#1

Really interesting discussion during thr RAAD Fest.

A Geroscience Roundtable: de Grey, Kennedy & Kaeberlein on the Path to Longevity Escape Velocity (Matt Kaeberlein)

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#2

This video features leading geroscientists discussing the future of aging, experimental therapies, and longevity escape velocity.

Here are the key points from the roundtable discussion between Dr. Aubrey de Grey, Dr. Brian Kennedy, and Dr. Matt Kaeberlein at Radfest 2025:

1. Longevity Escape Velocity: Are We Close?

  • The panel discusses the concept of longevity escape velocity, where medical advances extend healthy lifespan faster than aging progresses.
  • Aubrey de Grey remains optimistic, estimating a 50-50 chance of reaching this milestone by the end of the 2030s, thanks to increased funding and accelerated research.
  • Brian Kennedy and Matt Kaeberlein are cautiously optimistic, noting modest gains in healthspan and lifespan are likely, but the timeline for radical extension is uncertain.

2. Damage Repair vs. Slowing Growth

  • The debate centers on whether the best approach is repairing age-related damage or slowing the biological processes that drive aging.
  • De Grey advocates for damage repair, believing it offers more potential for synergy and greater lifespan extension than interventions like caloric restriction.
  • Kennedy and Kaeberlein highlight the challenges in stacking interventions, as combining therapies doesn’t always yield additive benefits.

3. Experimental Therapies and Mouse Studies

  • De Grey describes his recent and upcoming mouse studies, which test combinations of interventions (e.g., bone marrow transplants, gene therapy, senolytics) to see if they can extend lifespan beyond current limits.
  • The panel discusses the importance of optimizing doses and measuring both healthspan and lifespan in these studies.
  • New promising interventions include albumin injections, OSK gene therapy, and deuterated fatty acids.

4. The Clinical Frontier: What’s Real vs. “Sketchy”?

  • The group critiques the current landscape of experimental anti-aging therapies, noting a mix of promising science and unproven, sometimes dubious, clinical offerings.
  • They stress the need for independent data collection, transparency, and rigorous standards, especially as more people seek out treatments like gene therapy, plasma exchange, exosomes, and stem cells.

5. Would These Experts Try Gene Therapy or TPE?

  • None of the panelists have tried gene therapy themselves, citing the need for more evidence and personal health status.
  • They are more open to therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), seeing it as lower risk and potentially beneficial, though not yet proven for longevity.

6. The Future: What Are They Most Excited About?

  • De Grey is excited by the accelerating pace of new discoveries and early-stage research, such as work on the enzyme USP30 and novel small molecules.
  • Kennedy highlights the development of clinical chemistry-based aging clocks, which could make biological age measurement more accessible and actionable.
  • Kaeberlein and the group agree that the field’s momentum is growing, with more collaboration and innovation than ever before.

7. Challenges and Opportunities

  • The panel emphasizes the need for more resources, better regulation, and real-world data to advance the field.
  • They note the importance of balancing optimism with scientific rigor and caution against both hype and excessive skepticism.

This roundtable offers a candid, nuanced look at the state of longevity science, the promise and pitfalls of current therapies, and the road ahead for extending healthy human lifespan.

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