DDO Olympics: Science

I could have better phrased the resolution “ there is a strong possibility that scientific progress will eventually achieve immortality in humans.” First, this isn’t just some scifi meme, there is ongoing research and many promising options to prevent all forms of aging at some point in the future and there are examples in nature of animals that effectively live forever unless they are killed by disease or predators [1]. The aging process There are many issues that lead to aging and inevitable death such as DNA damage/mutations, tissue damage, senescent cells etc but it the major broad cause is the gradual degeneration of genetic information as expressed in cells throughout the body [3]. All we really need to achieve some kind of biological immortality is some kind of maintenance at the molecular level to correct for ongoing damage. This is simple to say but the research in ongoing. The aging process and likely solutions Scientists are already well aware of the major problems associated with aging and there is ongoing research to prevent and reverse the aging process to prevent death. Out of the 7 major factors that lead to aging and death there is a known method available for treatment that can often prevent the process and repair the damage [4]. These often involve the need for more advanced forms of gene therapy as opposed to current drug based methods of treatment. -Cell loss Some organs, such as the brain, continually lose cells that are not replaced. In spite of slowing due to ethical objections, stem cell research remains a promising field to prevent degeneration due to cell loss and a method to replace all aging cells in the body [5]. Promising research is ongoing to grow and replace new organs or simply add genetically rejuvenated cells into the failing organs. In each technique mature cells would be removed from the patients body and altered to restore the lost powers of embryonic stem cells to change into any cell in the body and divide indefinitely leading to a body that could continually regenerate and replace aging cells. Another method to obtain stem cells is to utilize eggs from a doner and fuse them with adult cells from the patient in a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer. These cells are biologically young and free from the damage present in the older cells in a body. -Cancerous mutations Mutations and epimutations can accumulate and cause abnormal gene expression leading to cancer and other issues. Cancers rely on lengthening the telomerase, which are long sections of DNA that code for nothing but protect your DNA from the metabolic and other damage [6]. A promising cancer treatment is administering evolving drug therapies that inhibit telomerase targeting the necessary weakness of cancer cells, the need to lengthen the protective telomerase. A decisive permanent method that would completely eradicate cancer would require doctors to preemptively remove the necessary genes for telomerase completely. This method would also require the cell replacement therapy to transplant genetically engineered stem cells every decade or so similar to the method used to replace lost cells. -Mitochondrial DNA Damage Mitochondria l DNA is outside the nucleus and accumulates damage more rapidly than nuclear DNA and this disrupts different tissues and processes [7]. One option is to place copies of Mitochondrial DNA in the nucleus where they are not subject to chemical attack from the many free radicals produced in the mitochondria. If the original genes were damaged by mutation the body would still be able to produce the necessary proteins. Studies have indicated that the mitochondria previously produced thousands of proteins and evolutionary forces have forced them to relocate in the nucleus confirming the viability of the treatment. -Protein loss of elasticity Some cells are created early in life and are rarely or never recycled and degrade over time, some examples are skin and artery walls [8]. The damage to these proteins is a chemical bond called a crosslink. Fortunately these chemical bonds are unique and easy to target there are a couple of methods to sever these bonds and restore elasticity. Current research is directed at enzymes or proteins that will break these bonds. -Senescent cell build up Senescent cells are dead cells that reach their limit for cell division or are damaged and shut down [9]. The body has mechanisms to remove these cells but they still build up over time and degrade surrounding tissue and release harmful signals that cause other cells to shut down. There are many techniques in development to assist in removing these cells such as methods to instruct a patient’s immune system to selectively target and destroy these cells. -The build up of dysfunctional proteins Over time proteins misfold making them ineffective and collect leading to many problems associated with aging such as Alzheimer's disease[10]. There are two main methods currently in development to address this issue. Particular antibodies can remove these proteins from tissue where they cause harm. Active vaccines can introduce a piece of these proteins to stimulate the immune system to target these proteins. Artificial antibodies can be created outside the body and introduced as a treatment to destroy these proteins and allow the body to process them. -Build up of waste products within cells Over time waste products can build up inside cells and prevent their function [11]. A cell structure called the lysome processes waste. The problem is that when the organelle cannot process a waste product it builds up over time damaging the cell. The problem waste products are already efficiently broken down by bacteria and fungi that decompose dead bodies using enzymes that are not produced by humans. Modified versions of these enzymes delivered by injection would process these problem wastes. Many lysomal disorders that prevent the processing of certain waste products are already treated by injecting modified or missing or dysfunctional enzymes effectively treating these diseases by processing the cell waste confirming the viability of the treatment. Biological immortality in nature The problems that plague humanity leading to aging and death do not affect all animals [12]. There is a jellyfish called Turritopsis dohrnii that can live forever by regenerating cells after reproduction. Hydras are a freshwater animal with radial symmetry and are biologically immortal although the mechanism for their survival is not completely understood. Planarian flatworms can live indefinitely and possibly attributed to their constant telomere regeneration and high production of adult stem cells. These examples confirm that biological immortality is a possibility. - Next round I will try to add some detail and expand on the more promising options for immortality. The mechanisms that cause aging and death are well understood and there are effective strategies that will eventually prevent and even reverse the aging process. With examples in nature we know the prevention of aging and death are possible. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org... [2] http://en.wikipedia.org... [3] http://www.sciencedirect.com... [4] https://www.fightaging.org... [5] http://sens.org... [6] http://sens.org... [7] http://sens.org... [8] http://sens.org... [9] http://sens.org... [10] http://sens.org... [11] http://sens.org... [12] http://en.wikipedia.org... [13] http://sens.org...