Thank you all for joining Heidi and me for the special Raising A Reader MA night. It was so much fun and the team at RAR-MA is simply amazing. Please continue to support them – reading is what gives kids a leg up for the rest of their life.
David Sinclair on RAR-MA
We had so many great questions asked during LIVE! with an Author with David Sinclair on May 12, we did not get to ask them all. We sent the questions along to David for him to answer:
- Is there a known genetics-based relationship between inflammation and aging?
Yes. There are genes that control inflammation during aging. You can test for predisposition to diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease. My wife Sandra has 3 gene variants that put her at high risk as she gets older, for example.
2. How do you keep your skin looking so great?
Hah. It’s not that great. Step 1. Use old photos online. Step 2. Use the blur function on zoom. Step 3. Spend 25 years in a lab rather than in the sun.
3. Do Fisetin supplements work in humans?
That’s not known. Fisetin can reduce the inflammation caused by senescent cells and activate the enzymes we work on. Whether it works in humans will require a placebo-controlled study.
4. What are a few findings from your work about extending a dog’s life?
Molecules that extend the lifespan of mice are being tested on dogs, such as rapamycin and an NAD booster. I’ve started a company to extend the life of dogs.
5. What is the best book, in your opinion, for developing a good understanding of genetics, how viruses work, and targeted gene therapies?
I like Jamie Metzle’s Hacking Darwin for a glimpse into the works of gene therapy. Carl Zimmer wrote a book called “A Planet of Viruses” that is wonderful.
6. What has been your most surprising discovery during any of your research projects?
That’s easy. Regrowing optic nerves by reversing their age. That was a turning point.
7. How do you balance family, academics, business, and knighthood? In what ways do you think the constant high level of thinking and layers of activities/projects impacted your aging?
I’m still trying to be a better Dad. I’m often traveling. My wife Sandra is wonderful and patient. It’s go, go, go. don’t like quiet time. I start to talk to myself. Dinner is special family time. We learn a new GRE word and talk about the best thing and worst thing of our day. The kitchen walls are covered with giant sticky notes covered with new words. I think my brain is staying young in the same way a runner’s muscles stay fit.
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