3rd International Conference on Anti-Aging Medicine and Biomedical Technology

by Michael R. Perry

Date: Sun, 14 Jan 96 19:35:13

ANTI-AGING CONFERENCE PRESS RELEASE

Scientists agree lifespans of 120 and beyond are now probable! Historic Anti-Aging Medical Conference attended by 1400+ of the world’s leading researchers and physicians.

The 3rd International Conference on Anti-Aging Medicine and Biomedical Technology held December 9-11 at the Alexis Park Resort in Las Vegas was, by any measure, a monumental success! This meeting dramatically confirmed the search is on for methods to prevent and reverse the adverse effects of the aging process.

The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M), University of Minnesota, and Oklahoma State University co-sponsored the 3rd International Conference on Anti-Aging Medicine and Biomedical Technology. During the meeting over 100 of the world’s leading physicians and scientists discussed advances in medicine, research, and a variety of age-related topics. Groundbreaking work by respected clinicians and researchers was showcased. The meeting was a forum for a diversity of disciplines that have an immediate impact on daily life such as genetic engineering, hormone replacement therapy, health and wellness advances, advances in immunology and lifespan extension.

Presiding over the meeting was Dr. Ronald Klatz, president of the A4M and author of the newly released Advances in Anti-aging Medicine; this book is the first textbook on Anti-Aging Medicine. He set the tone of the conference by proclaiming that… “Aging is not inevitable; aging is in fact a series of degenerative processes that ultimately lead to disease and death. Aging is a disease and we are at last tackling this, the greatest killer of all mankind.” Among the keynote speak-

ers were Drs. William Regelson and Walter Pierpaoli (co-authors of The Melatonin Miracle), Vincent Giampapa, M.D. (pioneering anti-aging plastic surgeon and co-developer of the Biomarker Biomatrix Technology) and Ben

Weider, Ph.D. (President, International Federation of BodyBuilders).

Three individuals were recognized for excellence, achievement, devotion, and genius for their contributions to the advancement of longevity science which benefit all the world. Denham Harman, M.D., Ph.D. (founder of the Free Radical Theory of aging), Nathan Pritikin (discoverer of the role of cholesterol, diet and exercise related to heart disease) and Raymond V. Damadian, M.D. (inventor of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging device). These individuals’ achievements merited the Infinity Award, the highest recognition by A4M, for their pioneer findings that led to the development of diagnostic protocol(s) and/or therapies that both prolong and enhance the quality of life.

During the conference, A4M was pre-

Gregory Fahy, Ph.D.

sented with a $100,000 check by Ben Weider, president of Weider Industries. This donation initiated a campaign to support significant anti-aging research studies. The Academy plans to raise the millions of dollars necessary to fund substantive, innovative, systematic research projects that could dramatically enhance human lifespan. When aging is viewed as a disease, researchers can develop non-invasive medical treatments to enable the cells of the body to successfully replicate themselves. New research that demonstrated these very real possibilities for extending maximum human lifespan was presented by some of the chief scientists of Geron Corporation, an innovator in biotechnology (Menlo Park, CA).

Among the presentations on significant diagnostic and therapeutic advances, one morning symposium dealt with the role of melatonin. William Regelson, M.D.

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(Medical College of Virginia) led the discussion of the clinical applications of melatonin from data presented by international clinicians and researchers; their work demonstrated that melatonin is a significant component in the prevention of aging and its symptoms. Also featured were new treatment options available to

William Regelson, M.D.

reverse neurologic dysfunction. Clinical Successes in Anti-Aging Medicine Symposium presented clinical case studies using early diagnosis and treatment protocols to reverse and/or retard specific patient age-related diseases including neurologic disorders, cancer, skin aging, and cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Ronald Klatz moderated; among the leading clinicians or researchers speaking were: Julian Whitaker, M.D., Stephen Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C., Gregory Keller, M.D., F.A.C.S., and Hans Kugler, Ph.D.

Applications of genetic engineering were given by Michael Fossel, M.D., Ph.D., hormonal replacement as a longevity therapeutic protocol was discussed by Stephen Langer, M.D. Robert Goldman, D.O., Ph.D. (President, National Academy of Sports Medicine) and Ben Weider (President, International Federation of BodyBuilders) discussed preventive lifestyles that optimize fitness and well-being. Other topics include: age regression by surgical and medical techniques by Vincent Giampapa, M.D., role(s) of the immune system, nutrition, nanotechnology, and live cell extracts.

Given the significant research presented during this conference, a consensus exists that disease and the deleterious effects of aging will ultimately be eliminated. Ex-

amples leading to this conclusion include: Japanese women have an average life expectancy of 85 years. Currently, 60,000 centenarians are living in the United States. It is projected that there will be over 120,000 alive and well by the year 2004.

The creation of the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine was announced during this conference. A4M will offer an accredited program in the new clinical specialty of Anti-Aging Medicine. This program will provide physicians with the opportunity to acquire current applicable information on diagnoses and treatment protocols as well as training sessions in this new preventive medical specialty. This clinical specialty is targeted for those

who will provide medical care that will significantly extend and provide a healthful lifespan to patients.

Dr. Ron Klatz stated “Over 50% of those attending this conference should expect to see their hundredth birthday and beyond.” The idea that “Youth is wasted on the young” may change to “Youth is a long-term possibility… provided you take the steps necessary to preserve it.”

MY IMPRESSIONS(MP): I was privileged to attend the A4M conference. There was an optimism and excitement about the future that was very invigorating. Brave words were spoken. “We are entering a new era of evolution—human potential without limits,” said Dr. Klatz in his opening address the first morning, adding, ”…Aging is not inevitable… but like all diseases is treatable and curable… May you all live free, forever.” One refreshing change from the attitudes I’d seen some years ago was that there was no longer that infamous insistence on “squaring the mortality curve.” (The latter means, essentially, that people stay alive and healthy until some “reasonable, ripe old” age, then swiftly sicken and die, as in Huxley’s Brave New World. This was said to be necessary and desirable to prevent “social hemorrhaging”!) Instead it was clear that serious thought was being given

to straightening the mortality curve—simply making people immortal and free of all debilities including aging—forever. And—there was one talk, by Dr. Ralph Merkle, devoted specifically to cryonics (though not mentioned in the press release).

Overall, the feeling seemed to be that “the future is worth seeing” if one is in reasonable health, and the latter may be possible through one or another of the approaches that was discussed. As stated, there were more than 1400 attendees, which is far more than the number of people signed up for cryonic suspension. As expected, then, not all attendees were wildly enthusiastic about cryonics, and older, death-accepting attitudes were also lurking about, as was well illustrated at one point. Someone wasn’t there, the speaker announced; his wife had been diagnosed with cancer. We were urged to

Dr. Roy Walford

“remember them in your prayers”—the freezing option wasn’t mentioned. But, among the many presentations, at least some struck me as possibly very significant and cause for very cautious optimism about the prospect of not having to be frozen. Though there is, as usual, no guarantee, aging could be curable in a few decades, or at least, treatable in such a way that many living today will live long enough to experience a complete cure and hence, biological immortality.

Among the major highlights of the conference were the following:

The most significant research presented, in my estimation, was that by Geron Corporaton in Menlo Park, CA, relating to the role of telomeres and telomerase in both the aging process and

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cancer. As is now becoming well-known, telomeres are structures that bind the ends of chromosomes together like the plastic ends of shoestrings. When most cells of the body divide, the resulting daughter cells have shorter telomeres—when the

Marvin Minsky

telomeres become too short, the chromosomes begin to unravel and the cell line dies. The shortening of telomeres limits somatic (body) cells in the human to about sixty divisions, the “Hayflick limit” named after discoverer Leonard Hayflick. That telomere shortening is important in aging was gruesomely and forcefully suggested by photos of progeria victims who start life with abnormally short telomeres, show aging-like symptoms in early childhood, and typically die around age 12. On the other hand, germ cells in the body produce telomerase, which lengthens the telomeres, and keeps pace with the shortening that is otherwise occurring. This is why the offspring of an organism do not start life at an advanced biological age—their biological clock has been reset! Resetting the clock is not always an advantage, however. Cancer cells also produce telomerase—and don’t die out—until their unrestricted proliferation kills the whole organism!

Of the three speakers from Geron,

Dr. Michael Fossel was the most optimistic, predicting that the maximum human lifespan will be increased to 200 years and beyond within 20 years, through understanding and counteracting the mechanism of telomere shortening in somatic

human cells. While, as he noted, the telomere problem was not the only process involved in aging, solving this one problem ought to improve things and lengthen maximum lifespan. (Then it should also buy us valuable time to work on the other problems!) Dr. Calvin Harley, another Geron speaker, thought aging would prove too complicated to be significantly impacted by the mere

should sign up because there is little to lose if cryonics is unsuccessful, i.e. does not result in eventual resuscitation, and something definite to gain if it does succeed. Moreover, there is a reasonable chance it will succeed, which he estimates, for a typical case with the usual problems, at around two thirds. Dr. Gregory Fahy elaborated on the possibilities of nanotechnology, which should make feasible such essentials for cryonics as cell repair.

Dr. Marvin Minsky gave a delightful, disorganized talk on “rebuilding ourselves from the ground up.” It is clear that we are not going to remain simply “just a vehicle for reproducing our genes” as

Dr. Marvin Minsky gave a delightful, disorganized talk on “rebuilding ourselves from the ground up.” It is clear that we are not going to remain simply “just a vehicle for reproducing our genes” as now. We want to conquer aging and become more than human. But we will have to get motivated.

reversal of telomere shortening. He did, however, predict substantial improvements in cancer treatment through suppression of telomerase production in malignant cell lines. That this is not mere speculation was dramatically underscored by Geron’s recent work with malignant HeLa cell cultures. (These cells trace their ancestry to Henrietta Lacks, a cancer victim of 1950s. It was found that her malignancy proliferated very well in culture and the cells have since seen wide application in research.) In this work the normally immortal cell lines were induced to die out after about 25 divisions by suppression of their ability to produce telomerase.

In a short space I can’t do justice to all that was presented—but here are a few more highlights.

Ralph Merkle offered his usual, well thought-out, positive assessment of cryonics, based on anticipated developments in nanotechnology. As he sees it, one

now. We want to conquer aging and become more than human. But we will have to get motivated. “Because of lawyers and ethics and cowardice” research is hampered—it is going forward, but not as fast as one would like.

Finally, I’ll mention Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., an American convert to the Indian movement of Sikhism, who had some thoughts on “the role of the spirit.” Although this may suggest mysticism, the issues he addressed are real ones, for example, what sort of persons are we going to be, should we be, if our lives are greatly lengthened? These are hard questions and Dr. Khalsa was not offering definitive answers but—what is also important—trying to get us to think about the issues.

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