What are the effects of shorter telomeres on health?

A person's telomere length is a good indicator of their overall health condition. Short telomeres accelerate the natural aging process at the cellular level. Some cells, such as those in the skin and immune system, are most affected by telomere shortening because they reproduce more frequently.

What is telomere?

Telomeres are the part of our chromosomes that affects cellular aging. Just like the plastic tip at the end of a shoelace, telomeres are the caps at the end of each DNA strand, which can protect the DNA strand and allow cells to function and reproduce normally. Every time a cell divides, Telomeres are shortened, and over time, genetic DNA is not protected, leading to impaired cell function and ultimately resulting in cell apoptosis (death) or aging. Every organ of the body (skin, liver, heart, etc.) is composed of cells, So telomeres are crucial for physical health.

If people could live longer and healthier, what would happen if there were too many people?

This is one of the most common objections to longevity research. Have you ever taken antibiotics, had a cesarean section, or undergone surgery? Do you have any children? So you have artificially extended your lifespan, far exceeding the "natural" age of most people in human history - most people die from viral or bacterial infections before the age of 35. Furthermore, we do not believe that elderly people should be seen as disposable or unimportant. We know that overpopulation is a problem. However, many countries are experiencing negative population growth. Although this may seem good at first glance, the consequences of demographic changes are by no means what people hope for. As the average age continues to rise, the world is facing severe labor shortages. In the United States alone, the cost of treating aging diseases is as high as $3.8 trillion per year. Proposals such as raising the retirement age will not address the reality of aging or age-related diseases. They are just bandages because they cannot change the fact that many people cannot work once they are too old. A healthy and efficient society will constantly innovate and solve larger problems.

What is healthy lifespan?

Imagine entering what is now considered old age with good physical health, quick thinking, and abundant energy. A healthy lifespan is the time you spend staying young, the time you spend maintaining a person's energy and vitality in their prime or near prime. Some animals with negligible levels of aging, such as naked mole rats, age in this way - they only age for a small portion of their total lifespan. But there is no need to pay attention to other species. The rate of aging varies greatly among people. Many people, when they think of longevity, imagine someone being kept alive in a hospital. This is not the future that BioViva envisions. The goals of extending healthy lifespan and lifespan are not mutually exclusive; They are inseparable and intertwined together. It is impossible to significantly extend lifespan without first improving health levels.

What innovations do you think have had the greatest impact on healthcare recently, and thus on humanity?

Accurate and personalized medicine, through gene therapy, enables us to treat individuals as individuals rather than a demographic health model. This is closely related to modern treatment methods for diseases such as cancer, such as personalized immunotherapy combined with a range of other drugs. We are witnessing the beginning of a common, broader, and more preventive approach to disease treatment, and more importantly, chronic diseases of aging. Cracking down on the underlying mechanisms behind all major age-related diseases is a more cost-effective and rational approach.

What is gene therapy?

The genes in your body cells play an important role in your health. In fact, one or more defective genes can make you sick. Recognizing this, scientists have been studying methods for decades to modify genes or replace defective genes with healthy genes to treat, cure, or prevent diseases or medical conditions. Now the research on gene therapy has finally paid off. Since August 2017, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved three types of gene therapy products

How does gene therapy work?

Sometimes, all or part of a gene is defective or missing from birth, or a gene undergoes changes or mutations in adulthood. Any of these mutations can disrupt protein synthesis, leading to health problems or diseases. In gene therapy, scientists can do one of several things based on the problem: they can replace the gene that causes medical problems with a gene that does not add genes to help the body fight or treat diseases, or turn off the gene that causes the problem. In order to directly insert new genes into cells, scientists use a vector called a "vector", which is genetically engineered to deliver genes. For example, viruses have a natural ability to transmit genetic material into cells and can therefore be used as carriers. Previously, viruses could be used to carry therapeutic genes into human cells. However, it has been modified to eliminate its ability to cause infectious diseases. Gene therapy can be used to alter cells inside or outside the body. When it is completed in the body, doctors will directly inject the carrier carrying the gene into the body parts of the defective cells. In gene therapy for modifying cells in vitro, blood, bone marrow, or other tissues can be extracted from patients and specific types of cells can be isolated in the laboratory. Introduce vectors containing the required genes into these cells. These cells are left in the laboratory to reproduce and then injected back into the diseased body, where they continue to reproduce and ultimately produce the desired effect

What are cells and genes, and how do they interact with each other?

Cells are the fundamental components of all living organisms; The human body is composed of trillions of such cells. In our cells, there are thousands of genes that provide information for the production of specific proteins and enzymes that manufacture muscles, bones, and blood. These proteins and enzymes in turn support most of our body's functions, such as digestion, energy production, and growth. How our gene therapy works: Gene therapy provides the ability to permanently correct diseases at the most fundamental level, the genome. And it can cure many diseases that are currently considered incurable. This is a flexible treatment option, and gene therapy may treat multiple diseases by replacing missing or defective genes that may lead to hereditary or acquired diseases. Transfer genes and add the necessary proteins to the body. Transmitting genes that enhance the body's disease resistance and higher levels of performance. Introduce genes that stimulate cell growth and repair damaged tissues. Gene therapy provides patients with an alternative to routine daily maintenance. Patients with life-threatening diseases are often forced to endure swallowing pills or daily/weekly injections to treat and/or monitor their illness. Gene therapy can alleviate the burden of disease tolerance, as it promises 1-2 therapeutic injections throughout the patient's lifetime without the need for long-term follow-up. With significant advancements in genetics, we believe that gene therapy will play an increasingly prominent and transformative role in medicine. Gene therapy may treat or even cure monogenic diseases. Most monogenic diseases are diseases with protein defects or non expression. Therefore, gene therapy has the potential to address many congenital diseases. There are also broad opportunities to apply gene therapy to various acquired diseases such as AIDS, heart failure and Alzheimer's disease