There is a vast amount of anti-aging hype out there. Some of this involves stem cell-related approaches. In posts in this category Professor Paul Knoepfler fact-checks the hype, focusing on data.
I’ve been following Altos Labs since its inception. The institution has intriguing, ambitious goals. For that reason, it’s been interesting that in terms of news on Altos, things have been relatively quiet for the last 4+ years. Some big changes have happened recently though. Altos Labs is high on talent, but nicely low-key on PR […]
It seems like some multibillionaires either want to live forever or make more money by investing in longevity firms, or both, and that rings true again with Sam Altman’s $100M-plus bet on Retro Bio. Before we get to that, I wanted to mention that Tracy Hoeg, a top aide to Marty Makary, has been named
Weekly reads: Sam Altman Retro Bio anti-aging, skin organoids, more FDA turmoil Read More »
I find it frustrating when longevity influencers claim that aging clocks show they have substantially de-aged themselves. Often by years. A tweet might be: “I ate nothing tasty for a year (or I took this expensive supplement) and now aging clocks show I’m 5 years younger.” Of course, sometimes those making such health flexing statements
Readers of The Niche know that I lean skeptical about many of the statements from some corners of the longevity or anti-aging field. The Niche has covered research about senolytics, questionable stem cell efforts at longevity (unproven stem cells, etc.), in vivo reprogramming, and more. It’s a gemish of interesting data, hype, and many things
Savage AI poem on extreme longevity efforts Read More »
What if there was a rejuvenation gene that made adult cells younger without turning them into potentially destructive embryonic, fetal, or tumor cells? It could be transformative for how we think about cellular aging and have many impacts on health. A new preprint posted on June 6th reports on a possible rejuvenation gene. The gene
Longevity research is a growing part of the overall regenerative medicine field. Rewinding, when I first started blogging here on The Niche in 2010, longevity was more of a fringe field. In just 15 years, it has become a generally legit area, even if one often filled with hype. It has its share of scammers
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
Weekly reads: Topol on longevity biz, Peter Marks out at FDA, timeless NIH grant advice Read More »
When I think of so-called aging supplements, visions of snake oil dance in my head. Possible benefits of supplements more generally have mostly not held up to long-term research. Supplements have risks too and so do purported longevity supplements. These pills claiming to fight aging are more in the realm of stem cell supplements that
Weekly reads: Altos Labs aging supplements pub, destructive NIH cuts, FDA warning, HSCs Read More »
Professor Charles Brenner of City of Hope does great research, but I also applaud his efforts against longevity hype. Recently, Brenner and James Timmons publicly questioned some of the work of Harvard Professor David Sinclair. It’s a notable case of academics intensely disagreeing in the public space. Background While it’s interesting, it’s also a somewhat
Perspectives as Charles Brenner challenges David Sinclair on longevity claims Read More »
I’ve written before about concerns related to longevity research hype from Harvard professor David Sinclair. The media often eats up statements about longevity from Sinclair and a few other scientists in that space. There is also endless coverage of the latest exploits of wealthy health influencer Bryan Johnson. For that reason it was refreshing to
Refreshing WSJ piece on longevity ‘guru’ David Sinclair Read More »