#70–David Sinclair, PhD: How cellular reprogramming could slow our aging clock, & the latest on NAD
Summary

In this podcast, the host, Peter Atia, discusses his passion for optimizing performance, health, longevity, and critical thinking. He interviews Professor David Sinclair, who discusses his new book on the information theory of aging. They discuss the role of the SIR gene in controlling all other genes in a cell and how it helps to keep genes silent to maintain cell health. They also discuss the potential benefits of supplemental agents that promise to increase NAD. The podcast concludes with a discussion on societal implications for a longer-lived population.

The conversation is about the discovery of a clock that can measure biological age by analyzing the methylation of certain genes. The clock's accuracy is so high that it can even predict how much a person has smoked in their lifetime. The context discusses the three levels of DNA spooling and the difficulty in reversing the deepest level, the methylation clock. The podcast discusses the possibilities and challenges of gene therapy, with many clinical trials underway for gene therapy for various diseases, including sickle cell, thalassemia, and cystic fibrosis.

The context discusses the identification and potential treatment of senescence cells, which are cells that have stopped dividing and are associated with aging and disease. The speaker believes that reprogramming cells and organs could be a solution to extending lifespan, and that the probability of new technologies emerging during extended lifespans should be taken into account. The conversation ends with a discussion on the implications of a society where people can live to 200 years old.

In this podcast, the speaker discusses various supplements and their effects on the body. They suggest that taking rapamycin while exercising may hinder the body's ability to heal and grow. They also discuss the benefits and drawbacks of taking metformin and resveratrol, with the latter being relatively harmless and potentially beneficial in extending lifespan. The context discusses the importance of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) in the body and the potential benefits of boosting NAD levels through supplements like nicotinamide riboside (NR) and NMN. However, there are uncertainties regarding the most effective dosages and methods of administration, as well as the extent to which these molecules can be absorbed by the body and avoid being broken down by the microbiome.

Overall, the podcast provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of research on aging and potential interventions to extend lifespan and improve health. The speakers emphasize the importance of evidence-based research and clinical trials in determining the true benefits and limitations of these interventions.