How May We Cure Aging?

Highly recommend watching an insightful and well-made video by Kurzgesagt on the recent scientific advancements within lifespan extension/optimization, and in particular healthspan extension (see link at the bottom of the article). Healthspan is the time period of our lives in which we are healthy.

Key Points

The 3 promising treatments and therapies are:

• Kill Senescent Cells in the Body
  Cells that do not self-destruct after having replicated themselves so many times that they are unable to replicate anymore, remain in the body causing harm to nearby cells. These “zombie cells” are called senescent cells. By removing these cells through injections of a protein that “tells” the senescent cells to self-destruct, several age-related deceases such as diabetes and kidney failure can be avoided.
  
  
• NAD+
  NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) is a co-enzyme that facilitates the transfer of energy to our cells from the food we consume. This is done in a process known as oxidation. Under normal conditions, whenever our cells need to conduct some specific functions, they demand energy from the blood stream. This energy is found in the form of fatty acids and glucose. NAD+ performs the task of getting these energy sources from the blood to the cells which require it. This results in high levels of mental and physical energy. The amount of NAD+ in the body decreases over time, as we get older. This reduction of NAD+ is linked to Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease and multiple sclerosis. NAD+ can not enter cells, however more flexible substances can, and turn into NAD+ when inside the cell. NAD+ is found in cow’s milk and fish, with tuna being particularly rich with about 20.5 mg, and salmon at 10.1 mg for the same 200 gram portion. Generally, oily fish is full of good fats, creating a healthy environment for the body’s own NAD+ production.
  
  
• Stem Cell Injection
  Stem cells provide a steady flow of fresh young cells to the body. By injecting stem cells, the body will be able to rejuvenate itself. Stem cell injection treatment is currently not approved in many countries such as the US, while in others such as Panama and Colombia stem cell injections have been performed for many years.