News interview regarding bowhead genome

Bowhead whale genome sequenced

A whale that can live over 200 years with little evidence of age-related disease may provide untapped insights into how to live a long and healthy life. Researchers present in a new report the complete bowhead whale genome and identify key differences compared to other mammals. Alterations in bowhead genes related to cell division, DNA repair, cancer, and aging may have helped increase its longevity and cancer resistance.-link

A mammal that appears to live for multiple centuries,and some have said may exhibit negligible senescence, has been sequenced.    This data will help elucidate what modifications are necessary to attain extreme longevity.

Resveratrol news 2014 december

For the new study, Sajish and Schimmel put TyrRS(tRNA synthetase called TyrRS) and resveratrol together and showed with tests including X-ray crystallography that resveratrol does indeed mimic tyrosine, well enough to fit tightly into TyrRS's tyrosine binding pocket. That binding to resveratrol, the team found, takes TyrRS away from its protein translation role and steers it to a function in the cell nucleus.

Tracking the resveratrol-bound TyrRS in the nucleus, the researchers determined that it grabs and activates the protein, PARP-1, a major stress response and DNA-repair factor thought to have a significance influence on lifespan. The scientists confirmed the interaction in mice injected with resveratrol. TyrRS's activation of PARP-1 led, in turn, to the activation of a host of protective genes including the tumor-suppressor gene p53 and the longevity genes FOXO3A and SIRT6.-machineslikeus link

 It seems that in addition to the previously known sirtuin 1 activity, resveratrol also activates other stress response mechanisms through TyrRS including SIRT6 and FOXO3A.    So resveratrol appears to be acting through more than one pathway and it also seems to activate some of these mechanisms at lower doses according to the linked article

Nice video on NAD

Lower NAD in old age interferes with sirtuin activity, and may be behind the negative results on lifespan of resveratrol on normal rodents

interesting antiaging talks

A response to a post in josh mitteldorf's site

 "but only 15% to dogs and 5% or less in Rhesus monkey experiments reported last year. "

The 16% on dogs, was on 25% CR, iirc not maximal 65% CR.   Human igff1 levels have been influenced by protein intake, which may also affect other long lived species igf1 which may affect longevity

As for the primate study the earlier findings of small benefits were questioned this year.   It seems that not only have several monkeys who started CR in adulthood exceeded the maximum lifespan in captivity of the species studied, but those not on CR experienced triple the risk of death
http://www.news.wisc.edu/22672

Regards resveratrol, it has not only extended the life of fish, worms, yeast, obese mice, but also mitochondrially dysfunctional mice and several types of senescent accelerated mice strains.   It also tripled human cell survival upon exposure to gamma radiation.    Why it failed on normal mice, is a good question....  the fact that their nad goes drastically down with age, iirc, could be a culprit as this might handicap sirtuin activity which necesitates it, iirc, even in the presence of sirtuin activity enhancing compounds such as resveratrol. -Darian S, link to post in blog

Short term extreme CR leads to extreme weight loss and appears to cure type 2 diabetes in small group of patients

 Desperate for information, I headed to the web, where I found a reportabout a research trial at Newcastle University led by Professor Roy Taylor. His research suggested type 2 diabetes could be reversed by following a daily 800-calorie diet for eight weeks....

Others have also changed their lives through the diet. Carlos Cervantes, 53 and from the US, was at death's door when he tried it. He weighed 120kg, suffered a heart attack in spring 2011, his eyesight and kidneys were failing and he faced having an infected toe amputated. He even had fungus growing out of his ears, feeding on his ultra-high blood sugar levels. But after seeing a TV report on the Newcastle research, he started eating only 600 calories a day, replacing the supplements with not just vegetables but fruit, lean chicken, turkey, occasional bread and a daily milkshake. Two months later he had lost 40kg and 18 months later he is still free of his type  2 diabetes...-link1

The small study, which was followed independently by people in the above article, will be looked into with a bigger study involving 100s of patients as seen in the following quote.   Of course extreme CR probably requires medical supervision and should only be used short term to avoid side effects.

 Overweight patients who were put on a diet of just 800 calories a day were free of the disease within a few weeks of following the strict regime....

The diet, which was tested on 11 patients, is a key part of a new £2.4million medical trial of almost 300 people with obesity-induced diabetes....

In healthy people, the liver should contain around two per cent of fat, but in obese people, it can reach 40 per cent and suppress insulin production. Professor Taylor said the results were “enormously exciting”.

He added: “The good news is that if you cut fat in the diet then the liver fat falls very rapidly and that means the pancreas can start working again.”

The new study will see 280 patients with Type 2 diabetes monitored for several years – with half of them on a crash diet for eight to 20 weeks.

Professor Lean said: “We’re confident that some people with Type 2 will be able to achieve remission.-link2