X-Message-Number: 24437
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 08:57:36 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: aging and our brains

For James Swayze and others interested:

Several different forms of transplanted brain tissue have been studied
for their effect on aging in the past. (References provided if
requested). The most important implication of such experiments is 
that our BRAIN plays a major role in our aging. Some have looked
at hormones provided by our hypothalamus, which again suggests
that this brain area may play an important role. And here's one
interesting reference I happen to have right at hand: try looking
at AV Everitt, JR Walton (eds) REGULATION OF NEUROENDOCRINE AGING,
No. 24 in INTERDISCIPLINARY TOPICS IN GERONTOLOGY (ed HP von Hahn).

This research has also gone a bit out of fashion, but still deserves
to be kept in mind. One simple implication: we're not going to be
able to affect our aging if we get our brains transplanted into
younger bodies. The younger body will quickly age, while the brain
continues to become older.

Yes, I know about the various other theories of aging. And what
may really turn out is that we'll find different levels, so that
we deal with one process causing aging and then because people
still age, we find a more underlying process. The simple fact that
even calorie restriction gives not agelessness, but the same
kind of lifespan curves as normal only shifted to the right a bit,
should tell us that aging involves much more than the currently
fashionable processes.

              Best wishes and long long life to all,

                  Thomas Donaldson

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