Category Archives: Anti-Aging Innovations

Preventing Dementia in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment

According to data from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), an estimated 6% of people worldwide suffer from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in their 60s, and 37% are affected by age 85. Although patients with mild cognitive impairment have an increased risk of developing dementia, the condition does not always worsen and growing research aims to determine the underlying mechanisms linking the two. The progression from MCI, a slight but noticeable change in cognitive function, to dementia is not automatic; about 15% of MCI cases develop into dementia.

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The Genetics Behind Regeneration

Many animals are capable of regenerating complex body parts and restoring them to full functioning. Salamanders and planarians regrow damaged or missing body parts, while flatworms can replicate their entire bodies from minuscule components of themselves. The human body is comparatively limited in its ability to regenerate, as humans are only capable of renewing damaged organs such as the liver and skin. However, recent research in animal regeneration has revealed various stem cell strategies for regenerating body parts, that could one day be applied to humans.

Using Bacteria to Create Anti-Aging Pills

Anti-aging research is primed to impact the global structure of healthcare, with the Harvard Gazette reporting a series of opportunities focused on extending the human lifespan. The Boston-based Academy for Health and Lifespan Research launched in February, with a dual focus on promoting future work in anti-aging medicine and ensuring the factuality of information being disseminated. Reflecting on the immeasurable progress made in the field of aging, founding member and Harvard Medical School Genetics Professor David Sinclair believes that “we can develop medicines that will treat aging at its source and thereby have a much greater impact on health and lifespan than drugs that target a single disease.”

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