#040 Dr. Eric Verdin on Ketogenic Diet Longevity, Beta-Hydroxybutyrate & HDAC Inhibitors
December 13, 2017 (duration 1h3m)

Eric M. Verdin

Eric M. Verdin, M.D. is the fifth president and chief executive officer of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and is a professor of Medicine at UCSF.

Dr. Verdin's laboratory focuses on the role of epigenetic regulators in the aging process, the role of metabolism and diet in aging and on the chronic diseases of aging, including Alzheimer’s, proteins that play a central role in linking caloric restriction to increased healthspan, and more recently a topic near and dear to many of you, ketogenesis. He's held faculty positions at the University of Brussels, the NIH and the Picower Institute for Medical Research.

 In this episode, you'll discover:

• (00:00) Introduction
• (07:32) Interventions to prolong lifespan
• (10:42) The role of insulin pathways in aging
• (16:25) HDAC inhibition by ketones
• (27:52) Protein activates mTOR & IGF-1
• (30:28) PPAR-alpha activation facilitates benefits of a ketogenic diet
• (35:28) What biomarkers can predict aging?
• (39:38) Cellular NAD+ levels decrease with age 
• (52:47) Ketogenic diet safety 
• (56:07) Intermittent fasting as an alternative to a keto diet

If you’re interested in learning more, you can read the full show notes here.

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a16z Podcast: Mindsets for Engineering Biology
October 6, 2017 (duration 28m)
Head of the largest bioengineering lab in the world, former chairman of the FDA and one of the few recipients of the National Medals of Science and of Technology and Innovation, Bob Langer's work has spanned multiple fields and settings and has been applied across numerous fields, from pharmaceutical to chemical, biotechnology to medical device companies. What does it mean to move across disciplines like this, from science to engineering, both in the lab and into the field? In this conversation with general partner and head of the a16z bio fund Vijay Pande (with Hanne Tidnam), Langer and Pande share the challenges and opportunities as people move across different disciplines, as well as the changing mindsets for innovation as applied to biotech: first principles, "rational" biology, do no harm, and others. At the heart of it all is "the interface of engineering and materials" in biology and healthcare innovation. Especially as, thanks to tech, biology shifts from empirical study to engineering -- not just in startups but in academia too. Yet does that make the work too "translational"? And what of regulation? The guests on this episode explore all of these themes, and more.

Forever Young
September 20, 2017 (duration 27m)
In 2015 Liz Parrish performed a risky experiment - on herself. She took a gene therapy entirely untested on humans in the hope of “curing” what she says is a disease: ageing. Her gamble was criticised by some in the scientific community, but she is not the only one that thinks scientific advances will help humans live longer healthier lives.

#036 Judith Campisi, Ph.D. on Cellular Senescence, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Cancer & Aging
April 28, 2017 (duration 1h8m)

Dr. Judith Campisi is a professor of biogerentology at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and a co-editor in chief of the Aging Journal.

As an expert on cellular senescence, the discussion involves a lot of talk about aging and cancer, where senescence plays a very important fundamental role. What are some of the strategies we might use in the future to prevent senescent cells? What causes them in the first place? 

In this episode, you’ll discover: 

• (00:00) Introduction
• (05:12) Fundamental molecular and cellular processes of aging
• (13:19) What is senescence and why did we evolve this cellular function? 
• (24:09) The difference between lifespan and healthspan
• (30:32) DNA damage and mitochondrial dysfunction promote senescence 
• (35:45) Prolonged fasting suppresses senescent cells and stimulates new cell growth
• (47:30) Exercise extends healthspan, partially by lengthening telomeres
• (54:03) Consumer tests for DNA damage and cellular senescence
• (59:58) NAD+ boosters, fasting mimetics, and aging in non-human animals

If you’re interested in learning more, you can read the full show notes here.

Join over 300,000 people and get the latest distilled information on cancer & aging straight to your inbox weekly: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/newsletter

Become a FoundMyFitness premium member to get access to exclusive episodes, emails, live Q+A’s with Rhonda and more: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/crowdsponsor