The Agenda 👇
News bulletin 📰
To supplement or not to supplement
Recent funding in longevity 💰
Upcoming events 📅
Jobs in longevity 🧑💼
1/ News bulletin 📰
📊 AI-powered approach therapeutic target discovery in ageing - Insilico Medicine study identifies novel therapeutic targets for ALS
🥭 Meta-analysis shows fruits and vegetables linked to fewer cognitive disorders - although correlation is not causation
🧠 BioRxiv publishes study showing that different tissues’ proteins age distinctly - amyloids don't only accumulate in the brain
🦠 Mild COVID can cause longstanding neurological problems - Lasting neuroinflammation can be caused by other viral infections as well
🐁 Mouse study demonstrates potential to increase female reproductive lifespan - this time it’s short-term Resveratrol treatment that reverses ovarian ageing
2/ To supplement or not to supplement
There is no shortage of literature promising that novel longevity supplements will revolutionise the market and offer salvation to those looking to stay young. Companies from all 4 corners of the globe have emerged in recent years with ancient or radically new molecules capable of altering fundamental human biology, however, have been met with broad scepticism from the medical profession and consumers at large. Nonetheless the tide is turning, with the global longevity supplement market poised to grow from $36B in 2020 to $186B in 2028.
So, what does the evidence say? Companies are increasingly conducting regulatory grade clinical trials to demonstrate the degree to which supplements can slow or even reverse the ageing, in efforts to distinguish the substance from the snake oil. Using novel methods to determine the biological age of subjects (see below); new longevity studies aim to determine efficacy of supplements by evaluating the relative changes in biological age between supplement-arm and placebo arm.
One randomized, controlled trial examined the effect of the branded Telos95, a blend of antioxidant polyphenols extracted from grapevine and olive leaf, on telomere length in 50 healthy subjects who were randomly assigned to receive either one or two 65-mg capsules of Telos95 per day (as Group A and Group B, respectively). The manufacture’s sponsored trial assigned a TeloYear age based on their telomere length to all participants at the beginning and end of the study. After 6 months, both groups showed a decrease in average TeloYear age. It’s worth noting there was not placebo in this trial, and the results were not significant between the 2 doses, however the direction of the field towards the scientific is promising.
Natural vitamins and mineral supplements are also increasingly popular, although primarily serve to ensure we are getting the nutrients that may otherwise be missing from our diet. Common deficiencies in adults on typical Western diets include vitamin D and B12, the latter especially if on a vegetarian or vegan diet. Most supplementation research today has centred on skin ageing, by virtue of the large cosmetics industry, and so most of the data below pertains to skin health.
Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin, as one of the ways we synthesise it is via exposure to sunshine. But vitamin D supplementation (in those with deficiency) is also associated with extended longevity with some weak evidence to show reduction in rates of diseases related to ageing. Its primary mode of action is thought to be in regulating protein stability within cells, and one recent study published in Cell was able to extend the lifespan of a nematode by 33% with just vitamin D supplementation.
Collagen isn’t a vitamin, but it does help with the maintenance of youthful skin, because as we age, we produce less of it, leading to wrinkles and sagging. Collagen production decline can begin to slow as early as our twenties. It is possible to maintain high levels with topical supplementation and collagen supplements have been shown to improve skin elasticity and reduce wrinkles. A 12-week study of 72 participants showed that regularly taking a supplement that contained 2.5 grams of collagen (along with several other ingredients) significantly improved the appearance of skin elasticity and softness.
Vitamin A and E also support natural collagen production and have been shown to also reduce the rates of skin ageing. Vitamin A, also known as retinol, forms the key ingredient in many cosmetic anti-aging supplements and serums. Vitamin A is not naturally produced by our bodies, which means it needs to be consumed in our diets or via supplementation. Specifically, Tretinoin, which is derived from vitamin A within the body, boosts collagen production and maintains healthy skin by preventing enzymes from breaking down collagen in the skin’s dermal layer and promoting the creation of new collagen instead.
Vitamin E by contrast acts as one of the skin’s first layers of defence but is quickly depleted by sun rays. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that neutralises free radicals, unstable atoms that damage cells and have been linked to ageing across the body. Studies have shown that vitamin E can also boost collagen production, speeding up cell regeneration and creating new skin growth, while also reducing the risk of heart disease and potentially protects against cognitive decline.
Resveratrol is the antioxidant responsible for giving grapes and raspberries their distinctive red colour, and it also combats wrinkles and fine lines. While you can certainly get plenty of resveratrol by ensuring berries are a staple of your diet, there are plenty of companies that have been built around packaging the substance in a supplement. Resveratrol has been found to protect skin from premature ageing brought on by UV light and there is evidence it, in combination with calorie restriction, is able to increase lifespan in mice.
Zinc is a trace mineral found in the red blood cells and is involved in many important roles in the human body, including synthesising proteins, regulating our immune system, and healing wounds. Zinc deficiencies have been found to speed up the ageing process, increasing the risk of age-related illnesses and infections. Zinc also plays a role in protecting against hair loss, although there is no evidence that zinc supplementation can slow or reverse male pattern baldness.
Curcumin is found in the root of the turmeric plant, and there is some evidence to show adequate consumption can help maintain both cognition and memory. A frequent feature on ‘anti-ageing’ supplementation routines, not least because numerous studies show it interferes with known ageing pathways, there is next to no evidence supplementation can extend the longevity of any human organ.
Finally, Selenium is a trace mineral that plays a role in preventing vitamin E deficiencies. New research suggests that selenium can play an important role in fighting ageing, however much of the current data remains contradictory. Selenium deficiency is known to accelerate some ageing processes, however low selenium levels also seem to be important in preventing age-related diseases such as tumours and cardiovascular disease.
All the above supplements are available in a healthy, varied diet, and while the strongest evidence remains with those associated with skin longevity, the most important way to protect your skin is with sunscreen. On the question of whether or not to supplement, the answer will depend on your diet.
3/ Recent funding in longevity 💰
Heads Up Health extends Seed Round to $2.25M led by Innosphere Ventures
H1 closes $100M Series C on the back of ‘incredible traction’ and a successful first use case
ScalaMed to be acquired by US-based healthcare company Cardinal Health
ForeSee Medical raises $7M to advance its AI platform for accurate disease risk adjustment
4/ Upcoming events 📅
🌐 The Fifth Ending Age-Related Diseases Conference takes place virtually on August 11-14, 2022, where you’ll be able to hear the latest developments from the leaders of rejuvenation biotechnology research and investment.
🇩🇪 The Rejuvenation Startup Summit returns this year in Berlin, Germany on October 14-15. This is a vibrant networking event that brings together startups and members of the longevity venture capital/investor ecosystem, all aiming to create therapies to vastly extend the healthy human lifespan.
🇧🇪 The Eurosymposium on Health Ageing is a unique biennial meeting of scientists working on the biology of ageing, and their next meeting is in Belgium, November 24-26th.
5/ Jobs in longevity 🧑💼
Calico // Associate Director, Biostatistics // San Francisco, CA
Deciduous Therapeutics // Senior Research Associate Scientist // San Francisco, CA
Altos Labs // AI ML Team Lead // Cambridge, UK
Fauna Bio // Chief of Staff // Emeryville, CA
Insilico Medicine // Business Development Consultant // Europe, Remote
Enjoying your thoughts on this topic and appreciate your honesty about the actual evidence base and therefore real world applications (lacking currently) of the longevity research. What are your thoughts on metformin supplementation for longevity in non diabetics?