Cancel old age. Is it necessary?

Date:

2017-10-09 12:30:11

Views:

3493

Rating:

1Like 0Dislike

Share:

Cancel old age. Is it necessary? Source:

Eternal youth attracted the minds of people — I dare say — thousands of years. But imagine that we have finally reached this goal. What's next? In the 1850s the life expectancy in many countries was only 40 years old. Today, that number has steadily reaches 78. The latest medical studies tease us with the promise of further extension of human life. What will be the consequences if the medicine gets its way? How will society change?

The First thought that comes to mind when trying to answer this question, — dark, pereselenie future in which taken decisive steps to combat overpopulation and, in fact, a population struggling for scarce resources. The need for strict control over the population — is not pure fantasy: until recently, China had acted the one-child policy because of a rapidly growing population in the 1970-ies.

It May seem that more long-lived society would increase population, but the reality is the opposite. Population growth is determined more by fertility and mortality, when the first exceed the second. "In the short term, the decline in mortality leads to population growth," says Jane Falkingham, Professor and Director of the population Center at the University of Southampton. "In the longer term it is the fertility is the engine, not mortality".

Recent clinical trials in mice showed that animals with diabetes who took the drug metmorfin, first introduced in 1957, are living longer than adiabatic who did not take the drug. It has been suggested that metmorfin can protect it from the main ageing, not just from type 2 diabetes.

However, there are several possible pharmaceutical treatments, which can not only protect against aging, but actually reverse the effects of aging.

It Was discovered that almost vampiric practice of elderly people who transfused the blood of young donor has some medical validity. This hobby is potentially life-giving properties of blood was first taken up by the German doctor Andreas Libavius in 1615, when he tried to connect the arteries of a young man and the old man.

Libavius was sure to succeed, and the experimental results of 2005 showed that the idea is promising. Old mice have become healthier with young blood, and young mice, which poured the blood of older mice, startled. However, one should not ignore the risks associated with blood transfusions, such as trauma and pulmonary infections.

And yet the methods of treatment that are not so controversial and often proved effective in laboratory tests.

The Mice that deleted the older cells — those that can no longer divide, creating new cells, is with an injection of Foxo4-DRI, lived longer. This compound significantly interfere with the normal process that causes cells to stop dividing. Now these mice at 30 months, equivalent to 100 human years, and they remain active, proving that the effect is not temporary.

"If you aim for the so-called bad aging cells that are not needed because you are old and irreparably flawed, to some extent, possible to extend and even to restore health," explains Peter de Keyser from the Department of molecular genetics at the Medical centre of the Erasmus University. "Targeting these cells, you can not only postpone aging, but also to some extent to pay".

Meanwhile, Calico, a division of parent company Google, Alphabet, intends to apply advanced technologies to understand the biology that controls lifespan, and to use this knowledge to interventions that will help people lead longer, healthier lives.

So what will be the consequences if all of these methods will succeed in radical life extension? One potential problem of people living longer is that problem of overpopulation and, in General, a growing population, which has escalated in the XXI century, it does not solve.

In 2015, the number of births to mothers in England and Wales averaged approximately 1.8 digger. As society becomes more educated, health improves, the biological imperative for families to be large families to compensate for the problem of the survival of excess population. In addition, the average age of women giving birth increased to 30.3 years, and a growing number of women who do not want children. "Many countries have turned to these indicators," says Sarah Harper, Professor of gerontology at Oxford University.

There are also ethical puzzle, according to which, if the treatment of aging become available to all, aggravated the danger of creating a two-tier society of those who have access to treatment and who is not. We live in a society of serious social inequalities. "A child born in the slums of Nairobi, has much less life than a child born in Kensington (London)," says falkinham.

If the treatment of aging will be distributed evenly, we are faced with the growth of the elderly population.

The oldest living person who ever got into the lists, was lived to 122 years (1875 to 1997) Jeanne Calment. As since medical care is constantly improving, it is surprising that this record has never been beaten. However, it seems we are genetically predisposed to die at a certain age. "In 2016 there was an article in which asserted that we cannot live past 120 years," says de Keyser.

Others think differently. Aubrey De grey, Professor of SENS Foundation, says that the human lifespan can reach 1000 years. But very few agree with him.

Many older people struggling with diseases such as cancer, heart problems, dementia and others. Most current medical research is devoted not to live longer but to live healthy longer and delay the ailments. "Much better to put all resources to a long and healthy life," says Harper.

Anti-aging treatments can affect the physical aspects of aging, but they do not affect the mental and neurological features, such as Alzheimer's and senile dementia, that is dementia. The number of registered cases of dementia is reduced. One theory is that just as we keep our bodies active, our bodies are slowly destroyed, so there is an argument that if we are able to maintain an active mental activity and dementia get rid of, says Harper.

Another aspect affecting long and healthy life, is that our chronological age is meaningless in determining our lives. We see 40-year-old women who first give birth, and see 40-year-old women who are becoming grandmothers. Despite their common age, their lives are completely different.

Despite the fact that we live longer, our 20-ies and 30-ies remain demographically dense because we still have children and begin a career in these years. "Prolonging life expectancy, we do not change your biological time," says falkinham. "Women still have babies in 20-30 years."

The cancellation of aging and also the road. Even if the treatment Foxo4-DRI is approved for use on humans, it will cost several thousand euros per 10 mg. And blood transfusions? Here is pretty limited. Not many people from the population, as a percentage, become blood donors. And certainly they do not want to donate blood to someone else canceled their old age.

The Shortage of supply also increases the possibility of a black market where young people are forced or bribed to give their blood, as well as unlicensed dealers selling fake the blood plasma or unsuitable for transfusion. Do not forget that the healthcare industry has become a lucrative sector for organized crime. Especially dangerous is the proliferation of counterfeit pharmaceutical products on the Internet.

We need incredible progress in the understanding of the science of man, in order to completely prevent the aging of people and to maintain their quality of life at a good level. Will have to carefully discuss the ethical, cultural, and sociological issues of eradication of aging.

"Part of being human is that our lives are not infinite and we divide it into segments," concludes Harper. "It is much better to invest all our resources in that they all had a long and healthy way of life, instead of a few people can live a little longer than the rest."

...

Recommended

The coronavirus has mutated into 30 new strains

The coronavirus has mutated into 30 new strains

While coronavirus Apocalypse slowly but inevitably becomes routine, the virus SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve. And, unfortunately, he was good at it. Writes , with reference to the South China Morning Post reports that new studies show that the virus ...

In the United States recognized that the ventilator dies 88% of patients with coronavirus

In the United States recognized that the ventilator dies 88% of patients with coronavirus

When the world is raging coronavirus that causes pneumonia and kills people, the only solution is intensive care. If this is not done, the victims will be very much. Today for severe patients there is only one solution — connected to the appara...

Can a transfusion of blood plasma to cure the coronavirus?

Can a transfusion of blood plasma to cure the coronavirus?

Typically, vaccination involves the introduction into the organism of the weakened or killed microorganisms (viruses) designed to create a strong immunity to possible future infectious diseases — that is, for selection of antibodies. But what i...

Comments (0)

This article has no comment, be the first!

Add comment

Related News

In Switzerland developed the first edible robot

In Switzerland developed the first edible robot

the Developers of the Federal Polytechnic school in Lausanne laboratory of intelligent systems have created the world's first edible robot, whose descendants, they believe, will in the future be useful in medicine. Soft robotics...

Developed a method of creating a retina with the help of 3D printing

Developed a method of creating a retina with the help of 3D printing

the Us national Institute of view, constantly looking for new ways of dealing with the visually impaired and spends a lot of time and money on research and development. One of the most successful work in recent time has become a l...

MeTro – unique glue, wound healing

MeTro – unique glue, wound healing

today, there are , the purpose of which is to create a universal , able to stop the bleeding or heal the wound on the human body. Different research teams approach the problem from different sides. Take scientists from Australian ...

Russian scientists used ultrasound to remove a cancerous tumor

Russian scientists used ultrasound to remove a cancerous tumor

the Question of surgical removal of tumors at the last time is particularly acute because, according to statistics, the number of identified cancer cases is steadily increasing. And this, in turn, means that it is necessary to dev...

Nobel prize for medicine was awarded for discoveries in the field of chronobiology

Nobel prize for medicine was awarded for discoveries in the field of chronobiology

the Nobel prize is awarded for more than 100 years, and its winners are the most outstanding scientists from around the world. Every year dozens of candidates are considered by the Nobel Committee. Each opening is awarded, able to...

Russian scientists have created a material for the production of artificial muscles

Russian scientists have created a material for the production of artificial muscles

the Development of artificial muscles, scientists are already not the first year. The creation of a complete muscle will make it possible to produce high-tech prostheses for people with disabilities, greatly improving their qualit...

Chinese robot dentist himself performed the first operation

Chinese robot dentist himself performed the first operation

the Robot dentist, created by the Chinese developers started to work and even independently carried out the first operation. The result was new jaw — the robot put the patient new teeth. Software for the robot and the ...

Scientists for the first time

Scientists for the first time "turned off" the gene in the human embryo

Genetics in animal experiments have long been used by the editor of the genome of CRISPR/Cas9, scientists from the United States first in the world moved to a new stage of testing: experiments on humans. They were able to successf...

Five technologies that can read your thoughts, and examples of their use

Five technologies that can read your thoughts, and examples of their use

People who are called "vegetables", that is being sustained in a vegetative state, unable to move a finger, even the eyes. They were also considered to be fully unconscious, while Adrian Owen, who is currently working at Western U...

Created a vaccine against dental caries

Created a vaccine against dental caries

we are All accustomed to vaccines. In early childhood we make vaccines against diphtheria, measles, whooping cough. Then vaccinated against hepatitis and other dangerous diseases. Annual vaccination against the flu will help not g...

A microscopic robot has been taught to sort DNA molecules

A microscopic robot has been taught to sort DNA molecules

Nanobots capable of working inside the human body, are extremely promising development. They make a diagnosis, to monitor people's health and even cure diseases. But something new in this area invented by scientists from the Calif...

AI can detect Alzheimer's years before symptoms appear

AI can detect Alzheimer's years before symptoms appear

Different groups of scientists from all over the world are working to as soon as possible to learn of the coming of Alzheimer's disease patients. The fact is that the sooner the disease is detected, the more effective might be a p...

Russian robot surgeon ready for mass production

Russian robot surgeon ready for mass production

there is little doubt that robot-assisted surgery over time, if not replace «common», that will go with it hand in hand. Long known about the success of the Da Vinci robot, which has already performed many operations. Bu...

"Patches" for the heart will print on a 3D printer

3D printing is widely used not only in industry but in other industries. For example, in medicine. There have been several attempts of printing entire organs. But if full use of printed organs is still far away, their parts can be...

For the first time grown living bone tissue

For the first time grown living bone tissue

for the First time in the modern history of transplantation, the scientists managed to grow the real bone tissue. These successes scientists from Scotland and Ireland. According to the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, it may...

Printed on a 3D printer tibia implanted in the patient

Printed on a 3D printer tibia implanted in the patient

Experimental surgery helped 27-year-old Australian to save the leg. Reuben Lighter suffered from a serious form of osteomyelitis and he was threatened with amputation, but the doctors encouraged him to try a new method, previously...

How to make the medicines more effective?

How to make the medicines more effective?

One of the main problems of the effective action of drugs is that while they «travel» the body of the substances just destroyed our defense system. In addition, medications are often toxic and cause no little harm. Has l...

In the U.S. propose to use the Zeke virus to fight cancer

In the U.S. propose to use the Zeke virus to fight cancer

One of the main problems in the treatment of brain tumors is poor accessibility to medicines (because the brain is protected by blood-brain barrier), so for surgical intervention because of the danger of damaging vital centers. Bu...

Modern tests to determine cancer are not effective?

Modern tests to determine cancer are not effective?

Modern methods of diagnosis of this deadly disease as cancer are not informative enough. The disease is usually detected at a late stage. One of the most common ways to recognize cancer is the identification of tumor markers (if s...

Artificial intelligence will identify patients malingerers

Artificial intelligence will identify patients malingerers

many medications must be administered strictly under doctor's orders. With a long examination and prescription prescription to receiving medication. However, a number of pathologies such as pain, can be simulated and some people d...