Information Matrix

Increasing Longevity through transfusions of young blood seems potentially exploitative. Other substances, not so much...

The human immune system is a powerful defender, using its arsenal of antibodies to identify and attack foreign pathogens. But such antibodies have a potential dark side: autoantibodies that begin to attack, not invading microbes, but healthy tissues.

We've considered cancer and its relationship to aging on a number of previous occasions. Studies published in the British Journal of Cancer in 2011 and 2018 concluded that around 40% of cases are attributable to known modifiable lifestyle and environmental factors, which is a substantial minority.

When we previously discussed the progress of immunotherapy within cancer treatment, some of the most exciting results were in the field of leukaemia and melanoma, with progress in other solid cancers lagging somewhat behind.

In 2013, cancers represented more than one third of the top-fifteen causes of all-age mortality in the UK, irrespective of gender. Despite intensive efforts, for some cancers survival rates have scarcely improved for decades.