This is a weekly update on the latest in longevity. It includes three items in each of these three areas: news, research, jobs, and interviews.

Things to know

Here’s what’s going on in longevity.

1. Dublin Longevity Declaration
   An initiative from the Longevity Escape Velocity (LEV) Foundation (led by Martin O’Dea and Dr. Aubrey de Grey) challenges the belief that aging is inevitable and calls for immediate expansion of research and funding. The declaration has been signed by many influential researchers in longevity medicine. The proposal is mostly a an effort to produce a formal, unified documentation of support for anti-aging research.

2. Tally launches new supplement “Amplify”
   Tally is the company started by longevity researcher Dr. David Sinclair. Their focus is on compounds which show anti-aging properties across the hallmarks spectrum. Importantly, Tally’s focus is on compounds which are considered supplements, so do not have to go through any sort of clinical trials.
   In addition to their existing daily supplement “Vitality” which is designed to be broad spectrum, this new pill is designed to specifically target metabolic performance.

3. VitaDAO launches its first biotech company
   The community-owned collective VitaDao voted to fund its first company, MatrixBio, which is researching and developing high molecular weight hyaluronic acid compounds. Eva Longoria and L’oréal are sure to be involved soon.
   VitaDAO was formed in 2021 to advance aging research and raised $4.1m from investors including the venture arm of drug giant Pfizer. The entity is structured as a DAO¹ , meaning that holders of its token vote on which proposals to fund from the organization’s reserves.

Research

A short review of some papers and reports, both recents and classics, related to aging.

1. Digital Biomarkers for Monitoring Mouse Aging
   Continuing the discussion on chronological vs biological age (see the Epigenetic Clock Theory of Aging), this paper attempts to establish digital biomarkers for aging in mice. These include motion, breathing rate, and circadian rhythms alongside standard measurements like body weight, body temperature, and clinical examinations.

   

   A unified set of predictive biomarkers, especially those which can be gathered digitally via devices like, say, an Apple Watch would be very valuable to researchers looking to conduct longitudinal studies.²

2. Accelerated epigenetic aging in Down syndrome
   Another one for the epigenetic theory of aging. The authors here propose that Down Syndrome accelerates aging, with the most severe results in the brain. They propose accelerated brain aging is due to the shortening of telomeres, another hallmark of aging. This link could be valuable for both DS and aging research as it provides multiple indications for the same mechanism.

3. The Heritability of Aging
   There’s no question that aging - as with most things - is a mix between genetic and environmental factors. But how much is genetic and how much is environmental? Here, the authors look at millions of Ancestry records to determine that genetics likely contribute <10% towards aging. The remaining, they argue, is due to environmental factors.
   This finding indicates that the process of aging is more universal and influenceable than previously thought.

Get involved

A breakdown of the latest jobs at companies in or around the longevity space.

Alector
Alector is working on enabling the body’s immune system to combat neurodegeneration. They are a public, clinical stage company and have partnerships with GSK and abbvie.

1. Privacy & Transactions Director
   Legal — South San Fransisco — $260k-$329k
   - JD required with active license
   - Compliance/risk management, privacy, and transactional matters
   

2. Scientist Upstream Process Development
   R&D — Newark, CA — $124k-$145k
   - Biology position. Cell culture, antibody, and protein development
   - Process development, process scale-up, and tech transfer
   

3. Research Assistant, Immuno-neurology (temp)
   R&D — South San Francisco, CA
   - Biology research assistant role: basic lab skills
   - Immune cell culturing, screening assays, and target biology research

Cheers,

[1] “DAOs” are Decentralized Autonomous Organizations. Holders of a crypto token specific to the DAO can vote on proposals submitted to the org. You can read more about them here.

[2] Longitudinal studies are those that follow the same population over an extended period of time, usually many years. These are really the only types of studies which can definitively determine the effects of certain drugs or lifestyles on aging. Biomarkers which correlate to these longitudinal studies, however, can provide a predictive measure of the state of aging in an individual.

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