescent cells gradually build up in our bodies, causing inflammation, tissue degeneration, and the release of growth factors that change the tissue microenvironment, ultimately leading to illness.

An option to eliminate the negative effects of chronic senescent cells is to kill them specifically, using compounds called senolytics.

Senescent cells can be eliminated by substances known as senolytics, preserving young function and health. Senolytics have been shown to halt or even reverse aging in preclinical trials.

2. Increasing NAD+

Basis by Elysium is a supplement that increases the quantities of NAD+, a coenzyme present in all active cells in the body.

A 2017 human research done by Elysium Health discovered that daily dosages of an NAD+ precursor boosted Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAD+) levels by an average of 40%.

Professor Leonard Guarente, Ph. D., head scientist of Elysium, and a known expert on aging, created Basis, a daily supplement that has been clinically shown to boost and maintain NAD+ levels to fight cellular ageing.

3. ​​Injecting “youthful” stem cells

The hypothalamus plays a role in many daily functions, including digestion and drinking, regulation of body temperature and energy levels, cognition, and stress management.

Stem cell numbers naturally fall as we age, playing an essential role in how we age. Introducing a “new source” of stem cells into human body areas such as the hypothalamus might halt or delay the aging process.

Injecting “youthful” stem cells into the human body can renew existing cells, allowing the body to age more gracefully and even reverse some of the symptoms of aging.

4. CRISPR cas9

CRISPR is a system that uses a protein called cas9 to cut your DNA. CRISPR Cas9 edits genes by accurately cutting DNA, which is then repaired by the body’s mechanisms.CRISPR cas9 edits your genes using a three-step process.

This process includes:

1. Providing the genetic address of which the bad genes are located 😈 🧬
2. Cas9 uses the sequence to find the bad genes 🧭
3. It starts cutting the bad genes found

CRISPR gene editing has been used to significantly improve the health and more than double the longevity of mice designed to have progeria, a genetic disorder that causes premature aging.

What are the next steps?

According to science, a solution for aging is indeed likely and forthcoming.

Much of the above-mentioned approaches to treating or slowing aging have already been clinically tested and will soon be trialled on humans.

However, there are proactive steps that we can all take right away to fight age. The key to staying young is how effectively we take care of our bodies and minds through our activities, lifestyle decisions, and other factors.

I appreciate your reading, and I hope you learnt something 😊. Feel free to connect with me on Linkedin and send me a note if you enjoyed reading this post or have any questions. You can also follow my Medium page and remain updated on all the content I produce!