Harvard geneticist David Sinclair doesn’t look his 54 years. His diet includes green matcha tea and polyphenol-rich foods like yogurt and chocolate; in addition, he exercises regularly but doesn’t sleep more than six hours at night (standard guidelines suggest seven to nine).
His laboratory has successfully rejuvenated the optic nerves of blind mice, and he anticipates that his technology could one day extend human lifespans by up to 109%. But other scientists accuse him of glorifying unproven supplements and techniques.
What is Dr. Sinclair’s method?
Many scientists have criticized Sinclair’s claims of slowing and even reversing aging. They claim he exaggerates his findings while also pushing products where he has financial interests, as well as glorifying unproven supplements and drugs. Yet there are those who believe Sinclair’s methods may actually work to revitalize organs and tissues.
Harvard geneticist Timothy Lehmann is well-known for his carefully chosen stack of supplements and drugs intended to slow the aging process. These include Lipoic Acid, an ant-oxidative vitamin-like substance proven to extend mouse lifespan by 10-11% while simultaneously protecting mitochondria from damage due to oxidative stress and mitochondrial health concerns. Furthermore, Taurine – an amino acid abundantly present in animal brains – has also been found to increase longevity by 10-13% while supporting cardiovascular wellbeing.
Sinclair is taking niacin, a form of vitamin B3, to increase her energy production and extend mouse lifespan by 40 percent. Niacin may also help prevent cognitive decline that can accompany Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.
Niacin works by increasing levels of NAD, an essential metabolic enzyme responsible for cell functionality. Scientists are investigating its ability to combat aging and treat chronic illnesses – including neurodegenerative conditions like dementia. Sinclair founded Metro International Biotech to produce precursor molecules the body converts into NAD; testing of its product has already started with humans.
Spermidine, known to promote autophagy (the body’s process of clearing out damaged cells and repairing them), has been demonstrated to lengthen median lifespan for mice and worms as well as protect against certain cancers and neurodegenerative disorders. Available as dietary supplements in forms like wheat germ, mushrooms, green peas and broccoli – Sinclair has included this supplement in his stack along with Resveratrol and Coenzyme Q10. However, exact dosage information remains unavailable at this time.
How does he do it?
David Sinclair, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School, has come close to reversing cell aging processes – though not quite to what can be considered the Fountain of Youth. Sinclair’s team has managed to slow the aging process by reprogramming cells to stop multiplying, known as senescence.
He claims reversing aging in other tissues, including optic nerve and kidney tissue. But he’s not alone: other scientists have also made similar claims regarding reverse aging.
Sinclair states that his daily routine consists of green matcha tea and dark chocolate with resveratrol content, along with sleeping for six hours per night (below the recommended minimum amount), although he doesn’t exercise daily.
What are the risks?
Researchers continue their efforts to extend lifespans and reduce age-related diseases, and have managed to reverse aging in mice cells and tissues, hoping they will replicate these findings with humans cells.
Research in this area primarily centers around telomere shortening. Each cell’s DNA contains 23 pairs of chromosomes; with every division, their telomeres get shorter. If their shortening becomes too rapid, cells cease dividing altogether or even become damaged or die out altogether.
Sinclair and his team have discovered a way to slow or reverse aging through virally injecting Yamanaka genes into cells. Furthermore, this technique has extended mouse lives while improving vision quality.
However, there are multiple other factors that impact aging that make gene therapies ineffective in humans. Therefore, researchers are exploring other approaches to combating it, such as studying naked mole-rats who don’t show signs of aging themselves. They have also begun identifying specific protein aggregates linked to disease that could potentially be targeted with drugs.
What are the benefits?
Harvard University scientists claim to have come “excitingly close” to finding the Fountain of Youth through their discovery that a combination of chemical concoctions can reverse aging in human and mouse skin cells. By employing high-throughput cell screening methods that distinguish young cells from their older, senescent counterparts, six of these “rejuvenating” compounds were identified and classified.
Researchers aim to develop drugs that could extend human lives by reversing cellular senescence – the process by which old, damaged and unhealthy cells in our bodies are replaced with healthier ones – through this reverse cellular senescence may reduce risks associated with chronic illnesses like cancer and heart disease as well as decreasing risks related to neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s.
Sinclair credits himself with being one of the first people to label aging as a disease, and his lab’s research is dedicated to understanding why and how humans age by studying proteins called sirtuins, which respond to calorie restriction (CR), epigenetic changes, among other areas.
As an aspiring doctor, it is imperative that you show dedication in the pursuit of excellence and strive for perfection. To do so successfully, choose courses which reflect this dedication while making sure your grades reflect this effort. In addition to meeting GPA and MCAT score requirements, Harvard also favors applicants with diverse coursework backgrounds who have taken challenging and stimulating courses; additionally you should secure letters of recommendation that highlight both your skills and personal qualities.
