This week’s episode welcomes Bill Andrew’s, Ph. D., President and Founder of the biotechnology firm Sierra Sciences. Bill is widely considered the foremost researcher on aging and telomeres and most of his entire professional career has been devoted to finding a cure for aging. Most notably, he led a team in 1997 at Geron Corporation to successfully identify the human enzyme telomerase. An enzyme that causes Telomeres to lengthen, thus enabling cells to replicate itself without hitting their Hayflick limit (i.e. the number of times a cell is able to reproduce itself). It is believed that only human embryonic stem cells and cancer cells are immortal and do not possess a Hayflick limit.
Our conversation explores the science, possibilities, and social impacts of finding a cure for aging. He explains his company’s quest to create a safe and affordable drug that will lengthen telomeres in every cell in your body. He believes his research team is one year away from starting human trials if he receives the additional funding necessary to finish his research.
Join us in this fascinating discussion that is sure to change the way you view aging and our future.
What is the possibility of aging to be cured completely in 20 or 30 years?
Is the aging process natural or is there a ‘switch‘ which allows it to happen
Is there any way to get stock info on this? I’d love to invest.
If this is successful and goes commercial, how what action will be taken to combat world overpopulation? Is the government just gonna start making up viruses to kill off certain parts of the population?
So the rich will stay alive and rich while the poor or middle class dies off with the revolution of robotics taking charge of menial labor.
The future is fucking evil.
Really this would be useful for space exploration as it takes so long to get to planets if we want to colonise other planets we will need to have humans which can live a heel of a lot longer.
I also think that even if this treatment was created we could only do it to embryos so anyone currently born won’t be able to live forever. But the next generation could have this. I would give my children the chance to live for ever but feel those that do well have a code they must adhere to.Although I theorise that you could administer some form of treatment to those already born via the blood but wood be synthetic blood, but we currently don’t have the medical tech tocreat such blood.
I feel the rich should give this to middle class, why well then you have shovel more debit on to the poor because they live longer they will have to pay huge debit back.
Dr Andrews has already tried the genetic therapy on himself 5 years ago. It is available through his company BioViva in their Mexican or Colombian clinics.
What a load of shit. If you think halting telomere degeneration is synonymous with “curing” aging you’re sadly mistaken. Even if we were even remotely close to the kind of command you would require over cellular and tissue processes to counteract the accumulation of age-related tissue damage and structural deformation, statistically we would die from more serious disease processes not far into our in practice slightly extended lives, or at the very least succumb to dementia.
Higher biological systems just aren’t an economically viable substrate capable of sustained self-regulating repair, and even if there were options for augmenting lifespan — and they won’t be this — there are subsequent problems to solve before it would even be useful.
It would be nice these companies could secure funding for primary research without the undercurrent of theatrics and sci-fi rumor mill.
@Harrison Buckland-Crook:
Love your question, I’ve given this some thought and believe that we will not need to apply such drastic measures to control our population.
The demographics of developed countries, the rate at which poverty in general is decreasing, steadily increased welfare and educational standards will in short order lead to a stable population.
As our lifespans are lengthened through better health and longevity related technologies we will again have to consider the size of earths population.
Let’s assume that anyone can choose their point of death and that we eliminate the need to die completely. Let’s also assume that only boredom and an average onset of boredom after about 1000 years.
1: One in, one out policy/regulated reproduction
2: Make people smaller/more efficient
2: Make resources larger/more efficient
3: Eschew bodies/brain-in-a-vat
4: Colonize other stellar objects
Reminds me a bit of that idiot who claimed to have invented a cold fusion reactor using nickel a few years ago and had amateur investors splashing money at him like balding middle-aged men visiting a strip club.
Wow, you people are idiots. Ever hear of Epitalon? Developed by Dr. Khavinson in Russia? It’s only been around for over 25 years now.… maybe you should look up his patents and papers on it? Do your research! He’s published well over 100 studies on it. http://khavinson.info/
Not only that Epitalon has been proven to lengthen telomeres AND protect against cancer AND have NO negative side effects.
It sounds amazing. I would like to volunteer for human trials. And for any future advances in this field.
The level of ignorance in the comments is really appalling. The only cure for human aging is the telomerase enzyme that has been shown to completely rejuvenate every human tissue, because aging is epigenetic and regulated by the telomeres which affect the gene expression of the whole genome. As your telomeres shorten your gene expression goes haywire and this manifests as “old age”. Damage accumulation is primarily an effect of this change and thus a secondary problem.
And by the way, the company BioViva is planning to offer telomerase therapies FREE OF CHARGE, so no “immortal elites” arguments please. Have you people never heard of basic income guarantee? Your lack of vision for the whole is your own downfall. So stop complaining and start contributing something positive.
I am 60 years old. I want to live to at least 150. So…how do I get to be part of the trials?
Bill is a personal friend of mine…I would be happy to answer any questions as I know about what Bill is doing. I traveled for 5 days last year with Bill and drove him around for presentations. I learned a lot. I have been on a natural product that he helped develop with the company I am with for 5 years now. My husband and I, both 63, feel wonderful. NO this is NOT the only answer to anti-aging…we are along way from 150, Bill would not claim otherwise…but, also, we have a lot of “control” to curb the aging process ourselves… anything that stresses the body ages the cells faster.…smoking, GMOs, sprays, chemicals, processed foods, lack of sleep, chemo therapies, etc.
I’m 40 and I’ve been interested in immortality since both of my parents passed away back to back within two years in 2005. I was always afraid of being ridiculed for expressing this desire to friends and loved ones back then but with the ease of communication with my teenage son I was able overcome this fear. I truly believe that one day (sooner than later) we will all be able to extend life to the point of immortality… I need this time. I love life and I love humanity, make me a candidate for not only the human trials but for our spiecies ultimate goal.
Get real people. This won’t be available mainstream, because you won’t be able to afford it. If it somehow does, then expect constructed viruses to be released.
All things are expensive at first then they become cheaper just like cell phones. Same with anti-aging. Also everyone can use anti-aging benefits. With so many people that don’t want to die it has to be cheap enough for almost everyone to afford. So yes, it will be available mainstream.
This is promising. Who knows how successful it will be, but it’s great to see advancements.
Is there a sign up to get in on the trial or a criteria sheet? I am 61 and I would love to slow aging as much as I possibly can modulo reasonable safety probabilities of course.
I’m more confident in the SENS approach to aging: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVbSQVuFd2k
Brad Arnold, Bill Andrews does not own bioviva he is on their SAB. Please check your facts before posting! You also said elsewhere Bill has taken bioviva therapy, he has not. Dr Jason Williams tested myostatin inhibitor on himself NOT Bill and no one has tested tert on a human at this time.
If telomeres can be lengthened the stem cells are mobilized and you might see regeneration the same as shown in numerous in vitro tests. Will it work in a person? very likely but until the data is in its all conjecture.
It’s not the only consequence of aging that needs to be addressed but it’s a good start if you understand telomerase and telomere biology and its epigenetic roles as well as the non telomere interactions of telomerase eg, wnt pathway etc…
I applaud Bill for developing a drug powerful enough to restore telomere dysfunction but I think gene therapy is the faster route.
Thank you for posting this very interesting interview.
I would have appreciated it if the interview hadn’t morphed from Bill Andrew’s ideas. When I lost connection the interviewer was doing most of the talking.
Cycloastragenol is an early telomerase activator. It is sold under several trade names. The first is TA-65. Later are CrackAging and CAW available on Amazon. I had a CrackAging brand analyzed awhile ago. It was what the label said it was.
Dr Ed Park wrote many blogs (also on YouTube) on this subject including stories of his patient’s experiences. Unfortunately he is now under attack by the Federal Trade Commission. If they succeed, this source of information is silenced. I think his sin is talking about his experiences with TA-65, which he sells.
People worry about overpopulation yet our seas and space has not even begun to be inhabited. People living longer will include great minds that can solve these issues instead of dying off from old age.