Can we live forever? Or how about even just to 120? Back in November, I discussed Jake Wolff's novel, The History of Living Forever, a story arising out of a biochemist's effort to extend human life by the use of certain substances found in nature that remove free radicals from the body. Free radicals may contribute to the aging and degenerative processes in the human body.
The book was fiction, and some of what it discussed was quackery. (As the author warned in a "Don't try this at home" warning) But not all of it.
An article in this month's Stanford Magazine, entitled "The Elixir of Youth,"* discusses non-fictional efforts by a Stanford professor of neurology to reach some of the same results.
It's been observed for a number of years that an injection of the blood of a young mouse into an old mouse will cause the old mouse's organs to begin rejuvenating, resulting in the mouse's becoming actually biologically younger. It was later discovered that use of whole blood wasn't necessary -- the plasma alone had the same effect. In fact, the plasma from young humans has been shown to have a rejuvenating effect on an old mouse. What's not known at present is what the ingredients in the plasma are that have this effect, and how.
But what is known is that whatever the efficacious plasma ingredient might be, it is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier and causing improvements in persons suffering from Alzheimer's. The blood-brain barrier was one of the major problems that faced the biochemist in Wolff's novel. He discovered the solution to be the ingestion of mercury, which temporarily makes the barrier permeable. Unfortunately, mercury in the brain also usually leads to death.
Results now seem to show that the blood-brain barrier, which was thought to permit only water and nutrients to reach the brain, also permits passage of whatever in plasma causes brain rejuvenation. And that seems to be where we are at present.
So will we live forever? Not this generation, according to the Stanford neurologist. But if it becomes possible to extend human life to, say, an average of 120, only those with a lot of money will be able to afford it. Ethical questions abound.
On the other hand, I've discussed the question with many friends over the years -- if a magic drug were developed, would you be excited about living considerably longer than the present life expectancy?. Younger friends usually say, "sure." Older ones surprise me. They seem irritated by the question. I explain that I mean not another forty years of senility, but another forty years of good health. They aren't convinced and they aren't persuaded. A relative of mine, a physician, said it wasn't possible. But, I asked, suppose it became possible, would you be interested?
The subject was closed as far as he was concerned. He refused to discuss it further.
The Stanford neurologist may share to some extent this feeling -- but from a societal rather than a personal standpoint.
If we all of a sudden find something that prolongs life span to 120 in the average population, I don't think we could deal with that. There aren't enough resources, and the population would increase so rapidly that we could probably not cope with it without starting to kill each other or having massive famines.
But then he's a physician, not an economist or environmentalist.
As for myself, perhaps socially irresponsibly, I say -- wow, yes, bring it on!
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*Deni Ellis Béchard, "The Elixir of Youth," Stanford Magazine (May 2020)
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