X-Message-Number: 1754
Newsgroups: sci.bio,sci.cryonics
From:  (Nick Szabo)
Subject: Re: Aging
Message-ID: <>
References: <>
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1993 11:25:58 GMT

N.B.: recently an RFD was posted for sci.bio.life-extension
with positive response in news.groups.  However, we need somebody
who can receive and count votes.  Any volunteers?

 (Gerard Mahalak) writes:

> I am a biochemist and I am interested in aging theories. The wear and tear 
>theory, Hayflick limit, genetic clock, anti oxident theory. I have been 
>following the subject for a long time. 

Great, I'm also quite interested in this and would like to hear more
of your ideas.  The Hayflick limit (beyond which cells stop proliferating)
is intriguing, because cell proliferation is a double-edged sword: it
is needed to repair wounds and replace dead cells, but it can also 
turn into cancer.  The aging body may walk a fine line between
would-healing and carcinogenesis, and as the DNA becomes more damaged
it becomes impossible to heal without proliferation running amok.
Secondarily, the damaged DNA also produces more and more bad protein.

If accumulating DNA damage is thus the underlying cause, what might
slow down such damage?  Antioxidants seem too non-specific, what
about agents that act directly with DNA error correction?

-- 
Nick Szabo					 

[ FYI: Message #0020.6 is the 2nd RFD for the proposed USENET
  life-extension news group.  The proposed name now is
  "sci.life-extension" rather than "sci.bio.life-extension". - KQB ]

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