(science and philosophy in a unified system of thought) Life-Extension & Control of Ageing Program |
(science and philosophy in a unified system of thought) Life-Extension & Control of Ageing Program |
The recent furor over embryonic stem-cell research highlights several important issues which are relevant to life-extension science & technology. The first thing which is quite remarkable is that this extremely esoteric aspect of fundamental biology received such avid attention all the way from Congressional committees and the President, to the heads of world religions, most every other kind of pundit, and even average citizens on the street. The debate was not about the science but rather the moral implication of the science. For a review, see the synopsis at the following.
http://www.time.com/time/2001/stemcells/ How people can be so morally concerned about a small cluster of undifferentiated cells which are privately owned and which, if not used, will be destroyed is curious. More than the stem-cells, per se, I tend to think that they represent a symbolic representation of an underlying apprehension in people who are sensing, at a subconscious level, the prospective impact of the emerging bio-technology, even though it has yet to manifest in tangible applications. From the very beginning of my work in this field, I have maintained that the pursuit of the new biology (particularly life-extension science) should be done within a broader philosophical framework because even small improvements in systemic biology will have strong and ubiquitous impact on almost every aspect of human psychology, social institutions, ecological balances, and traditional world-views; and philosophical reconstruction is the only way to deal effectively with this impact. The old systems simply cannot comprehend this new energy. Surprisingly, integrating philosophy and science has been a "hard sell"; but I become more convinced of its necessity as progress inches along. I think that this recent episode emphasizes the point. But aside from that, stem-cell research is one of those areas that is directly related to the ultimate invention of the control of ageing; and I want to make some brief comments in that regard.
Stem-cells are undifferentiated cells which have the capacity to replace themselves and to produce many types of differentiated, somatic cells that become functional tissues. For a primer on stem-cells, see the NIH monograph.
http://www.nih.gov/news/stemcell/primer.htm Although embryonic stem cells have some advantage in the conduct of basic research, the embryonic aspect is a side issue and somewhat irrelevant. The real target of this research will be the reactivation of stem-cells which reside though out all the varied tissues of your body. As far as I know, all tissues in your body (including the brain) have dormant stem-cells which, under natural conditions, after development, have been made quiescent. Growth ceases in different tissues at different stages (between 0-13 years of age); and the cessation of growth is caused by putting "clamps" on stem-cell activity. As the body proceeds through its metabolic wear and tear over time, virtually all tissues loose somatic cells and those that remain become impaired in terms of rate of operation, accumulation of metabolic waste, and malformed components. In other words, ageing is probably the consequence of the inactivation or down-regulation of growth - i.e., inactivation or down-regulation of stem-cells. One of the more direct and fundamental approaches to biological regeneration would be to reactivate stem-cells to produce new somatic cells and to modulate that interplay. Such reactivation would involve what I have termed "eumitotic agents" - i.e., agents which induce cell division. And that is discussed in the Biology Chapter of The Manual. Using "eumitotic agents", one could target either functional somatic cells or their precursor stem-cells. The latter might be easier. Also, in The Manual, I have mentioned the new bio-technology company called Tularik, which is a spin-off from the work of Prof. Tjian, here at UC Berkeley. He was the first to identify a human "transcription factor" in the 1980's; and transcription factors are agents that modulate the expression of DNA segments. Under his direction, Tularik is now in the process of evaluation some half-million potential transcriptions factors. Although their declared aim is the cure of the usual chronic diseases and not ageing; these agents are the most likely for "unclamping" stem cells, then modulation their replication, and thereby inducing biological regeneration or the control of ageing. I have been formulating how best to influence their research in that direction and have proposed creating a mutual investment fund to hold stock in the company and enable me to vote that stock. For those who might be interest in this, see the appropriate sector of the web-site.
http://www.fis.org/public/obiterdicta/biotech.html For those who wish to probe the basic research in this area, I have provided the following MEDLINE reference information. When you use the search command "stem cells and transcription factors" the database shows some 4,000+ citations with those two terms beginning to be correlated with some frequency in about 1990. See the chart and summaries below.
To retrieve current "review" citations, use the following search command.
Stem Cells Definition. Relatively undifferentiated cells of the same lineage (family type) that retain the ability to divide and cycle throughout postnatal life to provide cells that can become specialized and take the place of those that die or are lost. Year introduced: 1984. [National Library of Medicine, Medical Subject Heading - MeSH].
To retrieve current "review" citations, use the following search command. Subheadings for this term are:
analysis drug effects pathology secretion anatomy and histology enzymology physiology transplantation chemistry immunology physiopathology ultrastructure classification metabolism radiation effects virology cytology microbiology radiography All MeSH Categories
Anatomy Category
Cells
Stem Cells
Fibroblasts
Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Myeloid Progenitor Cells +
Tumor Stem Cells
Transcription Factors See Also: Trans-Activators Definition. Endogenous substances, usually proteins, which are effective in the initiation, stimulation, or termination of the genetic transcription process. Year introduced: 1977. [National Library of Medicine, Medical Subject Heading - MeSH].
To retrieve current "review" citations, use the following search command.
Subheadings for this term are: administration and dosage chemistry immunology secretion agonists classification isolation and purification therapeutic use analysis deficiency metabolism toxicity antagonists and inhibitors diagnostic use pharmacokinetics ultrastructure biosynthesis drug effects pharmacology blood genetics physiology chemical synthesis history radiation effects
All MeSH CategoriesChemicals and Drugs Category
Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins
Proteins
Transcription Factors
Adenovirus E1A Proteins
Adenovirus E1B Proteins
BRCA1 Protein
Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein
DNA-Binding Protein, Cyclic AMP-Responsive
Myogenic Regulatory Factors
MyoD Protein
Myogenin
NF-kappa BProto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myb
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-rel
Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon
Receptors, Retinoic Acid
Receptors, Steroid
Receptors, Androgen
Receptors, Calcitriol
Receptors, Estrogen +
Receptors, Glucocorticoid
Receptors, Mineralocorticoid +
Receptors, Progesterone
Receptors, Thyroid Hormone
Repressor Proteins
Rho Factor
Sigma Factor
T-Box Domain Proteins
Trans-Activators
Herpes Simplex Virus Protein Vmw65
Transcription Factor AP-1
Transcription Factor, Sp1
Transcription Factors, TFII
Transcription Factors, TFIII
