A Long Way From a Drop of Lanoline.Why is skincare the focus of longevity research? I guess a cell is a cell, and if you can crack the code for one human cell, it is only a matter of time to solving the puzzle with different types of cell - and skin is without doubt the most visible cells each of us have.And it's our faces in particular we often judge ourselves and others by, and we are in turn quickly scrutinized, and often opinions reached in a fraction of a second.Our faces often show the most visible signs of aging, and for many in modern society age is by nature "bad" and young or looking young is the ideal.That is why billions and billions of dollars each year are poured by consumers into all sorts of treatments to minimize wrinkles, to push back the effects of gravity, and to turn back the hands of time.And with that much money to be spent by consumers, there are many manufacturers eager to find the next step in arresting Father Time - and at least detaining him until the next stagecoach arrives, where hopefully he can be encouraged to move on before too much damage can be done.The Entire Issue Explained - In A Pair of Shoelaces.Some time ago a friend gave me a simple analogy that puts this entire issue in perspective.The science may not win a Nobel Prize, but it gave me the necessary ah-ha moment.The double helix of the DNA strand - our most basic foundation for life - is held together at each end by things that act in the same way as the hard plastic bits on the end of shoelaces do - preventing the DNA from unraveling, and the individual chromosomes scattering across the floor like dropping a string of pearls down a marble staircase.These things are called telomeres.Somewhere programmed into these tiny telomeres is the entire basis to how long the DNA stays intact - and by inference these are the keys to the length of life of the organism.Somewhere written into the telomere is a great musical score but like all musical scores it has a double bar somewhere to signify the end; but is it to be a minuet or a Wagnerian epic? But sure enough, when the time comes, and the telomeres blow the full time whistle, the DNA strand will unravel and die - and the circle of life begins again.Telomeres govern how often our skin cells are replaced; why a puppy and a child born on the same date may age exactly the same chronologically, but the puppy has become a geriatric before the child reaches puberty.Telomeres, my friend explained, occasionally go on the fritz (that must have a very specific scientific meaning).One of the ways this occurs is they may forget their programming to release and unravel, and they just hang on, allowing the cells thus affected to multiply again and again without dying.In fact, when this occurs often they become very difficult to kill and to all intents and purposes once the telomeres act in this way, the cell - and those it propagates - are effectively immortal.This condition has a name which we all know.Cancer.But, what if we were able in some way to persuade the telomeres within a cancer to behave normally - would that not be the "magic bullet" cure for cancer? And the other side to that equation - if the telomeres in healthy cells could be persuaded to act as they do in a cancer - then is this the recipe for a healthy cell that does not die? Does the cure for cancer and immortality hang on just this one thread?Whatever your views may be, the reality is that some of the world's finest research scientists are working on that exact question and some would say it is only a matter of a decade or two before this is neither conjecture nor science fiction, but a reality to face up to.The changes that would take place in society even if life expectancy were to take a leap forward by say 10 or 20 years are enormous, but we should all be thinking that this is a distinct possibility.From the dab of lanoline a generation ago to what I know hold in my hand as an anti aging skincare treatment is more than just a revolution - and I have no doubt in a few years I will be saying this cream will not just slow the aging process and reduce the visible signs of aging, making your face appear younger - but it will actually be younger.But before that, let's look back at how this whole engagement with life extension and anti-aging started.Mankind has always striven for longevity and mused about immortality - but the past 50 years has seen some dramatic steps in reality toward this goal.Genesis.The thought of extending life has been on the mind of mankind for millennia.References to the search for ways to prolong life can be found as far back as the Epic of Gilgamesh.Gilgamesh was reputedly the fifth king of the kingdom of Uruk, the modern-day Iraq, around 2500 BC.According to the Sumerian list of kings, he reigned for 126 years.The Torah or Old Testament records Methuselah as living over 900 years, with life spans measured in centuries apparently commonplace before the time of Noah.Throughout the development of scientific thought from the Reformation onwards, scholars have applied themselves to solving this riddle and these endeavors continue today at the very leading edge of scientific progress.Unraveling Secrets.As the secrets of our existence are unraveled in ever more minute detail, we are beginning to understand what it is that makes us grow from tiny babies into adults.We now know, for example, that cell functions slow down as the body ages and that production of certain substances required by the body to regenerate decrease or cease completely.Skin, for instance, needs two substances to retain strength and firmness.The production of these substances namely collagen (strength, tightness) and elastin (flexibility) decreases with age.The decreases in production together with other factors that include the threat of free radicals make the skin age and become wrinkly.Free radicals are essentially incomplete oxygen molecules causing destructive chain reactions within cells.The same kind of thing happens in every cell, every tissue and organ around the human body.For example, people develop frown lines, crow's feet and wrinkles.Nutrients are no longer absorbed easily and vital cell functions, hormones and other substances are produced at decreased rates resulting in the body aging.A Brief History of the Life Extension Movement.Science has been looking for ways to slow down this process for centuries.The forming of life extension movements, however, did not really begin until around 1970.In this year, Denham Harman, the originator of the so-called 'free radical theory of aging', decided that an organization dedicated to the research and information sharing between scientists working in biogerontology (the field of science concerned with the biological aspects involved in the aging process) was needed.As a result, the American Aging Association was formed.In 1976, two futurists, Philip Gordon and Joel Kurtzman wrote a book on the research into extending the human lifespan.This popular volume was titled 'No More Dying.The Conquest Of Aging And The Extension Of Human Life'.Kurtzman was then invited to speak at Florida's House Select Committee (HSC) of Aging, which was chaired by Claude Pepper, an American politician and spokesman for the elderly.The aim of this talk was to discuss the impact on Social Security by life extension.In 1980, Saul Kent, a prominent activist in the field of life extension, published the book 'The Life Extension Revolution' and founded the nutraceutical (from 'nutrition' and 'pharmaceutical', in other words, a nutrition supplement) firm known as 'The Life Extension Foundation'.This foundation is a non-profit making organization promoting dietary supplements and publishing the periodical 'Life Extension Magazine'.Kent was later involved in work relating to cryogenics.He was jailed in the course of this work over a dispute at one point, although charges were dropped at a later stage.In 1982, American health writer and life extension advocate Sandy Shaw and her co-writer, Durk Pearson, popularized the term 'life extension' even further with the bestseller 'Life Extension. A Practical Scientific Approach'.Roy Walford, a gerontologist and life-extensionist, published 'Maximum Lifespan', another popular book on the subject.He and Richard Weindruch, his student, followed this up in 1988 with their summary on the research they had conducted into the ability to prolong the life of rodents through calorie restriction.The title of this book is 'The Retardation of Aging and Disease by Dietary Restriction'.Although this ability to extend life with calorie restriction had been known since the 1930's, when gerontologist, biochemist and nutritionist Clive McCay did some research into the subject, it was the work of Walford and Weinbruch that gave solid scientific grounding to the McCay's findings.Walford's scientific work was driven by a personal interest in life extension.He practiced calorie restriction as part of his own life and eventually died at the age of 80.The cause of his death was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive motor neuron disease.A4M, the 'American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine' was founded in 1992 to create a medical specialty for anti aging that was distinctly separate from geriatrics.This allowed scientists and physicians interested in this particular field of science to hold conferences and discuss the latest developments.The sci.Life-extension, a Usenet group, was created by California-born author, philosopher and translator Brian M.Delaney.This represented an important development within the movement of life extension.It made it possible, for example, for the CR (Calorie Restriction) Society to be created.A more recent development is the proposal of Dr A.De Grey, a biogerontologist at Cambridge University.This proposal suggested that damage to cells, macromolecules, organs and tissues can be repaired with the help of advanced biotechnology.This is evident in hair restoration products, for instance.More than Books.Although it would appear that most of the work revolving around life extension has been done solely by writing books or founding societies or organizations of some kind or another, the reality is that these books were written in response to or based on very specific, detailed scientific research that have yielded positive results.They are no longer the works of hopeful minds, but the works of dedicated scientists who have spent their lives working on discovering facts about aging and trying to find ways to slow down, or even reverse the process.Many breakthroughs have been made, and in many ways, we are already able to extend lives to a certain extent.The average lifespan of a human being is already far greater than it used to be as a result of medical, pharmaceutical and nutritional advances brought about by research and development.The work continues, and scientists around the world are continually conducting research, comparing results, discussing options and making advances on our behalf.Driving Forces behind the Development of the Life Extension Movement.What factors are driving this movement into ever greater efforts to find solutions to the extension of Life? The answer to this question actually includes a whole range of factors.Expectations Have Risen.As the 'baby boomer' generation (born between 1946-1964) enters retirement age, expectations of this group are dramatically different from those of the preceding generations.They have greater expectations and desires to enjoy their life as pensioners to the fullest and for as long as is possible.This expectation covers not only length of life, but quality of life as well and this is not a passive request but an active and strident demand in many cases.Pharmacology.Progress in pharmacology has led to a wide selection of drugs that allow people to live longer and fuller lives being developed over the last two decades or so.The work is still very much in progress and many more drugs are being developed daily.One of the classic examples of a drug raising the quality of life for older individuals are erectile dysfunction treatments - notably Viagra, Cialis and Levitra.These drugs have dramatically reduced the number of fatalities or serious injury resulting from elderly men rolling out of bed, as well as a number of more qualitative benefits.Advances in Genetics.Some of the latest scientific research and subsequent advances made in biotechnology and genetics are providing some hope that it may be possible to hold back some of the fundamental causes of aging.As we outlined previously, chromosomes containing DNA strings are essentially capped with a binding substance known as telomeres.In effect, the telomeres are consumed during cell division and over time, they become shorter and shorter.This was first observed by a scientist called Leonard Hayflick, and the process of limited cell division was subsequently named the Hayflick Limit.Advocates of life extension work on the thought that lengthening the telomeres through drugs or gene therapy may ultimately extend the Hayflick Limit and thereby fool the cells, and as such the body, into 'thinking' it is younger than it actually is.Developments in Precision Manufacture.Advances made in the fields of nanotechnology, miniaturization, computer chips and robotics also provide hope for potentially life extending solutions.In the 1970's, a popular TV series starred Lee Majors as the 'Six Million Dollar Man'? Science fiction then.Today, it is science fact.Millions of people now walk through life with artificial ankle, knee and hip joints and healthy feet.A generation ago, mass production of this kind of technology was a distant dream.The same applies to many individuals with artificial limbs.Artificial legs used to be crude wooden contraptions that were just able to keep a person balanced.Today's artificial limbs are almost fully functional.The Blessings of Medical Progress.Who would have thought even 50 years ago that it would become possible to bypass a coronary artery, or even replace a heart completely? Yet there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of individuals enjoying their lives after having this kind of surgery - few of whom would be alive just half a century ago.Millions of people no longer have to wear glasses, because of the availability of laser surgery.This, too, was science fiction just a few years ago.Today, it is advertised next to shampoo in magazines and on TV.In other words, science is moving rapidly towards not only extending life, but making the quality of these extra years better as well.Is it Science, Science Fiction or Lunacy?What should the average person believe? This question is almost as difficult to answer as finding solutions to extended life.Even among scientists, opinions are divided.Some do believe that extending the quality of life is as possible as extending life in general.Others brush off the thought as un-scientific nonsense.This is often simply based on the fear of anything 'new' disturbing the status quo of established limits.Fortunately, real scientists do keep on looking, because if every single scientist had decided that some of the advancements already in medical, pharmaceutical and technological fields could not be possible, we would all still be dying at 30.So where does that leave us?There is no doubt what-so-ever that there are many charlatans out there trying to make a quick buck out of people's desire to retain their youth.Even today, many products being sold in their millions are essentially non-effective - often given fantastic names and have the most bewildering ingredients to make them look scientific to consumers and justify their cost.But the facts are while many advancements are being made and research points to the possibility of eventually finding the key to maintaining youth for longer, the scientific community is still warning the public that many of the products being sold today are unreliable to say the least.Although food supplements may assist in keeping a body healthier - something that can often be achieved by simply adopting a healthier life style and diet - there is as yet no categorical and undeniable proof that they slow down aging as such.The same goes for many hormone treatments.Although they may have a short term effect of some kind, it is not yet scientifically proven that they will actually work in the long run.The fear that it may not work is based on the fact that taking hormones, a good example is the hormonal acne treatment, will ultimately actually slow down the body's own production of these hormones.In addition, many treatments may have potential (and yet unknown) side effects in the long run that could be harmful to the user's health.This includes the fears that such hormone treatments could increase the risk of cancer, diabetes and other major illnesses.Other ideas, like the calorie restriction method, are working for rodents.In fact, studies conducted with rats on 30 to 50 per cent restricted diets have shown to almost double the life span of rats.Similar studies conducted on primates have also shown tendency to extend life to a certain extent and prevent a list of age related illnesses.There are as yet no studies on humans, although some are actually living on calorie restricted diets.Whether this will prolong their lives, however, is a question of having to wait and see.The theory is that by reducing calorie intake, the metabolism of the body is slowed down, thereby slowing the aging process as well.Nutritionists say there is a certain amount of calories a body of a certain size and weight needs to have to maintain health.Reducing this amount by up to 50 per cent is hardly a good idea in the long term.Time will tell, as they say, but how will anyone be able to tell the difference? If a person lives to the age of 80, is this because they are on this diet or would they have lived to this age anyway?Where Will This Lead?Many believe there is realistic hope and expectation of making significant strides in the area of longevity within the next two decades.This group typically believes the answer will ultimately lie within genetics and biotechnology.It is too early to make definite predictions, but the research so far shows promise and, as mentioned earlier, some of the results of this research are already being used in certain treatments to improve patients' lives.At present, overall aging is difficult to slow down, to say the least.Some products indicate they will assist in maintaining overall health/longevity, but the area we are seeing the first commercial products being developed is in the area of skin care and given the size of this market, it is likely that this will continue to be the weather-vane of longevity treatments.Science or Snake Oil?It will be difficult to tell these two apart for many years.Charlatans are likely to about, because it is difficult to disprove many theories easily.Equally difficult will be positive proof from those with an ethical perspective on the trail of a real breakthrough, as products based on valid research and using technology or ingredients that will actually have an effect rarely promise overnight results.This is something that anyone looking to find improved youthful looks, etc, will have to bear in mind.None of these products can perform miracles.Even the best of them will take time and regular use in order to achieve the desired effect.The bottom line is that where we stand now, we can be sure there are some things which are ineffective or even harmful; there are some that show some promise and there are some that are starting to cross the line of being able to demonstrate results - albeit modestly at this point.In the meantime, it is wise to research products very carefully and to refuse to be baffled by weird and wonderful sounding ingredients or fantastic sounding promises of instant youth.Regeneration will take time - let's face it, it has taken a lifetime to get to this point, turning back the clock can never be possible over night.Skin Care and the Life Extension Movement.One may well ask just what all this, and in particular the life extension movement as such, could possibly have to do with skin care, health and beauty products.The fact is, much of the research into life extension is resulting in new approaches to skin care as a kind of by-product.A greater understanding of how genetics and cellular processes affect the aging and condition of skin allows these research and development teams to investigate different compounds, their compatibility with human cells and genetic make up.Many compounds found in nature are not just compatible to human skin but in fact the skin cells actually have natural receptors for these compounds.Because life extension research has discovered these receptors, skin care developers can now use this knowledge and create the formulae for their products to provide maximum effect.Another skin care 'by-product' of life extension research is the use of nanotechnology.The use of nanotechnology, or, to be more precise, nanoparticles, has had a huge impact on the way nutrients and other components of skin care products are being delivered to the skin cells.In some ways, nanotechnology has already revolutionized skin care.It is now possible to use active ingredients previously difficult to effectively deliver to the skin, as well as making old, proven ingredients even more effective.Some ingredients used in cosmetics for hundreds, if not thousands of years by certain cultures can now be even more effectively used to improve skin condition and maintain a healthy, youthful look.Even the moisturizing effect of skin care products can be improved with nantechnology.For this effect, so-called nanosomes are used.Nanosomes are small, pocket-like particles that melt or disintegrate on skin contact.By doing this, the moisturising effect is accelerated, assisting the skin faster and more efficiently.Nanotechnology plays a key part not only in slowing the aging of skin, but is believed to actively assist in repairing and healing skin cells and tissue.Another breakthrough in life extension research that is beginning to make itself felt in skin care products is the research into stem cells.Stem cells are elements of all life, plant, animal and human.Stem cells have two properties other cells do not have.These properties are the ability to develop into any kind of cell type and the ability to divide almost indefinitely.The use of plant stem cell extracts in skin care is likely to become one of the next 'big things' in the industry.And prepare for the debate when human stem cells are proposed as part of an anti-aging skincare regime, as will inevitably occur!One thing we can be certain of, is that science will continue to search for answers to the question of life extension, and business will drive the commercialization of discoveries.But whether these lead us to a utopian future or potentially a minefield of strife as we debate who will use and who will benefit from these new godlike powers.In the meantime, at a practical level in the skincare, health and beauty industry we remain hopeful and expectant we will see the emergence of products that not only promise results, but produce them.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Life Extension: The Modern Anti-Aging Movement - Are We Standing at the Threshold of Immortality?
A Long Way From a Drop of Lanoline.Why is skincare the focus of longevity research? I guess a cell is a cell, and if you can crack the code for one human cell, it is only a matter of time to solving the puzzle with different types of cell - and skin is without doubt the most visible cells each of us have.And it's our faces in particular we often judge ourselves and others by, and we are in turn quickly scrutinized, and often opinions reached in a fraction of a second.Our faces often show the most visible signs of aging, and for many in modern society age is by nature "bad" and young or looking young is the ideal.That is why billions and billions of dollars each year are poured by consumers into all sorts of treatments to minimize wrinkles, to push back the effects of gravity, and to turn back the hands of time.And with that much money to be spent by consumers, there are many manufacturers eager to find the next step in arresting Father Time - and at least detaining him until the next stagecoach arrives, where hopefully he can be encouraged to move on before too much damage can be done.The Entire Issue Explained - In A Pair of Shoelaces.Some time ago a friend gave me a simple analogy that puts this entire issue in perspective.The science may not win a Nobel Prize, but it gave me the necessary ah-ha moment.The double helix of the DNA strand - our most basic foundation for life - is held together at each end by things that act in the same way as the hard plastic bits on the end of shoelaces do - preventing the DNA from unraveling, and the individual chromosomes scattering across the floor like dropping a string of pearls down a marble staircase.These things are called telomeres.Somewhere programmed into these tiny telomeres is the entire basis to how long the DNA stays intact - and by inference these are the keys to the length of life of the organism.Somewhere written into the telomere is a great musical score but like all musical scores it has a double bar somewhere to signify the end; but is it to be a minuet or a Wagnerian epic? But sure enough, when the time comes, and the telomeres blow the full time whistle, the DNA strand will unravel and die - and the circle of life begins again.Telomeres govern how often our skin cells are replaced; why a puppy and a child born on the same date may age exactly the same chronologically, but the puppy has become a geriatric before the child reaches puberty.Telomeres, my friend explained, occasionally go on the fritz (that must have a very specific scientific meaning).One of the ways this occurs is they may forget their programming to release and unravel, and they just hang on, allowing the cells thus affected to multiply again and again without dying.In fact, when this occurs often they become very difficult to kill and to all intents and purposes once the telomeres act in this way, the cell - and those it propagates - are effectively immortal.This condition has a name which we all know.Cancer.But, what if we were able in some way to persuade the telomeres within a cancer to behave normally - would that not be the "magic bullet" cure for cancer? And the other side to that equation - if the telomeres in healthy cells could be persuaded to act as they do in a cancer - then is this the recipe for a healthy cell that does not die? Does the cure for cancer and immortality hang on just this one thread?Whatever your views may be, the reality is that some of the world's finest research scientists are working on that exact question and some would say it is only a matter of a decade or two before this is neither conjecture nor science fiction, but a reality to face up to.The changes that would take place in society even if life expectancy were to take a leap forward by say 10 or 20 years are enormous, but we should all be thinking that this is a distinct possibility.From the dab of lanoline a generation ago to what I know hold in my hand as an anti aging skincare treatment is more than just a revolution - and I have no doubt in a few years I will be saying this cream will not just slow the aging process and reduce the visible signs of aging, making your face appear younger - but it will actually be younger.But before that, let's look back at how this whole engagement with life extension and anti-aging started.Mankind has always striven for longevity and mused about immortality - but the past 50 years has seen some dramatic steps in reality toward this goal.Genesis.The thought of extending life has been on the mind of mankind for millennia.References to the search for ways to prolong life can be found as far back as the Epic of Gilgamesh.Gilgamesh was reputedly the fifth king of the kingdom of Uruk, the modern-day Iraq, around 2500 BC.According to the Sumerian list of kings, he reigned for 126 years.The Torah or Old Testament records Methuselah as living over 900 years, with life spans measured in centuries apparently commonplace before the time of Noah.Throughout the development of scientific thought from the Reformation onwards, scholars have applied themselves to solving this riddle and these endeavors continue today at the very leading edge of scientific progress.Unraveling Secrets.As the secrets of our existence are unraveled in ever more minute detail, we are beginning to understand what it is that makes us grow from tiny babies into adults.We now know, for example, that cell functions slow down as the body ages and that production of certain substances required by the body to regenerate decrease or cease completely.Skin, for instance, needs two substances to retain strength and firmness.The production of these substances namely collagen (strength, tightness) and elastin (flexibility) decreases with age.The decreases in production together with other factors that include the threat of free radicals make the skin age and become wrinkly.Free radicals are essentially incomplete oxygen molecules causing destructive chain reactions within cells.The same kind of thing happens in every cell, every tissue and organ around the human body.For example, people develop frown lines, crow's feet and wrinkles.Nutrients are no longer absorbed easily and vital cell functions, hormones and other substances are produced at decreased rates resulting in the body aging.A Brief History of the Life Extension Movement.Science has been looking for ways to slow down this process for centuries.The forming of life extension movements, however, did not really begin until around 1970.In this year, Denham Harman, the originator of the so-called 'free radical theory of aging', decided that an organization dedicated to the research and information sharing between scientists working in biogerontology (the field of science concerned with the biological aspects involved in the aging process) was needed.As a result, the American Aging Association was formed.In 1976, two futurists, Philip Gordon and Joel Kurtzman wrote a book on the research into extending the human lifespan.This popular volume was titled 'No More Dying.The Conquest Of Aging And The Extension Of Human Life'.Kurtzman was then invited to speak at Florida's House Select Committee (HSC) of Aging, which was chaired by Claude Pepper, an American politician and spokesman for the elderly.The aim of this talk was to discuss the impact on Social Security by life extension.In 1980, Saul Kent, a prominent activist in the field of life extension, published the book 'The Life Extension Revolution' and founded the nutraceutical (from 'nutrition' and 'pharmaceutical', in other words, a nutrition supplement) firm known as 'The Life Extension Foundation'.This foundation is a non-profit making organization promoting dietary supplements and publishing the periodical 'Life Extension Magazine'.Kent was later involved in work relating to cryogenics.He was jailed in the course of this work over a dispute at one point, although charges were dropped at a later stage.In 1982, American health writer and life extension advocate Sandy Shaw and her co-writer, Durk Pearson, popularized the term 'life extension' even further with the bestseller 'Life Extension. A Practical Scientific Approach'.Roy Walford, a gerontologist and life-extensionist, published 'Maximum Lifespan', another popular book on the subject.He and Richard Weindruch, his student, followed this up in 1988 with their summary on the research they had conducted into the ability to prolong the life of rodents through calorie restriction.The title of this book is 'The Retardation of Aging and Disease by Dietary Restriction'.Although this ability to extend life with calorie restriction had been known since the 1930's, when gerontologist, biochemist and nutritionist Clive McCay did some research into the subject, it was the work of Walford and Weinbruch that gave solid scientific grounding to the McCay's findings.Walford's scientific work was driven by a personal interest in life extension.He practiced calorie restriction as part of his own life and eventually died at the age of 80.The cause of his death was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive motor neuron disease.A4M, the 'American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine' was founded in 1992 to create a medical specialty for anti aging that was distinctly separate from geriatrics.This allowed scientists and physicians interested in this particular field of science to hold conferences and discuss the latest developments.The sci.Life-extension, a Usenet group, was created by California-born author, philosopher and translator Brian M.Delaney.This represented an important development within the movement of life extension.It made it possible, for example, for the CR (Calorie Restriction) Society to be created.A more recent development is the proposal of Dr A.De Grey, a biogerontologist at Cambridge University.This proposal suggested that damage to cells, macromolecules, organs and tissues can be repaired with the help of advanced biotechnology.This is evident in hair restoration products, for instance.More than Books.Although it would appear that most of the work revolving around life extension has been done solely by writing books or founding societies or organizations of some kind or another, the reality is that these books were written in response to or based on very specific, detailed scientific research that have yielded positive results.They are no longer the works of hopeful minds, but the works of dedicated scientists who have spent their lives working on discovering facts about aging and trying to find ways to slow down, or even reverse the process.Many breakthroughs have been made, and in many ways, we are already able to extend lives to a certain extent.The average lifespan of a human being is already far greater than it used to be as a result of medical, pharmaceutical and nutritional advances brought about by research and development.The work continues, and scientists around the world are continually conducting research, comparing results, discussing options and making advances on our behalf.Driving Forces behind the Development of the Life Extension Movement.What factors are driving this movement into ever greater efforts to find solutions to the extension of Life? The answer to this question actually includes a whole range of factors.Expectations Have Risen.As the 'baby boomer' generation (born between 1946-1964) enters retirement age, expectations of this group are dramatically different from those of the preceding generations.They have greater expectations and desires to enjoy their life as pensioners to the fullest and for as long as is possible.This expectation covers not only length of life, but quality of life as well and this is not a passive request but an active and strident demand in many cases.Pharmacology.Progress in pharmacology has led to a wide selection of drugs that allow people to live longer and fuller lives being developed over the last two decades or so.The work is still very much in progress and many more drugs are being developed daily.One of the classic examples of a drug raising the quality of life for older individuals are erectile dysfunction treatments - notably Viagra, Cialis and Levitra.These drugs have dramatically reduced the number of fatalities or serious injury resulting from elderly men rolling out of bed, as well as a number of more qualitative benefits.Advances in Genetics.Some of the latest scientific research and subsequent advances made in biotechnology and genetics are providing some hope that it may be possible to hold back some of the fundamental causes of aging.As we outlined previously, chromosomes containing DNA strings are essentially capped with a binding substance known as telomeres.In effect, the telomeres are consumed during cell division and over time, they become shorter and shorter.This was first observed by a scientist called Leonard Hayflick, and the process of limited cell division was subsequently named the Hayflick Limit.Advocates of life extension work on the thought that lengthening the telomeres through drugs or gene therapy may ultimately extend the Hayflick Limit and thereby fool the cells, and as such the body, into 'thinking' it is younger than it actually is.Developments in Precision Manufacture.Advances made in the fields of nanotechnology, miniaturization, computer chips and robotics also provide hope for potentially life extending solutions.In the 1970's, a popular TV series starred Lee Majors as the 'Six Million Dollar Man'? Science fiction then.Today, it is science fact.Millions of people now walk through life with artificial ankle, knee and hip joints and healthy feet.A generation ago, mass production of this kind of technology was a distant dream.The same applies to many individuals with artificial limbs.Artificial legs used to be crude wooden contraptions that were just able to keep a person balanced.Today's artificial limbs are almost fully functional.The Blessings of Medical Progress.Who would have thought even 50 years ago that it would become possible to bypass a coronary artery, or even replace a heart completely? Yet there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of individuals enjoying their lives after having this kind of surgery - few of whom would be alive just half a century ago.Millions of people no longer have to wear glasses, because of the availability of laser surgery.This, too, was science fiction just a few years ago.Today, it is advertised next to shampoo in magazines and on TV.In other words, science is moving rapidly towards not only extending life, but making the quality of these extra years better as well.Is it Science, Science Fiction or Lunacy?What should the average person believe? This question is almost as difficult to answer as finding solutions to extended life.Even among scientists, opinions are divided.Some do believe that extending the quality of life is as possible as extending life in general.Others brush off the thought as un-scientific nonsense.This is often simply based on the fear of anything 'new' disturbing the status quo of established limits.Fortunately, real scientists do keep on looking, because if every single scientist had decided that some of the advancements already in medical, pharmaceutical and technological fields could not be possible, we would all still be dying at 30.So where does that leave us?There is no doubt what-so-ever that there are many charlatans out there trying to make a quick buck out of people's desire to retain their youth.Even today, many products being sold in their millions are essentially non-effective - often given fantastic names and have the most bewildering ingredients to make them look scientific to consumers and justify their cost.But the facts are while many advancements are being made and research points to the possibility of eventually finding the key to maintaining youth for longer, the scientific community is still warning the public that many of the products being sold today are unreliable to say the least.Although food supplements may assist in keeping a body healthier - something that can often be achieved by simply adopting a healthier life style and diet - there is as yet no categorical and undeniable proof that they slow down aging as such.The same goes for many hormone treatments.Although they may have a short term effect of some kind, it is not yet scientifically proven that they will actually work in the long run.The fear that it may not work is based on the fact that taking hormones, a good example is the hormonal acne treatment, will ultimately actually slow down the body's own production of these hormones.In addition, many treatments may have potential (and yet unknown) side effects in the long run that could be harmful to the user's health.This includes the fears that such hormone treatments could increase the risk of cancer, diabetes and other major illnesses.Other ideas, like the calorie restriction method, are working for rodents.In fact, studies conducted with rats on 30 to 50 per cent restricted diets have shown to almost double the life span of rats.Similar studies conducted on primates have also shown tendency to extend life to a certain extent and prevent a list of age related illnesses.There are as yet no studies on humans, although some are actually living on calorie restricted diets.Whether this will prolong their lives, however, is a question of having to wait and see.The theory is that by reducing calorie intake, the metabolism of the body is slowed down, thereby slowing the aging process as well.Nutritionists say there is a certain amount of calories a body of a certain size and weight needs to have to maintain health.Reducing this amount by up to 50 per cent is hardly a good idea in the long term.Time will tell, as they say, but how will anyone be able to tell the difference? If a person lives to the age of 80, is this because they are on this diet or would they have lived to this age anyway?Where Will This Lead?Many believe there is realistic hope and expectation of making significant strides in the area of longevity within the next two decades.This group typically believes the answer will ultimately lie within genetics and biotechnology.It is too early to make definite predictions, but the research so far shows promise and, as mentioned earlier, some of the results of this research are already being used in certain treatments to improve patients' lives.At present, overall aging is difficult to slow down, to say the least.Some products indicate they will assist in maintaining overall health/longevity, but the area we are seeing the first commercial products being developed is in the area of skin care and given the size of this market, it is likely that this will continue to be the weather-vane of longevity treatments.Science or Snake Oil?It will be difficult to tell these two apart for many years.Charlatans are likely to about, because it is difficult to disprove many theories easily.Equally difficult will be positive proof from those with an ethical perspective on the trail of a real breakthrough, as products based on valid research and using technology or ingredients that will actually have an effect rarely promise overnight results.This is something that anyone looking to find improved youthful looks, etc, will have to bear in mind.None of these products can perform miracles.Even the best of them will take time and regular use in order to achieve the desired effect.The bottom line is that where we stand now, we can be sure there are some things which are ineffective or even harmful; there are some that show some promise and there are some that are starting to cross the line of being able to demonstrate results - albeit modestly at this point.In the meantime, it is wise to research products very carefully and to refuse to be baffled by weird and wonderful sounding ingredients or fantastic sounding promises of instant youth.Regeneration will take time - let's face it, it has taken a lifetime to get to this point, turning back the clock can never be possible over night.Skin Care and the Life Extension Movement.One may well ask just what all this, and in particular the life extension movement as such, could possibly have to do with skin care, health and beauty products.The fact is, much of the research into life extension is resulting in new approaches to skin care as a kind of by-product.A greater understanding of how genetics and cellular processes affect the aging and condition of skin allows these research and development teams to investigate different compounds, their compatibility with human cells and genetic make up.Many compounds found in nature are not just compatible to human skin but in fact the skin cells actually have natural receptors for these compounds.Because life extension research has discovered these receptors, skin care developers can now use this knowledge and create the formulae for their products to provide maximum effect.Another skin care 'by-product' of life extension research is the use of nanotechnology.The use of nanotechnology, or, to be more precise, nanoparticles, has had a huge impact on the way nutrients and other components of skin care products are being delivered to the skin cells.In some ways, nanotechnology has already revolutionized skin care.It is now possible to use active ingredients previously difficult to effectively deliver to the skin, as well as making old, proven ingredients even more effective.Some ingredients used in cosmetics for hundreds, if not thousands of years by certain cultures can now be even more effectively used to improve skin condition and maintain a healthy, youthful look.Even the moisturizing effect of skin care products can be improved with nantechnology.For this effect, so-called nanosomes are used.Nanosomes are small, pocket-like particles that melt or disintegrate on skin contact.By doing this, the moisturising effect is accelerated, assisting the skin faster and more efficiently.Nanotechnology plays a key part not only in slowing the aging of skin, but is believed to actively assist in repairing and healing skin cells and tissue.Another breakthrough in life extension research that is beginning to make itself felt in skin care products is the research into stem cells.Stem cells are elements of all life, plant, animal and human.Stem cells have two properties other cells do not have.These properties are the ability to develop into any kind of cell type and the ability to divide almost indefinitely.The use of plant stem cell extracts in skin care is likely to become one of the next 'big things' in the industry.And prepare for the debate when human stem cells are proposed as part of an anti-aging skincare regime, as will inevitably occur!One thing we can be certain of, is that science will continue to search for answers to the question of life extension, and business will drive the commercialization of discoveries.But whether these lead us to a utopian future or potentially a minefield of strife as we debate who will use and who will benefit from these new godlike powers.In the meantime, at a practical level in the skincare, health and beauty industry we remain hopeful and expectant we will see the emergence of products that not only promise results, but produce them.
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