Eternal life for solving problems

Ru».

According to scientists, in our time there are no elixirs of longevity, methods of genetic engineering or magic sources that would give us eternal or at least a very long life. This is still beyond the reality for modern science. However, research on longevity is actively underway – scientists analyze both external factors that can affect life expectancy, and internal, genetic factors that people cannot influence.

Currently, a controversial element in the conversation about longevity is vitamin D. Scientists' opinions about the harm and benefits of this vitamin radically differ in different studies.

Many studies have shown that low levels of vitamin D in the body are associated with an increased risk of death from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and also entails the occurrence of allergies, mental illness and other negative consequences.

Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland, for example, found that low levels of vitamin D in the blood serum increases the risk factor for pneumonia by 2.5 times. The results of this work were published in The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. And the American Heart Association reported that patients with low vitamin D levels are more likely to have a stroke and recover much worse from it than people with normal vitamin D levels.

According to another point of view, low vitamin D levels, on the contrary, contribute to prolonging life – an article with similar conclusions was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. To determine the relationship between vitamin D levels and longevity, Dutch researchers compared data from 380 families in which at least two relatives (brothers and sisters) lived to the age of ninety. The study included selected subjects, their descendants (1038 people) and their partners who were in the same age group and were exposed to similar environmental factors.

The scientists measured vitamin D levels and analyzed how often a common variant of the CYP2R1 gene is found in the DNA of the subjects, which is also associated with higher levels of vitamin in the body. The results showed that the level of vitamin D in the organisms of siblings and their descendants is low, as well as the frequency of repetitions of the CYP2R1 gene. No such patterns were observed in the partners of the descendants. These results call into question earlier studies linking low vitamin D levels with mortality and age-related diseases.There is another point of view, the proponents of which argue that it is harmful for the human body to have both low and high levels of vitamin D.

Scientists from the University of Copenhagen show that there is a link between high levels of this vitamin and death from cardiovascular diseases. As the researchers write, the harm of high vitamin D levels has not been identified before, and this has become a real discovery for scientists. The results of the work were published in The Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism.

How to slow down aging

If we can influence the level of vitamin D in the body – although what it should be, still remains unclear - there are other controllable factors that affect life expectancy. An international group of scientists analyzed the health status of 954 residents of the New Zealand city of Dunedin, who were born in 1972-1973. The work was carried out for 12 years – during the time period when the age of the study participants was 26-38 years.

Scientists have identified 18 biological characteristics that can be used to determine a person's biological age and the rate of aging. This includes indicators such as cholesterol levels, metabolic rate, blood pressure, the state of the immune system, the functioning of vital organs and others.

These characteristics were measured in participants aged 26 years and later – in the middle and end of the study (32 years, 38 years). In addition, genetic studies were also carried out: scientists measured the length of the telomeres of the subjects. Telomeres are the end sections of chromosomes that shorten with each cell division. This phenomenon is called "terminal underreplication" and is one of the most important factors of biological aging of the body.

As a result of the work, the scientists found that at the time the subjects reached the age of 38, their biological age varied from 28 years to 61 years. In addition, the analysis of biomarkers of aging showed that the body of some people ages at a triple rate, "overcoming" three years in twelve months. In some study participants, the aging rate, on the contrary, was slowed down, and their biological clock measured a year in 16.5 calendar months. The authors of the study concluded: the rate of aging depends primarily not on heredity (the contribution of genetics is only 20%), but on external factors.The researchers also claim that biological age can be controlled through sports, proper nutrition, regular medical examinations and smoking cessation.

Despite the fact that the benefits of all of the above have been well known for a long time, many people still do not pay proper attention to a healthy lifestyle. Meanwhile, compliance with the recommendations can significantly prolong human life. More information about the findings of scientists can be found in the journal PNAS.

Secrets of the "blue zone"

In different countries and cultures, there are many traditions and secrets of preserving health and longevity, thanks to which people live up to 100 years or more.

An interesting study telling about the peculiarities of the lifestyle of centenarians in several corners of our planet was conducted by Dan Buttner, a traveler, researcher and writer. He published his results, processed jointly with the American National Institute of Aging, in the book "The Rules of Longevity. The results of the largest study of centenarians."

In his book, Buettner tells about four "blue zones" located on the islands of Japan, Italy, a peninsula in Costa Rica and in a small town in the USA. The author calls the "blue zone" an area where the average life expectancy of people is higher than usual, and people there live up to the centenary about three times more often. Combining the "recipes" of longevity received from different parts of the world, we can distinguish several tips that are natural for all places. Long-livers of the "blue zones" are advised to include more plant foods in the diet, devote time to work and sports activities, have strong ties with family, spend time with friends, be in the sun more often and not eat tightly at night. 

A little bit about the future

Many writers and directors have fantasized about how the people of the future will cope with the problem of aging. However, scientists also sometimes make predictions for the future: Elena Milova, coordinator of the Russian group of the International Alliance for Life Extension, shared with the science department of the newspaper.Ru" with his thoughts on this topic.

"When and how will humanity cope with the problem of aging? In order to answer this question, two factors must be taken into account.

Firstly, modern science has made good progress in understanding the mechanisms of aging – well enough that experiments on mammals have succeeded in extending their life more than twice. No conditions have been identified that would prevent the transfer of these technologies to humans and a gradual increase in their effectiveness, up to the achievement of negligible aging, when all body functions are maintained at an optimal level for an unlimited time. Negligible aging is an opportunity to live as long as you want in a young body and with a clear mind.

Secondly, we need to remember about NBIC convergence, that is, the accelerating mutual influence of various fields of science and technology. Due to this influence, unexpected at first glance jerks may be observed in the development of medical technologies associated with the discovery of a fundamentally new technical solution, a new approach, with accelerated cheapening and accelerated spread of technology.

Here is a simple example. 15 years ago, sequencing a single genome cost $100 million. In 2010, it was already $50 thousand, and at the end of 2015, the price for sequencing dropped to $300-500 and continues to decline. A drop in the cost of sequencing to the level of $50 will automatically lead to the widespread use of genetic research data in making any decisions in the field of health care, from the selection of an individualized diet, physical activity to the identification of individually effective and ineffective drugs. In turn, a personalized approach significantly increases the effectiveness of prevention and treatment, which will have a direct impact on the level of health and life expectancy.

If this reduction in price happens in the next two to three years, then in 10 years the average life expectancy in Russia will increase significantly due to this factor alone.

The technologies that exist in laboratories today do not yet ensure the abolition of aging. Even if all of them are introduced into clinical practice, it can lead to an increase in the average life expectancy of people by 20-30 years. However, since the goal of negligible aging has already been set, many research teams around the world are conducting research that can lead to the creation of the entire complex of necessary technologies in the next 10-20 years."

In addition, scientists can already print donor organs on a 3D printer. Human cells are used as "ink". However, now such organs cannot be fully used in medical practice – it is not yet possible to restore cellular immunity in laboratory conditions.

But bionic prostheses and exoskeletons are used in full. A bionic prosthesis is a prosthesis that is controlled by "translating" neural signals into commands understandable for a mechanical arm or leg. In the summer of 2015, scientists created a prosthetic leg capable of feeling the surface on which a person walks, just like a real leg: sensors read information about the surface of the soil, this information is transmitted by the nerve end of the leg, and then to the brain. In 2015, another success was announced: doctors managed to create a system capable of transmitting signals from the brain to the limbs "bypassing" damaged neural connections, thereby restoring the ability to walk to a paralyzed patient.

Consciousness in a test tube

Supplementing the human body with mechanical parts or even completely replacing it with a machine is only half the battle, says David Dubrovsky, PhD, chief researcher at the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences. "Today we can prosthetize almost everything – limbs, internal organs. But where is the border? Theoretically, it is possible to replace the whole person. But a person is a self–organizing system. The main task is to create a self–organizing system on a non–biological substrate," the scientist comments.

There is a theory according to which consciousness can be transferred to an artificial brain by the method of quantum teleportation – we are talking about creating an artificial human body and transferring consciousness and the human psyche to a non-biological substrate. There is even a project in Russia – "Russia-2045" – which is engaged in creating such an avatar for a person of the future.

However, not all scientists consider such a prospect tempting. Doctor of Philosophy, an employee of the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences Pavel Tishchenko told the Department of Science: "I think that the most important problem associated with the avatar is that you can artificially create a person by having a certain theoretical model of a person. But just the creation of a human model – at least at the moment – leaves nothing human of a human being. By and large, any modeling is fine, if prosthetics is meant. But when it comes to human characteristics – morality, intelligence, reason, sensuality – then, I think, the model is too weak a representation of what really is. Therefore, it seems to me premature to expect that a completely artificial human being will be created.

I think that behind this is the natural desire of a person not to die and somehow continue. But, on the other hand, it is always possible to exploit this desire – and collect resources for this case. So far, this is an imaginative construction, but it is very businesslike. Therefore, business is involved here. It should be borne in mind that when someone sells a product, he overestimates the positive qualities and underestimates the negative ones.

The way of freezing, the way of creating artificial intelligence, "Russia-2045" are all business projects. I wouldn't mind living forever, but not in the form that our artificial intelligence designers are currently offering. It's too small and uninteresting. Now all artificial intelligence is fixated on solving problems. What does it mean that I will forever solve mathematical problems and prove mathematical theorems? What the hell do I need this for! So far, what the machine can do is quite a bit."

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru

26.01.2015