Weekly reads: Topol on longevity biz, Peter Marks out at FDA, timeless NIH grant advice

Most of us want longevity, especially if our quality of life remains generally solid as we age. The combination of length and quality of life is sometimes called “healthspan.” How do we get the maximum health span?

Easier said than done. Not all of the obstacles are biological either.

Unfortunately, accompanying all the legitimate research in the longevity space, there is a vast array of hype and misinformation. This can lead people to erroneous decision making.

So it is especially helpful when a medical expert who approaches things very logically, like Eric Topol, takes a careful look at longevity.

Peter Marks ousted from FDA, refers to RFK Jr. “Lies”.

We’ll start there, but first I have to mention this: RFK Jr. has forced out CBER Director Peter Marks at the FDA. I’ve got a new column over at Lab Dish with my thoughts on Kennedy ousting Marks. This departure is bad news for biotech and America in general. Marks’ resignation letter is startling referring to lies and more.

Okay, on to longevity and other recommended reads.

Logic and chaos in the longevity arena

The Business of Promoting Longevity and Healthspan, Ground Truth by Eric Topol. Eric’s post on the longevity space is worth checking out. He’s also got a new book coming out this May, Super Agers.

I wonder how a live discussion between Topol and anti-aging enthusiast Bryan Johnson would go. This came to mind because of this recent article: How Bryan Johnson, Who Wants to Live Forever, Sought Control via Confidentiality Agreements, NYT. 

I’m less interested in the confidentiality agreements than other details in the article.

For example, this start to his day doesn’t sound too pleasant, “After tracking his sleep, he would wake up early to conduct audio therapy and hair therapy, do an hour of exercise and take 54 different pills with a drink called “the green giant,” he said.”

The exercise seems okay. What are audio and hair therapy? All those pills and some odd drink?

Then this so-common health flexing claim of de-aging comes up, “He added that his health regimen had “reversed my biological age 5.1 years.”  No, tests of biological age are not yet up to the task of producing accurate results like that for a person’s overall state. We scientists might especially question the two significant digits.

There’s mention of a pay-for-play clinical trial, where many participants also had adverse events after following a particular regimen. Readers of The Niche know how I feel about pay-for-play trials.

Finding (a longevity) religion

Finally, per the NYT piece, now he’s got a “Don’t Die” religion. In a way, that doesn’t surprise me as elements of Don’t Die have seemed to me to be more about hope and faith than biomedical science.

You can read more about my skepticism about Bryan Johnson’s claims.

More recommended reads

• Japanese scientists use stem cell treatment to restore movement in spinal injury, Medical Xpress.  Nature also covered this. Paralysed man stands again after receiving ‘reprogrammed’ stem cells, Nature News. This news seems genuinely exciting even if early days. Let’s see how additional data look.
• University of California orders hiring freeze, cuts in response to Trump threats, Los Angeles Times. As a professor at UC Davis, it’s so sad to see this hiring freeze. This step, sparked by the federal government, along with other factors across the country could lead to a lost generation of young scientists.
• Chaos and Confusion’ at the Crown Jewel of American Science, NYT. DOGE is making NIH suffer but all Americans will feel the repercussions.

Blast from the past: advice from inside NIH on grant funding, insights on the system

Interview with NIGMS Director, Jeremy Berg, part 1: grant advice, meritocracy. This interview I did with Berg thirteen years ago is like lightning in a bottle. There’s some cool history there, but most of it is quite relevant today.