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Silicon Valley invests in finding cure for aging
硅谷尋找衰老問題解決方案
Silicon Valley technologists have created some of the world's most innovative products, and now may be reaching even higher, by trying to find a cure for ageing. Some consider that an exaggeration, but billionaires like Oracle founder Larry Ellison have talked of accepting death as incomprehensible and companies like Google have invested in startups seeking to use technology to enhance lifespan. Reporter Mark Niu introduces us to a foundation that's also received sizeable investments from tech moguls looking to keep bodies from breaking down.
Tucked away in a small office in the heart of Silicon Valley, the SENS research foundation is engaged in the cutting-edge work of rejuvenation biotechnology. They experiment with preserved cells and more specifically the powerhouse of the cell - the mitochondria.
"As you accumulate damage to the mitochondrial DNA, as we age, you start losing the ability to produce energy as efficiently which can result in your cells and your organs functioning less well, and some of those cells actually start dying We're trying to.. reengineer mitochondria genes so that they are not as susceptible to mutation," Matthew o'Connor, lead researcher of SENS Research Foundation, said.
In this lab, scientists have succeeded in restoring mitochondrial functions to cells under conditions where they normally would have died. But those cells only grew at half the normal rate.
With donations primarily from philanthropists, SENS operates on a five million dollar annual budget that founders consider a drop in the bucket compared to what's spent on health care.
"We sometimes say life-extension is a side effect if our work is successful and that's great. More power to that. What we really wanna do is present an opportunity for more efficient and effective mechanisms for health care for the elderly. Here in the United States we are spending $40,000 for health care for the elderly this second. We spend trillions for the development of drugs around the world for these age-related diseases," Michael Kope, CEO & co-founder of SENS Research Foundation, said. SENS's approach is still a long away from being used on people, as it would likely need testing on animals first before being incorporated in human gene therapy - a technique also still under study.
"It is going to be a challenge from a regulatory perspective and from an investment perspective to move these technologies into market successfully. But the tremendous value of this if these technologies can actually repair and remit the damage that's occurring, but actually prevent them, real preventive regenerative medicine against aging. That means you might actually start to remove some of these diseases from society," Michael said.
The battle against aging elevates as Google's spin-off Calico recently partnered with drug giant AbbVie to spend up to 1.5 billion for developing treatments for age-related diseases. A Palo Alto investor recently launched a one-million dollar longevity prize competition dedicated to ending aging. While Silicon Valley coins such projects"moonshots", at SENS lab, researchers aren't hung up on the odds, saying what's most important is that every day they're progressing, making cells both happier and healthier.
