It was great to do this podcast. Persistent #viruses - and many bacteria, fungi and even parasite pathogens - directly hijack our #mitochondria. They can hack and distort human gene signaling that controls senescence & inflammaging. This knowledge is huge for longevity treatments

Yes! I’m excited to speak at the workshop. I will emphasize that a translational trial testing if a broad spectrum monoclonal can decrease circulating spike protein is a huge priority for the #LongCOVID space.

@polybioRF @TEDx 12/ @bryan_johnson @davidasinclair @KarlPfleger @lifeext @allisondman @DrGlorioso @BuckInstitute @mkaeberlein @mahdi_moqri @agingbiomarkers @justinqtaylor @VitalikButerin

@polybioRF 11/ I'll be giving a @TEDx talk on infectious contributions to aging, and solutions to combat such age distortion this October in Boston. For now, check out this podcast where I go into more detail on the topic:

@polybioRF 10/ For example, this study found that people who routinely took over the counter anti-herpesvirus drugs were 10X less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease later in life:

@polybioRF 9/ And some of the therapeutic strategies capable of mitigating infectious contributions to aging are such low hanging fruit to implement

@polybioRF 8/ Simply put: no one will succeed in extending healthspan/lifespan if they have a virus or parasite in their brain seeding Alzheimer’s plaque or distorting the epigenetic environment

@polybioRF 7/ Overall we must incorporate infection into aging to models to accurately characterize drivers of #senescence and to optimize therapeutic strategies that target both host and microbial contributors to aging

6/ We are creating a @polybioRF program specifically focused on developing such diagnostics, which will innovate the longevity space. Message me if you want to learn more.

5/ The lack of #diagnostics capable of detecting pathogen activity across a lifetime remains a major bottleneck. Emerging tools—such as ultrasensitive protein assays and antigen immune biosensor platforms—can enable integration of pathogen detection into biological age tracking.

4/ Indeed, because many pathogens dysregulate mTOR, AMPK, or related immunometabolic signaling, #healthspan interventions such as low-dose rapamycin, metformin, and NAD+ that target such pathways may exert part of their effect by controlling persistent infection.

3/ Pathogen activity also contributes directly to age-related disease development: for example, #Alzheimer’s amyloid-β plaque can act as an antimicrobial peptide that forms in response to infection.

2/ Specifically, viruses such as the herpesviruses, as well as intracellular bacteria & parasites—express proteins and metabolites capable of interfering with host immune signaling, #mitochondrial function, gene expression, and the #epigenetic environment.

Our new review is out! We detail mechanisms by which the viral, bacterial, parasite, and other pathogens that infect humans over a lifetime accelerate features of aging: https://t.co/osEgxokKM7

@DrPatSoonShiong 13/ Overall, for more on how infections can contribute to aging processes check out this podcast I did with @mike_lustgarten:

@DrPatSoonShiong 14/ We should also invest in innovating diagnostics to better identify persistent pathogens in our bodies (e.g. ultra-sensitive proteomics to identify pathogen proteins, microbial cell free DNA sequencing to better find their genetic material)

@DrPatSoonShiong 13/ We should also step up the production and regulatory approval of monoclonal antibodies that can increase the ability of the immune system to identify and neutralize pathogens when we’re exposed

12/ And there are such low hanging fruit ways to better control these infections! Like cleaning our indoor air with HEPA/farUVC to remove airborne viruses. Or creating more meds like @DrPatSoonShiong’s Bioshield that support the immune system to better control infection

11/ We will not succeed in combating aging without factoring these infections into the mix of factors we actively control as part of extending healthspan

10/ In fact, b/c so many pathogens dysregulate mTOR, AMPK, or related immunometabolic signaling, healthspan interventions like low-dose rapamycin, metformin or glutathione may exert part of their effect by controlling persistent infection https://t.co/Ez5yEODgwl

9/ Those are just a few of hundreds of examples or how common pathogens that infect and often persist in human tissue can drive features of human aging