214 replies to this topic

[Mind]

In case you have not yet heard or read, the Immortality Institute is providing a matching grant for research into laser ablation of lipofuscin.

Read all about it here: http://www.imminst.o...-research-grant]

Listen to Nason Schooler describe the proposed research here (2008), or here (2009)

I am particularly interested to see the results of the worm lifespan studies to confirm whether or not lipofuscin is one of the key pieces of cellular junk affecting the aging process.

The funding drive will continue through August 17th. Please consider saving up a couple dollars to donate to this research project. Donate here:

Use this forum for discussion and/or questions about the proposed research or matching fund.

Edited by caliban, 12 January 2012 - 11:35 PM.

[Mind]

Here is one creative way to support the initiative: bid on a painting of Aubrey De Grey.

This painting was made and almost destroyed. The painting episode is documented in time-lapse video. You never know, it could become quite a rare and valuable piece of art - something created during the nascent years of the war on aging.

[brokenportal]

Ill be donating some to the grant tomorrow probably, maybe monday.


We have been out promoting it a bit. Hopefully a bunch of people send out some emails about this to their contact lists. I wonder what kind of numbers we have in our contact lists as a whole. That would be an interesting factor to know. I have about 500 science, activism, cause, university type contacts in my email.

[bio123]

This sounds quite promising, so why is only one guy working on it?

Btw, isn't Cynthia Kenyon supposed to be the expert on nematodes? Do you guys
know if she's tried anything like this?

And is it lie-poe-fuss-kin or lip-owe-few-shin?

[hamishm00]

it's lie-poe-fuss-kin

[DJS]

Actually no, the second option is closer. lip-owe-few-shin

From merriam dictionary:

lip-ə-ˈfəs-ən, ˌlīp-ō-ˈfyü-sən

I pronounce it līp-ō-ˈfyü-sən, but regardless, the c is silent.

[Inkstersco]

This sounds quite promising, so why is only one guy working on it?

Because it's quicker to fund one man, who can get it done in 2-6 months. And those lasers weren't cheap.


--Iain

Edited by Inkstersco, 28 June 2009 - 04:54 PM.

[DJS]

Btw, isn't Cynthia Kenyon supposed to be the expert on nematodes? Do you guys
know if she's tried anything like this?

No. To my knowledge she hasn't tried anything like this. Her work on nematodes has been focused primarily on tweaking metabolic pathways. If this approach was able to attain LE results like Kenyon's lab, it would be huge.

[Mind]

No. To my knowledge she hasn't tried anything like this. Her work on nematodes has been focused primarily on tweaking metabolic pathways. If this approach was able to attain LE results like Kenyon's lab, it would be huge.

Even if no LE extension results are found in worms, we are likely gain some valuable insight into lipofuscin and its relation to aging. This information will be crucial in directing future research down productive paths.

Download the equipment/funding details of the proposal here (PDF).

[Mind]

Another more technical explanation of what is involved in this research (written by John Schloendorn)

The age pigment lipofuscin accumulates in all nondividing cells in adult
organisms and is thought to be a significant contributor the aging process.
By interfering with the cell's ability to recycle its parts, lipofuscin is
thought to lead to the accumulation of damaged DNA, mitochondria and
proteins. The resulting increases in oxidative damage contribute to an
ongoing decline in cell, tissue and organ system function - eventually
leading to failure of vital organs and death by 'natural' causes.

Since the cell cannot degrade lipofuscin, scientists are searching for ways
to safely destroy this harmful substance. One method that has worked in
other fields is selective photothermal destruction of pigment granules using
pulsed lasers. The laser spot can cover a large portion of tissue, but
since the pigment granules absorb the laser energy much more efficiently,
only the pigment-containing cells are destroyed. In Dermatology, this
technique is used to remove everything from tattoos to lipofuscin-loaded age
spots. In Ophthalmology, lipofuscin-loaded dysfunctional RPE cells are also
selectively destroyed by pulsed lasers, letting new RPE cells repopulate the
tissue; thus curing age-related macular degeneration via a repeatable
method.

Near-infrared lasers are used to penetrate deeply beneath the skin surface
for laser hair removal and tattoo removal, and the limits of practical
penetration depths have not been fully explored, although effective
treatment is known to be possible to a depth of 2 to 3 centimeters. By
optimizing parameters for deep tissue penetration, and by using established
fiber optic deep tissue delivery techniques, all tissues can effectively be
reached by the laser. Furthermore, there is some indication that judicious
choice of pulse parameters can minimize cell destruction, while still
achieving pigment degradation.

Put together, these factors all point to the use of near-infrared pulsed
lasers as an effective lipofuscin-clearing technique that could quite
possibly have profound rejuvenating effects. Add to this the fact that such
treatments would be indefinitely repeatable, and you have and area
definitely worthy of scientific inquiry.

We seek to begin our exploration of the anti-aging potential of this
technique by doing lifespan experiments with the nematode worm
Caenorhabditis Elegans - a traditional aging research model organism with a
lifespan of 15-20 days. Using various pulsed laser treatments, we will
investigate the effects on worm lifespan in an attempt to find optimal
treatment parameters. Human cell culture models will also be used to
investigate the dynamics of lipofuscin destruction microscopically in actual
human cells.

Together these initial experiments will pave the way to understanding the
potential for using this technique as a component of a future human life extension regime.

[brokenportal]

Of course, as we all know, this probably wont work, but it very well could. It could create the kind of results that will catapult this cause forward in incredible ways. It could be that kind of small break through that the mouse prize is working to create so that the cause will be picked up in world headlines and be forced on to the platforms of politicians by demand, and things like that. It could even create extensive increased longevity with just this.

Fund this, sacrifice for this. Soldiers go out and take bullets to the arm, bullets to the head, their buddies go down, lives back home on hold indefinitely, many times forever, all in the name of things like democracy or to fight human rights violations. Those are good causes, but this cause is way way bigger than those. If they can take bullets to the head and the like for those, then we can give even more than that. Turn your life over to this cause. Donate to this fund and all the funds ahead of us.

Edited by brokenportal, 02 July 2009 - 06:09 PM.
reword opening sentence

[Inkstersco]

Like people have said before, this probably wont

Won't what? Work? Well?

--Inkstersco

[Inkstersco]

Actually no, the second option is closer. lip-owe-few-shin

From merriam dictionary:

lip-ə-ˈfəs-ən, ˌlīp-ō-ˈfyü-sən

I pronounce it līp-ō-ˈfyü-sən, but regardless, the c is silent.

Philosophically and pedantically speaking ,the C is not silent, but its sound is camouflaged because it comes before I and is therefore an 's' sound, but is preceded by another 's' sound from the S itself.

--Inkstersco

[DJS]

Actually no, the second option is closer. lip-owe-few-shin

From merriam dictionary:

lip-ə-ˈfəs-ən, ˌlīp-ō-ˈfyü-sən

I pronounce it līp-ō-ˈfyü-sən, but regardless, the c is silent.

Philosophically and pedantically speaking ,the C is not silent, but its sound is camouflaged because it comes before I and is therefore an 's' sound, but is preceded by another 's' sound from the S itself.

--Inkstersco

Are you joking or serious?

[DJS]

Fund this, sacrifice for this. Soldiers go out and take bullets to the arm, bullets to the head, their buddies go down, lives back home on hold indefinitely, many times forever, all in the name of things like democracy or to fight human rights violations. Those are good causes, but this cause is way way bigger than those. If they can take bullets to the head and the like for those, then we can give even more than that. Turn your life over to this cause. Donate to this fund and all the funds ahead of us.

Sorry, but I feel the need to publicly distance myself from these types of statements. It's overly dramatic and smacks of cultism. Individuals don't need to "turn their lives over to (Jesus!) a cause" in order to make substantial contributions. Furthermore, potential donors should be asked, not commanded to donate.

[Mind]

Ah yes, Brokenportal gets a little wound-up sometimes.

Also, a good related paper on lysosomes, iron metabolism, aging, and apoptosis.

[Mind]

We are off to a good start - but still a long way to go. A little over $2,000 raised so far. Thanks to everyone who has donated thus far. Every dollar makes a difference.

[Mind]

I have been informed that the correct terminology for this type of engineering approach to destroying lipofuscin is Selective Photothermolysis - learn something new everyday. I wonder if Photothermolysis is a subset of the field of Photobiomodulation. Physicists and biotechnologists feel free to chime in.

[Mind]

Just in case you think "lasers and anti-aging" sound a little far-fetched, take a look at this recent clinical test for a laser treatment of macular degeneration. Certainly a different mechanism at work here but lasers and other photo techniques have been very useful in other clinical applications in recent years.

[Mind]

I put the total donations thus far in the first post. We still have a long way to go.

[Florin]

In addition to the other methods ImmInst is employing to promote this project, how about putting up a donation progress bar along with a "Donate Now" button at the top every ImmInst page like Wikipedia does when it has a fund drive?

[Mints]

Wow, just $16,000? Seems like a slim amount compared to some of the completely useless research projects people like to throw money at. Too bad we can't get some of that government funding flowing in, else ImmInst would be making unheard of strides in research.

I feel slightly guilty, not being able to spare some cash myself due to university financial issues, but thanks to everyone who has chipped in from the bottom of my heart. Any contribution to any field that benefits life extension is worth emotional thanks.

Also, correct me if I'm wrong but this could also make serious strides in the fields of curing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, as the same materials would be in those cells that break down as the neurons in the Central Nervous System do not divide if I recall correctly. This seems very interesting to me, even though I admit I'm using some fairly loose logic here. (I'm definitely not a neurobiologist. Again, correct me if I'm mistaken.)

Also if I'm not mistaken this can deal with many types of other pigmented materials such as liver spots and such. Not only does it have applications in anti-aging but I would assume in cosmetic surgery as well. Tell your friends.

Edit: Also, reading through his outline, I notice that melanosomes are what are targeted. These are organelles in cells that contain melanin, which is skin pigment. This would, conceivably, lead to anyone coming out of a bodily treatment of this pale as a ghost. Think Michael Jackson after the treatment of his Vitiligo. (I cringe as I reference this, as I fear it may be too soon to reference him even in a scientific sense. He will be missed both as a singer and a philanthropist.)

Edited by Mints, 12 July 2009 - 06:09 AM.

[b0gger]

In addition to the other methods ImmInst is employing to promote this project, how about putting up a donation progress bar along with a "Donate Now" button at the top every ImmInst page like Wikipedia does when it has a fund drive?

I totally offered that to brokenportal, they must be experimenting some technological differences.

[Mind]

One month done and one to go. Only a little over 25% collected thus far.

To me, on the surface, this would seem to be the perfect opportunity for grassroots support of specific life extension research. Give this project to a government or university lab and the costs would easily be an order of magnitude higher. Here we have an opportunity to fund a researcher on a tiny budget and potentially find out something very important about the aging process.

Yet

Not too many donations thus far. The fact that the economy is in the tank doesn't help, however, it only takes a few dollars a piece from a large crowd to add up to $8,000. It should be a piece of cake to raise that money. Please consider setting aside a couple dollars per week for the next 4 weeks and then make a donation to this grant.

So far the grant has been promoted here, at the SENSF website, and at Longevity meme. A handful of us have used our personal facebook and twitter accounts to mention the grant. DJS has started contacting some groups of people who share similar goals as Imminst.

If you have any ideas for promoting the grant, please share. This is important! Also, if you do not have any spare money to donate, PLEASE blog about the grant, twitter, digg, twine, mention in your facebook status, whatever. This is just as important as donating money.

[Florin]

If you have any ideas for promoting the grant, please share.

b0gger and myself already mentioned a potentially high-impact, zero-cost way that Imminst can use to promote this grant, but nothing has been done about it. Not good.

[Mind]

Thanks for the reminder again Florin Clapa. We do have the Laser Research link at the top of every forum page, it is in the staff picks and the recommended link as well, so that is a start. It could be more visible though. I'll see what we can do. Included in the text I could put the progress amount as well. Another thing I could do is use the banner space in forums that are not currently sponsored to promote the funding drive. The banners are highly visible.

The banner is the best I can do. Anything more elaborate and we would need someone with more programming experience.

[Florin]

Thanks for the reminder again Florin Clapa. We do have the Laser Research link at the top of every forum page, it is in the staff picks and the recommended link as well, so that is a start. It could be more visible though. I'll see what we can do. Included in the text I could put the progress amount as well. Another thing I could do is use the banner space in forums that are not currently sponsored to promote the funding drive. The banners are highly visible.

The banner is the best I can do. Anything more elaborate and we would need someone with more programming experience.

There's one area where the grant ad could be placed for maximum visibility—above the above the "ImmInst.org" logo header on Imminst's main website and in the forum. If this isn't possible, the grant ad could be temporarily incorporated into the "ImmInst.org" logo or sit next to the "ImmInst.org" logo as a separate image in both sections of the website.

[Mind]

Updated total=$2488.96

[Mind]

Up to $2,699.15 with about 3 weeks to go. We took in several small donations over the last week. Nice to see broad support, however, we still need much more. Please share any ideas for promoting this funding drive. Also, remember to save up a dollar or two per week in order to donate before the August 17th deadline.

[Florin]

Please share any ideas for promoting this funding drive.

I'm just going to repeat my ideas in a more schematic form:

[grant ad] beside [ImmInst.org header] OR

[grant ad in ImmInst.org header] OR

[grant ad] above
[ImmInst.org header]