Exploring the Science of Aging and Longevity by Suramya at Zugrama Longevity Week

The session provided a comprehensive overview of aging, longevity research, and the latest advancements in the field. Suramya structured the talk into four key areas: 1. Introduction to Longevity Science - Defined longevity medicine and its interdisciplinary nature, covering geroscience (the biology of aging), biomarkers, and therapeutic development. - Highlighted the WHO's "Decade of Healthy Aging" initiative, emphasizing the global shift toward an aging population and the importance of maintaining functional and intrinsic capacity (e.g., mobility, cognition, independence) in older adults. 2. Markers of Aging - Discussed the hallmarks of aging, including telomere shortening, genomic instability, epigenetic changes, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cellular senescence (cells that stop dividing but remain metabolically active). - Explained how these markers contribute to age-related diseases and systemic decline. 3. Targeting Aging for Therapeutics - Explored strategies like senolytics (drugs that eliminate senescent cells), lifestyle interventions (diet, exercise, sleep), and emerging therapies such as CAR T-cell therapy and cellular reprogramming. - Stressed the need for personalized approaches due to heterogeneity in aging across individuals and populations. 4. Future of Longevity Research - Highlighted large-scale global studies (e.g., UK Biobank, Longitudinal Aging Study in India) and the role of AI in biomarker discovery and drug development. - Emphasized gaps in research, such as the lack of Indian-specific health data and the need for cross-disciplinary collaboration between longevity science and lifestyle medicine. Key Takeaways: - Aging is driven by interconnected biological processes at molecular, cellular, and systemic levels. - Interventions like reducing inflammation, optimizing sleep, and maintaining gut health can promote healthy aging. - Cutting-edge therapies (e.g., senolytics, stem cell treatments) hold promise but require further validation. - The future of longevity hinges on precision medicine, better biomarkers, and equitable access to aging research. The session concluded with an interactive Q&A, addressing practical steps for healthy aging and the ethical implications of life-extension technologies. Timestamps: 00:01:21 The ration of the young & the old 00:02:25 Functional ability is directly proportional to Intrinsic capacity 00:04:03 What is Longevity 00:05:14 Biological clock & aging 00:05:46 Therapeutics drugs 00:06:20 Policy makers & Society 00:07:20 Immunosomes project 00:07:55 UK bioank study 00:08:26 Pihub project in China 00:08:58 LASI uh which is the Longitudinal Aging Study of India 00:10:47 David Furman Buck Institute for Research on Aging 00:11:17 OMIX studies 00:11:56 On Lipidome 00:13:29 Drug Discovery 00:14:05 Health data 00:15:12 Personal health and the per capita income 00:15:44 Sampling pipeline 00:16:11 Technological innovations -one-sizefits-all is no longer applicable 00:17:12 Personalization and precision 00:17:46 Longevity biotech - geroscience 00:18:23 Longevity biotechnologist 00:18:57 Dietary interventions 00:19:26 Longevity science & the lifestyle medicine 00:19:56 Hallmarks of aging 00:20:34 Gut Dysbiosis 00:22:06 DNA Damage 00:23:09 Epigenetic modifications 00:23:40 On Proteostasis - protein Homeostasis 00:24:42 Mitochondrial dysfunction 00:25:47 Senence is a state of the cells 00:26:19 Scinessence 00:27:50 Inflammation in the body 00:39:43 Cytokines chemokines molecules 00:41:47 Cenotherapies & the development 00:42:49 Tumor supression 00:46:57 Macro cellular damage 00:50:20 Damage to plasma membrane 00:50:58 Betagal staining 00:53:00 Mitochondria & hyperfusing 00:57:38 Neurodegenerative disease 00:59:14 Inflammation driven aging 00:59:44 Chronic inflammatory molecules 01:00:46 Bone marrow and destruction 01:02:00 Systemic inflammation & their effects 01:02:34 External damage & environment 01:03:52 Aenomorphic 01:04:20 Newolytic molecules 01:04:51 Intervention based approaches 01:05:25 The modulation of gut microbiome 01:05:53 Antioxidants & anti aging 01:07:27 Stem cell replacement therapies 01:08:30 Antigen receptor 01:10:09 Pluripotent stem cells 01:12:12 Organismal and a metorganismal level 01:13:32 On Sinoscent 01:14:40 Research Technology 01:18:19 3D modeling substrate 01:20:43 Different types of synolytics 01:25:04 Fibroic conditions 01:28:42 Circadian patterns About the speaker Dr. Suramya Asthana is a leading scientist at IISc’s Longevity India initiative, pioneering research on aging biomarkers and therapies while advocating for India-specific solutions to global longevity challenges. Affiliation: Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore Focus Area: Aging research, biomarkers, cellular senescence, and longevity therapeutics.