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Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, Altos Labs | All-In Summit 2024

October 01, 202436:48
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[Music]
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scientists think they found the Fountain
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of Youth what I think will become the
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cover story on magazines that humans
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have discovered the Fountain of Youth
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and this will arise from yamanaka Factor
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based cell reprogramming methods it
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feels like a piece of technology that's
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fallen through a wormhole from the
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future it does sound a little bit like
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science fiction A3 billion investment
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that was just made in Altos Labs which
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is probably one of the biggest seed
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Investments ever he has made seminal
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contributions to understanding stem cell
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reprogramming so at this time it's my
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pleasure to introduce our uh recipient
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this year Juan Carlos espia
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[Music]
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[Applause]
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[Music]
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belante good afternoon my name is Juan
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Carlos
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Belmonte I'm going to start my
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participation with a rather provocative
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question which is
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can we rejuvenate an
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organism and if so what is the
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implication of that respon for human
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health for human
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disease so the the book of Our Lives is
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given to us when we are born our parent
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past has this set of instruction these
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millions and millions of letters that
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constitute our
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genome and by and large this is a very
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solid process but every now and then
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there is mistakes in these
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letters and they may have importance for
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our life or may be
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irrelevant let me give you an example
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for instance you change in this
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case a c to a
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t you're going to have a phenotype that
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is depe here the these kids they are in
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the picture between 6 and 10 years old
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but they look much older they're really
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all and they're not going to pass their
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teenage H age and just because of this
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small mutation a c into a
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t now fortunately in the last few years
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we scientists have developed method by
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which we can reverse that change we can
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fix that mistake and for instance we
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have models in the lab we have animal
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models in this case is a mouse where we
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have created the same
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mutation the C into a t and this mouse a
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lab mouse lives for about 2 years this
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mouse will live just for a couple of
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month three four months maximum and it
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will have the same accelerated aging
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process of the human but we can fix this
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we can change this T back into a c and
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we get this mouse which has nothing to
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do with the previous Mouse is healthier
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live longer and is able to regenerate
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some of their tissues that before it
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couldn't do
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it the problem as I was indicating
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before is that
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um this is a very small percentage of
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the mistakes that happen in our life by
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and large this is less than 1% there is
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mistakes that generate diseases like
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this by and large we have many other
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diseases that are not due to a mutation
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in our
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genome and if we look at this graphic
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that represent age and the possibility
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of
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death you can see that after certain
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number of years around 4
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45 the major risk factor for getting any
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disease is precisely that years
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age so the
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longer we live The increased risk to get
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diseased and around 40 45 we start to
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develop all these diseases that you see
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at the top of the
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screen and they are not related to
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changes into C or a t or a particular
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mutation so how this
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happen how these diseases appear and
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what can we do about reversing these
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diseases so let's go down to the cell
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level here you have two type of cells a
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very young cell healthy
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cell and an all an unhealthy
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cell the healthy cell is very res
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resilien in the presence of risk factors
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it has a very strong buffer capacity we
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call that that can deal with
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these these stresses however the all an
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unhealthy cell in addition to the fact
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that has been exposed because of time to
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more factors excuse me it has less
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buffer capacity it's less resilient to
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these factors that damage reach the
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cell and the question
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that I want to present today has to deal
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with this buffer capacity and what is
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buffer capacity let's see if I can
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explain this well so with time as time
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passes there is more risk factors during
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normal aging there is more stress and
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the buffering capacity the resilient of
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these cells goes go down and when these
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two arrows these two curve mix the Seas
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appear and the question is can we
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increase buffer capacity so that then
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the disease appears later or it never
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appear can we increase the cell
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resilience to deal with the disease that
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appearing with aging when we are
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young we really don't think about AG
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when we are all a big percentage of our
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days is just thinking how bad I feel and
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what can I do so can we increase this
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buffer capacity so that disease doesn't
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appear it takes longer to appear or we
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can even reverse it and how can this be
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done just pause for a moment what is
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aging what makes that cell fragile
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unhealthy many things our metab po
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change with
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ag our energy levels drop our
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mitochondria don't produce that ATP that
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is needed for the cell to work
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properly stem cells in our body die many
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things happen while we
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age but I'd like to Poe the idea that
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among all these things that happen
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during aging there is one very important
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thing that could help to increase this
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buffer capacity and this has to do with
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what we call the epig
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genome Epi comes from the Greek above
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above our genome above the instructions
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that we receive from our
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parents and if we look at the cell and
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the The genome the DNA of of any cell is
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is very big it will take approximately 6
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ft if we were to extend it
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here but we need to pack it inside a
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cell and it has a special
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conformation bounded by the specific
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proteins which in a very basic way we
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can divide it in in a confirmation that
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is open for business that we call open
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chromatin or close for business close
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chromatin and just this changing the
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conformation of the chromatine may have
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huge effect in the health
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of the cell and the
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organism in the time when the disease
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appears and the first and most important
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experiment to demonstrate this was done
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by Dr s
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yamanaka where what he did was a very
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simple experiment he took four
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genes added to an adult cell a cell that
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is fragile that is
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unhealthy and make that cell an
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embrionic like cell
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again and he did this by changing this
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confirmation of the
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chromatin now can this help us this
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experiment for which he was awarded the
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Noel price can this help us deal with
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the problem I am trying to convey today
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reverse disease bring back time and make
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the cell more resilient and healthy
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again so through a few years of studies
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the message is this that there is a
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correlation between the conformation of
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the chromatin aging and disease when the
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epigenome when the chromatine is closed
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we call this
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heterochromatin the cell is Young is
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healthy when the chromatin is open it
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leads
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to the increase the loss of buffer
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capacity and therefore disease and aging
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and the question is can we reverse that
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can we this correlation can we do
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something to alter the confirmation of
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this chromatin and demonstrate that just
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by bringing an open chromatine to a
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closed chromatine we can rejuvenate a
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cell and how do we do that we took
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advantage
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of the initial ideas and studies of s
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yamanaka and using again this mouse
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model that I indicated before this
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animal that has a
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mutation that has a c into a te that
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leads to an accelerated aging you can
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see the animal here doesn't have hair
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it's small it's not going to leave for
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too long and what we did we took these
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four factors So-Cal yamanaka factors and
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put it inside this mouse this old mouse
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we're not fixing the mutation remember
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at the beginning there is Technologies
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by which we can fix the mutation what
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we're doing here is just altering the
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chromatin the mutation is still there in
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this mouse the cause of the problem that
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letter is still there not fixed but
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we're altering the
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chromatin and we do this not
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continuously we just do short pulses of
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the yamanaka factors we put just during
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the weekend we put these factors not
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during the entire week to this mouse and
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what happen is that we get a very
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different Mouse healthy mouse that is
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able to live
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longer and remember we have not fixed
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the mutation the te is still there so
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just by this small change in the
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chromatin we can rejuvenate a
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mouse and here is the just example of
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what I'm telling you we can either with
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very precise tools that we have
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developed correct bre a specific
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mutation at the top the C to a t or
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without knowing the mutation just that
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we know that this Mouse has a problem we
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just alter the status of the chromatine
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and we practically get the same
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phenotype we get Rejuvenation on this
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mouse either genome correction or
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epigenome buffering increasing the
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capacity the buffering capacity of this
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mouse so we have gone through from the
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initial point to a later point where the
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mouse will live longer and will have a
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healthier
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life now anyone could tell me yes you
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are telling me just about one case this
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particular mouse that has this mutation
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does it work for something else for
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other
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diseases and the answer is yes let me
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tell you just one more example and a few
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others in a summary here we have another
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mutation these mice have a mutation in a
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gene called
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leptine which make these mice eat all
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the time and as such they get fat they
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change their metabolism they get older
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faster Etc if we just give a short pulse
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of these yamanaka factors we get this
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mouse the mouse still keeps eating
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because it has the mutation we haven't
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corrected but the mouse now has less fat
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in the the liver and can respond to
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glucose like a
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normal young and healthy
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Mouse and if we extend now and I don't
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have time to go through this to many
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other diseases that we have test in the
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lab kidney disease skin disease liver
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disease muscle disease Etc the same
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thing happen we can bring back this
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buffer capacity and make the cell
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younger and the mouse younger
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there's a sentence there that says a
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deceased agnot this approach when you
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are you have a problem you have a
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disease you go to the doctor and it give
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you a medicine but if you have another
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disease it give you another medicine if
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we have a mouse with a mutation we try
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to correct that mutation another mouse
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with another disease we correct that
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mutation but what I'm telling with this
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slide is that independent of the disease
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just by this small switch of changing
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the chromatin we can
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increase the capacity of resilience of
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this mouse so that the disease takes
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longer or is even
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reverse I think this is a very profound
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message that is not very precise we are
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not touching the genome we're touching
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the epigenome but without this Deion we
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can revert
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disease now the key question is this is
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great I told you can we rejuvenate an
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organism at the beginning it seems that
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based on this and other
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experiments in Rodin in the lab the
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answer is yes we take mice with
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different pathologies we pass them
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through these short pulses of yamanaka
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factors and they they're better the the
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disease takes longer to appear they live
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longer
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but even though in science this this
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animal is the one that we know more
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about health and disease much more than
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humans our interest is healthy people
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would this work in humans and this is
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our mission in Aldos try to by this
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cellular Rejuvenation
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programming increase the buffer capacity
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of a human cell so that the Sease is
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reversed or can take longer to
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appear we have done this in isolated
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human cells in the
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petrides but the next step is to move to
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a human being an entire organism like
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the
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mouse and this has to be done so that
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there is with all the safety and all the
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precautions so that we do not harm when
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this experiment is done these mice are
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healthy healthy they're fine there is
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nothing wrong with them but we need to
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really be very cautious when touching a
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human
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cell so rather than delivering these
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factors inside inv Vivo of a human being
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what if we do it ex Vio and here is an
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example organ transplant we know that
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organ donations save thousands and
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thousands of lives every year in our
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planet but nonetheless there are many
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thousands of organs that are discarded
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because their quality because they are
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all the doctor when the organ
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comes look at the organ and said this is
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this organ is not good enough doesn't
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have enough quality to be transplanted
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and it just get
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discarded what if instead of going
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directly into a human being we try to
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rejuvenate this organ that is
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discarded and see if the doctor now will
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say now this organ is ready to be
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transplanted whatever conditions and
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quality requir by this doctor and we are
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making progress into this area you can
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see here when we
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transplant ER in this case is still in
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Rodin an all
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kidney into a young rat and we compare
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this with the transplantation of a young
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kidney the life of the horse is very
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different you see these two the green
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and the blue lines so the
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blue line is with no treatment the green
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line is after a short pulse of these
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factors that is given X Vivo to this
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organ before it's transplanted and that
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lead to an increase in the survival of
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the hor so that's one way to start
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approaching of moving this technology
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that we are developing in the lap in
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mice into humans but at the same time
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there's one thing that and I'm finishing
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there is one thing that I would like to
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stress it's not that all the cells of
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our organism go bad with time otherwise
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we'll be dead there just a few cells and
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with time there is more and more of
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these fragile unhealthy cells that don't
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have enough buffer capacity and you can
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see this in this diagram the blue dots
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indicate that with time we have more and
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more of these nonfunctional cells but
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what we don't want to touch is what is
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working we don't want to deliver these
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factors to cells that are healthy and
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that are
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functional how do we deliver these
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factors just to those cells that are not
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work work into these blue cells so you
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see here the two H situation in a y
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tissue you almost don't have any of
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these fragile and healthy cells and how
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can we deliver the factors just in the
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age situation to the unhealthy cells but
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we don't touch we don't want to touch
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the healthy cells and this is what we we
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have been doing there is a specific
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genes and markers that Target and
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identify by the unhealthy cell and with
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these markers we can guide our yamanaka
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factors just to the unhealthy cell and
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we obtain the same phenotype you can see
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here an increase in life span just
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targeting the unhealthy cell increasing
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the buffering capacity of the unhealthy
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cell and the last slide that I want to
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show you is for instance an organ like
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the skin if we bring these factors to
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the non healthy cell of the skin you see
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phenotypes like this for instance an old
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mouse like us with time will get gray
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hair it would just bring the factors to
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the unhealthy cells of the of the skin
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that
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produce this deterioration of function
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now you see that the gray hair doesn't
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appear or if we do a wound in the skin
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of an animal of an animal and this in us
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after a certain age the wound takes a
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long time to close or even it doesn't
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close you can see at the top the
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nontreated in red there is there is a
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wound there that has doesn't heal while
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the treated one even in a very very old
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mouth it just make a perfect Skin So
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summary of what I have told you today is
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this that
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there is what we call Precision Medicine
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by which we
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can fix some of these mutations errors
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that our parent transmit into the book
00:21:40
of our life but that's less than 1% of
00:21:43
the diseases the majority of diseases
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correlate with
00:21:48
age passing of the time and they don't
00:21:51
have anything to do with particular
00:21:55
mutations and without touching the
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genome with this Precision medicine just
00:22:01
just modifying the conformational
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structure of the chromatin we can bring
00:22:08
a disease and aged cell into a cell that
00:22:12
is more resilient and more functional
00:22:15
and certainly this type of experiment
00:22:18
and the messages that it open up the
00:22:21
question of can we rejuvenate a human
00:22:24
being and can we reverse diseas in human
00:22:27
thank you for your
00:22:28
[Applause]
00:22:39
right ju caros thank you for the
00:22:42
presentation I want to I I don't I don't
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know if you can
00:22:45
overstate the significance of the
00:22:48
discovery you have made and it's funny
00:22:51
to me how it's not popular uh knowledge
00:22:55
at this point because of the results
00:22:58
that you and other
00:23:00
scientists have collected and the impact
00:23:02
it will have to literally restore uh
00:23:06
cellular health and and deage an
00:23:09
organism and um the yamanaka factors or
00:23:13
four proteins just just for Layman's
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conversation there are four proteins
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that's what a factor is it's a A protein
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that causes a change in the epigenome
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and unwinds parts of the DNA and as a
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result new genes get turned on other
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genes get turned off and the cell kind
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of revitalizes it becomes young
00:23:32
again um you discovered that you can
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actually and and they did this all the
00:23:38
and made the cells go back all the way
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to being stem cells but what you
00:23:41
discovered was the ability to partially
00:23:43
ReStore youthfulness in the cells
00:23:45
through partial reprogramming and that's
00:23:47
a dose Factor you put a smaller amount
00:23:50
of the yanaka factors on the cells what
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how do you control it and then I want to
00:23:53
ask a question um about if you put too
00:23:57
much does it then because I know there's
00:23:58
been tests in mice where you end up with
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cancer because then the cells start
00:24:01
multiplying too quickly so maybe you can
00:24:02
tell us a little bit about what it means
00:24:03
to do partial reprogramming with the
00:24:06
amak what does partial mean very
00:24:09
important question thank you for let's
00:24:12
see if I can clarify this what Dr s
00:24:15
yamanaka did is something that we no one
00:24:18
in in science in general could believe
00:24:21
that you can bring an adult
00:24:24
cell to a start life again become an
00:24:30
embryo cell embryol likee cell an
00:24:33
embryonic stem cell can be whatever we
00:24:36
have more than 250 cell types in our
00:24:40
body our skin cell is different than our
00:24:43
eye cell is different than our brain
00:24:44
cell because different genes are turned
00:24:46
on and off in each of those cells they
00:24:49
have the same DNA but they have a
00:24:50
different epigenome different genes are
00:24:52
turned on perfectly explained thank you
00:24:54
so and
00:24:56
what I think it's so for people to get
00:24:59
that yeah what SAA did was just to
00:25:02
delete delete all that information the
00:25:04
identity of a skin cell of a heart cell
00:25:08
and bring it back to the very beginning
00:25:10
to the to the very first time when we
00:25:13
are born to this type of cells
00:25:16
now is when he was putting these factors
00:25:20
it's his factors the yamanaka factor for
00:25:22
a long time four proteins for four prot
00:25:25
four proteins put them on the cell this
00:25:26
happens now we don't want this imagine
00:25:30
if we were to put this in the
00:25:32
heart the key cell in the heart is
00:25:34
called cardom myosite and what it does
00:25:37
is beat so if we remove the identity
00:25:41
can't of that cell is not anymore a
00:25:44
cardom myosite and go back to an
00:25:46
embryonic cell the heart is not going to
00:25:50
beat if we do that in the liver theoy is
00:25:54
not going to do its function so doing
00:25:58
this going back in in time to really the
00:26:01
earli
00:26:03
stages it will not do good to our bodies
00:26:08
and then and cancer arises and then if
00:26:10
you bring and lose the identity of a
00:26:12
particular cell then you are open for
00:26:15
that cell to become something else right
00:26:18
like a cancer cell or a skin cell is
00:26:21
transformed into aite many wrong things
00:26:24
could happen we want to maintain the
00:26:27
identity of this cell
00:26:29
and the small switch here that we did as
00:26:32
you are asking me is rather than having
00:26:35
the factors for a long time we just gave
00:26:37
a short
00:26:39
pulse what that is doing is altering the
00:26:44
chromatin but for a very short time it's
00:26:47
a small shock and then the chromatin get
00:26:49
close and maintain its
00:26:53
identity the cardiomyocyte is a cardom
00:26:56
myosite has not gone back
00:26:59
to a different cell typee but its
00:27:01
function is much better this is so the
00:27:04
idea is just a short P of these proteins
00:27:07
which by the way these are the proteins
00:27:10
that s yamanaka discovered but I'm
00:27:12
convinced that there will be many other
00:27:15
proteins so that's organism that's the
00:27:17
next thing I wanted to ask you so it
00:27:19
sounds like the search is on in various
00:27:21
startups at Alto slabs for other
00:27:24
proteins that can do this but perhaps
00:27:27
not protein but smaller molecules
00:27:30
peptides or small molecules where
00:27:33
theoretically you could take a
00:27:35
pill and it would do the same thing is
00:27:40
that a
00:27:42
reality so I think that one of the
00:27:46
biggest inventions that we humans have
00:27:48
made is the place we're here today the
00:27:52
university the Curiosity the knowledge
00:27:55
to advance in things that we don't
00:28:00
understand um
00:28:02
and discovering what other proteins what
00:28:05
other factors could do the same thing
00:28:08
belongs to that domain of the Curiosity
00:28:11
and trying to increase our knowledge but
00:28:14
many times we need to try to apply this
00:28:16
knowledge and you're asking me how are
00:28:19
you going to deliver whatever factors
00:28:22
you discover into a human
00:28:24
being you can do this in the lab with
00:28:27
many other ways but ideally you would
00:28:29
like to just put that into
00:28:32
appeal and so here is where the other
00:28:35
important thing come and that's
00:28:39
industry by mixing the Bas
00:28:43
of
00:28:45
Academia this curiosity this trying to
00:28:48
understand how we can close and open the
00:28:49
chromatin with many other
00:28:52
factors with the experience the drive
00:28:55
and the focus of
00:28:57
Industry can we answer the question that
00:28:59
you are asking can we put these factors
00:29:02
or any other factors that alter the
00:29:05
chromatine into appeal this is precisely
00:29:09
our Endeavor try to make this safe and
00:29:12
available to can I ask you a more maybe
00:29:16
a more basic
00:29:17
question um if this buffer
00:29:22
capacity is essentially the insulation
00:29:25
that we are born with that then decays
00:29:27
so
00:29:28
young cell good buffer capacity old cell
00:29:31
no buffer capacity in very simple terms
00:29:33
based on your side what is the
00:29:37
scientific community's understanding
00:29:40
about how to minimize the rate of change
00:29:44
and the Decay by things that people in
00:29:47
this room can control where we live the
00:29:49
things that we're exposed to our food
00:29:51
supply do any of those things to your
00:29:55
understanding have an impact that's
00:29:57
measurable
00:29:59
and achievable by us today while we wait
00:30:01
for altos and others to deliver more
00:30:03
chemical manipulation of this huge
00:30:05
impact incredible question and really
00:30:08
huge impact just think of exercise we
00:30:11
have compare what are the changes in the
00:30:14
Cell between
00:30:17
exercise and the short pulses of Y Mana
00:30:20
factors and you couldn't believe the
00:30:23
similarities in the changes in gene
00:30:25
expression that exercise
00:30:28
th and how overlap these changes happen
00:30:33
when we do the yamanaka the sh PES of
00:30:36
yamanaka factors so things like exercise
00:30:40
but exercising what kind of exercise how
00:30:42
much how
00:30:43
often why you want to know the answer
00:30:45
too what don't laugh actually you know
00:30:47
what don't answer the question you can
00:30:49
tell us afterwards because they don't
00:30:50
care don't it's
00:30:51
[Applause]
00:30:53
fine and exercise things that your
00:30:56
mother will tell you eat less
00:31:00
exercise H when I say stress I mean it
00:31:03
stress to the cell that is going to
00:31:05
alter the epigenome so until we really
00:31:10
understand how these changes in
00:31:12
chromatine happen all these things that
00:31:15
we do sometime with our life really
00:31:18
improve the buffer capacity and has that
00:31:20
been published or studied in a way
00:31:22
that's digestible for Layman meaning
00:31:25
like whether it's intermittent fasting
00:31:27
or whether it's the the quantity of food
00:31:29
or whether it's you know specific forms
00:31:31
of exercise over another has that been
00:31:33
well studied enough that we can at a
00:31:36
minimum we can even just link to all of
00:31:37
this so that you guys can get this
00:31:39
information but is it out there this is
00:31:41
I would say the last 10 years have been
00:31:44
an
00:31:46
incredible jump into into these studies
00:31:50
so far most of them have been done in
00:31:53
animal models in the lab and we are
00:31:57
starting to translate this to humans um
00:32:01
for instance I just finish it's not I
00:32:06
think I can say that tomorrow it will be
00:32:08
just one of these molecules that
00:32:12
diabetic people take metformine to lower
00:32:15
down their glucose they can reprogram
00:32:18
the cells so that all the cognitive
00:32:21
function or not just rodents and this is
00:32:23
the key thing but of monkeys which are
00:32:27
99% % their book of life is very 99 9%
00:32:32
similar to us right it can reprogram
00:32:34
these cells and the cognitive abilities
00:32:37
of monkeys and their lifespan is
00:32:40
increased so this is coming this is not
00:32:44
something that is just this small Mouse
00:32:48
in the lab where we know a lot about
00:32:50
their health and disease but I feel the
00:32:53
next decade probably many of these
00:32:56
discoveries with the caveat that it's a
00:32:59
mouse and a mouse is not a human might
00:33:01
be translated to human you put a slide
00:33:03
up there where you had a obviously a
00:33:05
whole bunch of Target markets some were
00:33:08
autoimmune diseases some were cancers
00:33:11
some were more just general aging
00:33:15
um how do you decide or how do you
00:33:18
figure
00:33:19
out where there is the uh most real
00:33:24
application today because I part of it
00:33:26
is there's a obviously
00:33:28
Market issue of making sure you continue
00:33:30
to have capital and prove scientific
00:33:32
value but part of it is there may be
00:33:34
some small winds today in rare diseases
00:33:37
or something that could allow you to
00:33:39
commercialize this faster so how do you
00:33:41
think about which problems should come
00:33:47
first good question I put up there the
00:33:51
ex Vio example with the organ
00:33:56
transplant this is probably one of the
00:33:58
most cautious and safest safest approach
00:34:02
where say uh acute liver disease there's
00:34:07
nothing about this you're are going to
00:34:08
die in 3 days right and if an organ is
00:34:11
not there you can do nothing so acute
00:34:15
and and deadly diseases that could
00:34:18
happen could be an
00:34:20
initial um target for these type of
00:34:24
approaches um but again I I want to say
00:34:29
that even though we are trying to move
00:34:34
as fast as we can into humans and we are
00:34:36
doing this experimen in human cells in
00:34:39
the Petri a mouse is not a human and
00:34:42
this will need time to be replicated in
00:34:45
a human being before we wrap can we just
00:34:47
talk about how altto Labs is set up it's
00:34:51
probably got more funding than any other
00:34:53
private company in recent history it's
00:34:57
really incredible how the the maybe you
00:34:58
can tell us how how you've organized
00:35:00
this this work this Mission um and again
00:35:04
is reflecting on the importance that we
00:35:07
know so little and about the fundamental
00:35:11
science of what is behind this big
00:35:15
question is a question that we human
00:35:17
beings have have tried to approach since
00:35:20
ever how can we deal with disease with
00:35:24
aging so there is so many things we
00:35:27
don't no basic sign is needed so as a
00:35:30
startup you raised billions of dollars
00:35:32
to do a lot of core research as well as
00:35:35
product development and at the same time
00:35:37
in parallel yeah with all the safety
00:35:40
approaches that we can think of and we
00:35:43
were talking about one possible
00:35:45
example perhaps without knowing every
00:35:49
detail of how it works provided is safe
00:35:53
and could have a positive effect trying
00:35:55
to move this forward so it's a
00:35:57
combination of what we like to call the
00:36:01
base of basic science and the base of
00:36:04
Industry yeah well look I mean I don't
00:36:06
think there's a human on earth that will
00:36:08
uh not benefit and does not appreciate
00:36:11
the the effort and and obviously
00:36:12
everyone hopes that you guys are
00:36:15
extremely successful in both the
00:36:17
scientific and Commercial uh Pursuits I
00:36:20
it seems to me like as you guys have
00:36:22
your breakthroughs which I think you're
00:36:25
uh you're going to have given the
00:36:27
backing and people that are involved
00:36:29
over time uh partial cell reprogramming
00:36:33
could be one of the most profoundly
00:36:34
impactful technologies that humans have
00:36:38
ever discovered or invented so we
00:36:39
appreciate the work that you do and and
00:36:41
thank you for being here with us thank
00:36:43
you for thank you
00:36:46
[Applause]

Podspun Insights

In this riveting episode, listeners are taken on a thrilling journey through the groundbreaking world of cellular rejuvenation, led by the brilliant Juan Carlos Belmonte. The discussion kicks off with the tantalizing prospect of the Fountain of Youth, as scientists explore the potential of Yamanaka Factor-based cell reprogramming. Belmonte poses provocative questions about the implications of rejuvenating organisms, diving deep into the science of aging and disease.

With engaging visuals and compelling analogies, he illustrates how small genetic mutations can drastically affect aging and health. The episode unfolds with fascinating examples from lab mice, showcasing how altering chromatin structure can enhance cellular resilience and even reverse aging effects. The audience learns about the delicate balance of maintaining cell identity while rejuvenating them, a process that could revolutionize medicine.

As the conversation progresses, Belmonte shares insights on the future of this research, including the potential for human applications and the ethical considerations involved. The episode wraps up with a sense of hope and excitement for the future of science, leaving listeners pondering the possibilities of extending healthy life spans and combating age-related diseases.

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

  • 95
    Best concept / idea
  • 92
    Best overall
  • 90
    Most inspiring
  • 90
    Best performance

Episode Highlights

  • Fountain of Youth Found?
    Scientists believe they may have discovered a method to rejuvenate cells, akin to the Fountain of Youth.
    “It feels like a piece of technology that's fallen through a wormhole from the future.”
    @ 00m 14s
    October 01, 2024
  • Reversing Aging in Mice
    Research shows that altering chromatin can rejuvenate aging mice, improving their health and lifespan.
    “Just by this small change in the chromatin, we can rejuvenate a mouse.”
    @ 11m 44s
    October 01, 2024
  • Precision Medicine and Aging
    The talk discusses how precision medicine can address diseases related to aging without altering the genome.
    “Without touching the genome, we can bring a disease and aged cell into a cell that is more resilient.”
    @ 22m 01s
    October 01, 2024
  • The Search for Proteins
    Exploring the potential of proteins and smaller molecules for cellular reprogramming.
    “The search is on for proteins that can do this.”
    @ 27m 19s
    October 01, 2024
  • Exercise and Gene Expression
    Comparing the effects of exercise with Yamanaka factors on gene expression.
    “You wouldn't believe the similarities in the changes in gene expression!”
    @ 30m 11s
    October 01, 2024
  • Future of Aging Research
    The next decade may bring significant discoveries in aging and cellular reprogramming.
    “This is coming; this is not just small mice in the lab.”
    @ 32m 56s
    October 01, 2024

Episode Quotes

Key Moments

  • Cellular Resilience06:37
  • Chromatin Alteration11:44
  • Precision Medicine21:28
  • Chromatin Changes26:49
  • Cell Identity26:53
  • Curiosity and Knowledge27:52
  • Impact of Exercise30:08
  • Aging Research32:56

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown