Someday Only the Wine Will Age

Imagine a world where aging is a thing of the past, where the prospect of becoming old and
disabled becomes as obsolete as the rotary phone and the typewriter. Indeed, aging as most know
it might also be dumped into the scrapyard of history just like an outdated invention. Having the
ability to live for centuries may sound daunting to some, while to others it sounds like the best
thing that could ever happen. Public demand and research by reputable institutions and
pharmaceutical companies have fueled the recent explosive growth in the anti-aging field.
Although no specific methods have been proven that would allow humans to live for centuries,
there are major steps being taken in the scientific community towards developing different
procedures that could allow humans to do so in the near future. The development of anti-aging
drugs and therapies must continue so that humans can age gracefully, continue to be productive,
and exist in better health than they do today.
In The Recipe For Immortality, published in Discover, authors George Church and Ed Regis
explore the field of synthetic biology and the possibilities of humans regularly living to be over
the age of 100. They insist that exploring both animal and human cells can help lead to a
solution. Church and Regis believe that by studying the cells of animals who are able to live for
hundreds of years, scientists can then determine what specific parts of their DNA allow them to
live for that long (par. 7). Then, scientists should be able to apply the knowledge gained from
studying long-living organisms to replicate similar DNA samples, helping humans live past 100
years of age. Church and Regis also explain how scientists have been able to sample the cells of
humans, and they have discovered that some of them are nearly immortal (par. 8). Finally, the
authors discuss what new discoveries may be made by the year 2016 and beyond, and realize that
any discovery will be important (par. 19). Church and Regis argue synthetic biology is the only
way in which humans can break loose from the limits set by evolution, allowing people to
have a better chance of living past the age of 100 (par. 17). While Church and Regis discuss the
idea of altering the genetic structure of humans, author Christopher Hooton reports on the
advances in drug therapies, which hold promise in extending life.
Throughout the article Senolytics: Scientists Identify New Drug That Slows The Ageing
Process And Could Dramatically Increase Our Life Expectancy, published in The Independent,
author Christopher Hooton acknowledges that a team of scientists from multiple institutions
carried out experiments to determine the effects that combinations of senolytic treatments had on
mice. Senolytic drugs rid the body of cells that have stopped dividing (Hooton par. 7). These
cells accumulate in the body and contribute to the aging process (Hooton par. 7). The researchers
tested certain classes of these drugs and the results, which were published in the journal Aging
Cell, showed that the mice lived longer and in better health because their aging process was
slowed (Hooton par. 1). Although this experiment was done on mice, co-lead author Professor
Paul Robbins believes that a particular group of medications may have similar effects on
humans, which could be used to extend healthspan or to treat age-related diseases and
disorders (Hooton par. 4). The drugs are not ready to be used on humans as they still need to be
put through additional testing. However, according to Hooton, the scientists leading this research
believe that the recently discovered combination of drugs will eventually be used on humans,
and will have a positive effect on them (par 12). Hooton addresses the general function of
senolytic treatments, while author Neil Howe gives specific details about rapamycin, a drug that
has shown immense promise in turning back the clock.

Author Neil Howes article entitled Will Anti-Aging Drugs Lead To A Brave New World?,
which was published in Forbes, reveals how scientists in the field of longevity research are
attempting to develop drugs that limit aging itself and lengthen the lifespan in humans. In terms
of extending human life, Howe argues that one drug, rapamycin, is believed by researchers to
have the most potential (par. 3). In drug testing trials involving both mice and humans,
rapamycin and a similar drug that is already proven to be safe for humans, showed positive
effects on both longevity and the immune system (Howe par. 3, 4). Rapamycin works to shut off
a certain gene, which then switches the body into a survival mode, thus prolonging life (Howe
par. 3). Pharmaceutical companies are beginning to invest large sums in the development of antiaging drugs. Howe explains that the reason companies are rushing into the anti-aging market is
to capitalize on the burgeoning public demand even as research continues (par. 8). According
to Howe, if these drugs really do slow down the aging process, they might ensure that people live
longer, healthier lives instead of our present day situation where so many people wither away
before dying (par. 10). While Neil Howe explores just one approach to the fight against aging,
author Zo Corbyn discusses how new groups of anti-aging researchers, such as high-tech firms,
have brought additional funding, energy, and ideas to the battle against aging.
Author Zo Corbyn discusses new research that is taking place as billionaires turn their
attentions and fortunes towards developing a cure for aging in her article titled "Live Forever:
Scientists Say Theyll Soon Extend Life well beyond 120," which was published in The
Guardian. Companies, Google for instance, and noted scientists, such as Craig Venter, have
formed new companies and projects which have as their goals the disruption of the aging process
and/or the extension of human healthspan (Corbyn par. 3, 4). The range of drugs and therapies
being investigated and tested are diverse and attack the aging issue on several fronts (Corbyn).
Rapamycin, metformin, and resveratrol are existing drugs that seem to possess life-extending
properties, and big pharmaceutical companies are spending millions of dollars to test them on
yeast, mice, and humans (Corbyn par. 13, 14, 16). Corbyn acknowledges other treatments, such
as transfusing blood from young people into older patients, are being tested as primary therapies
as well as potential sources for new drugs (par. 17). The big-money players in the anti-aging
game are exploring such a wide range of solutions that they could easily miss the mark; however,
their efforts could create beneficial spin-off solutions (Corbyn par. 25). Wealthy tech
entrepreneurs and scientists are at the cutting edge of life-extension research because they have
the money to fund the research, they sense there are new fortunes to be made in this field, and
these people thrive on creating technologies that spawn new markets and innovations (Corbyn).
Aging is a fact of life. Getting older can be thrilling for a child. A childs world is expanding, and
all of their opportunities are still out in front of them. However, it is a different story at the other
end of life. Physical and mental ailments cause an older persons world to shrink to sometimes,
literally, a single room. Simple, daily activities can be a complex struggle for an older person,
and even the identities of close friends and family members can be forgotten as memories fade
with age. As Regis and Church suggest in the article, it is aging itself that is the real culprit
because it is aging that brings on the maladies that introduce suffering, pain, and confusion to
people of advanced years (par. 4). When attacking this enemy, medical science should use every
weapon in its arsenal to combat the aging process.
Researchers are exploring a multitude of options in order to find an anti-aging cure that would
allow a significant percentage of the population to stay mentally and physically involved in
society. Scientists are developing drugs like rapamycin, studying human cells that seem to resist

aging, and are exploring modifications to natural processes in an effort to delay or stop aging
(Howe; Regis and Church). Heading off aging might then prevent the onset of diseases
associated with the advancement of years. Living longer with the help of these discoveries means
that older people can continue to be far more productive than they are today. They will have the
mental alertness to communicate their wisdom and knowledge to younger generations. The
elderly will also have the ease of mobility to move through their communities and remain in
physical contact with their families and friends. Better health means less time spent living in care
facilities, and by staying in touch with society, older people will continue to feel important and
relevant. However, a significant investment of time and money is required to make living longer
with less illness and pain a reality.
The idea of delaying aging has obviously caught the imagination of mainstream scientists and
big drug companies. Changing how the human body ages and altering peoples ideas about the
meaning of old might seem like science fiction. Researcher Aubrey De Grey argues that in the
end, it is not the science behind finding a cure for aging that is most difficult (Corbyn par. 5);
rather, it is trying to change how people define aging that is the most difficult obstacle faced by
anti-aging researchers. De Grey believes humans need to realize that aging is simply a medical
problem that science can solve (Corbyn par. 5). However, it is not just writers and a few fringe
scientists that are excited by the idea of pushing back the limits of human lifespan. Massive
amounts of research dollars are being spent by pharmaceutical manufacturers, such as Novartis
and Calico, in an effort to unlock the secrets of human aging, and youth-obsessed consumers are
lining up to spend their money on the next age-defying breakthrough (Howe). Undoubtedly,
people can expect to be besieged with drug makers advertisements trumpeting the reasons that
their products are superior to the products of their competitors. The injection of money and
competition between companies are the two main components, which will fuel the race to create
reliable, anti-aging drugs.
The research and creation of anti-aging drugs is a must within the next few years. However, antiaging drugs do not just happen overnight, and countless number of hours of research must be put
into each drug before they can be used on people. Luckily for society, research institutions and
companies are willing to direct large amounts of money towards creating safe, anti-aging drugs
because they feel that a solution is close. They also know that there are people in the world today
that will go to extreme measures just to live longer. Extending longevity by slowing down aging
means an improved quality of life for older citizens. Society will also benefit enormously from
the contributions made by these people who will be healthier and more productive for years
longer. Today, older citizens represent an untapped natural resource, like a great, but
undiscovered, new form of energy which is useless unless converted into usable form. They are a
resource which can be converted from bedridden, ill, and forgotten into mentors, leaders, and
great repositories of knowledge and wisdom that just might revolutionize the world. This
opportunity is too great to ignore; therefore, life-extending and life-improving treatments must
be developed.

Works Cited
Corbyn, Zo. "Live Forever: Scientists Say Theyll Soon Extend Life Well Beyond
120." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 11 Jan. 2015. Web. 6 Oct. 2015.
Hooton, Christopher. "Senolytics: Scientists Identify New Drug That Slows the Ageing
Process and Could Dramatically Increase Our Life Expectancy." The Independent. N.p.,
10 Mar. 2015. Web. 8 Sept. 2015.
Howe, Neil. "Will Anti-Aging Drugs Lead To A Brave New World?" Forbes. N.p., 30
Apr. 2015. Web. 9 Sept. 2015.
Regis, Ed, and George Church. "The Recipe For Immortality." Discover. N.p., 17 Oct.
2012. Web. 8 Sept. 2015.