The Agenda 👇
News bulletin 📰
The Longevity Economy
Recent funding in longevity 💰
Upcoming events 📅
Jobs in longevity 🧑💼
1/ News bulletin 📰
🧠 Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) could ward off Alzheimer’s disease in at-risk women - New study shows HRT use is associated with better memory and cognition in later life among women carrying the APOE4 gene
🧬 In new paper published in Cell, David Sinclair argues that epigenetic dysregulation is the major driver of ageing - but that it can be reversed by partial cellular reprogramming.
💯 Novel longevity gene variants identified in centenarians - a team of researchers have discovered four new genetic loci that partially explain extreme longevity
🧟 Senescent ‘Zombie’ cells leave fragments attached to other cells - results go some way to explain how such cells achieve contagion
🐁 Obesity shown to affect brain ageing in mice - new study largely confirms what is known about obesity and its effects on the brain
2/ The Longevity Economy
At the World Economic Forum this year, organisers were set on reframing the global narrative of the ageing planet. Malthusian talk of time bombs or a tsunami of grey hairs, were replaced by high-level discussions on what the Forum calls the “longevity economy”. The purpose: If we’re expected to live longer, we’re going to have to adjust some life goals and work longer, too.
One aspect of this is re-evaluating our traditional linear school, work and retire life cycle. Instead of viewing it as a set path that ends at retirement, delegates see it as an opportunity for growth and development. This shift in mindset allows workers to approach their lives and careers with a growth mindset, with continuous learning and development of new skills throughout lives.
Upskilling and reskilling are important for this strategy, and it is an investment that should be shared by employees, employers, and governments. The World Economic Forum estimates that by improving access to reskilling and lifelong learning, we could see a significant increase in workplace productivity, contributing an additional $8.3 trillion to global GDP by 2030. This not only benefits individuals by keeping them relevant in the workforce, but also benefits wider society by increasing economic growth.
There is also a brain health component to a new work-life paradigm. Continual engagement in the workforce can also help maintain social connections and cognitive abilities, which can deteriorate after retirement. Building multigenerational workplaces can bring benefits for both older and younger workers, and combat age discrimination in the corporate world.
However, it is important to note that there are also potential challenges that come with an ageing population. Age discrimination remains a persistent concern in the corporate world, and it is important for companies to be held accountable for such discrimination. There is also the ever-growing burden on pension systems, social security and healthcare, and without better planning, it’s unclear how the world will finance these burgeoning needs.
While there are no shortage of challenges that come with an ageing population, we are faced with a unique opportunity to completely upend how we plan and live our lives. By embracing the potential opportunities and benefits of an ageing population, we can make the most of our increased life expectancy. If longevity medicine continues to expand the human existence, we will need the broader economic, social and political frameworks in place to support it.
3/ Recent funding in longevity 💰
4/ Upcoming events 📅
🇵🇹 Longevity Med Summit will focus on the development of ageing science, regenerative medicine, and longevity therapeutics. This two-day summit will take place in Lisbon, Portugal on May 4 - May 5, 2023 and feature five themes: Longevity Therapeutics, P4 Medicine, Diagnostics, AI and Digital, and a showcase of new trials and research.
🇺🇸 Ending Age-Related Diseases 2023 will return on August 10-12 2023 for its sixth annual conference in New York, US. The event will bring entrepreneurs and investors, pharma and biotech companies, researchers, and government organizations together. Fostering the exchange of information and encouraging cooperation between the various parts of the industry is the goal of our non-profit organization.
5/ Jobs in longevity 🧑💼
Juvena Therapeutics // Senior Scientist, Bioanalytical Sciences // Redwood City, CA
Insilico Medicine // Machine Learning Researcher // New York, NY
Humacyte // Regulatory Affairs Manager // Durham, NC
Elysium Health // Director of Scientific Affairs // New York, NY
Altos Labs // US general interest - UK general interest // US - UK