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According to Benjamin Franklin, there are only two things that are certain in life – death and taxes. Whilst I cannot argue for the abolition of taxation, death is certainly something that I can shed light on. For whilst it is accepted sociological thought to perceive death as an unavoidable roadblock, what if you were to argue that it is possible to achieve an unending existence  – to achieve immortality.

This blog is written to educate everyone, no matter what background, about the possibility of immortality, as well as to promote discussion regarding the key ethical issues surrounding it. I will update it once weekly with a different piece of research or debate, and will gladly interact with the comments. I hope you enjoy reading!

Geneomics

Scientists are increasingly looking to the human genome itself and other species in nature for clues on how to achieve biological immortality, and perhaps more surprisingly, is that there are already immortal species in natures. The Turritopsis dohrnii is a type of hydrozoan which can age in reverse, ultimately undergoing a process of rejuvenation when it is under environmental stress or physical assault[1]. The cells of the invertebrate undergo a process called transdifferentiation, and there is surprisingly little knowledge about how this process works, due to the lack of marine biologist specialists in hydrozoids. Investigation into the exact mechanism is being carried out, but slowly, and bears a surprising pertinence to the human desire for immortality. This derives from the shocking similarity that the human and jellyfish genome share[2]. Research into the link between genetics and anti-ageing is not just limited to jellyfish, as mice at the Salk Institute in California have been looking at reversing ageing in mice; genes have been discovered, collectively known as the Yamanaka Factors, which when stimulated, can take adult cells back to their embryonic form, allowing the animals it was tested on to not only look younger, but also live for 30% longer[3]. The intermittent stimulation of the Yamanaka factors were able to reverse ageing, and suggested that it is possible to stem the ageing process and subsequently reduce the risk of age-related diseases such as dementia and heart problems. Cell damage clearly has a role in the ageing process, which was highlighted as early as 1959 by Leo Szilárd, who came up with the Somatic Mutation Theory of Ageing, stating that body cells will accumulate damage by mutations over time, causing cells to die, resulting ageing[4]. As such, it is logical that stopping cell-death, or at least slowing down its onset could provide a means to achieve increased longevity. Perhaps this could be achieved through a class of enzymes known as sirtuins which are being investigated, as these behave like a cellular “traffic cop,” which is able to mobilise proteins within the cell, in order to fix and defend itself[5]. Sirtuins are able to increase the amount of energy invested in the cell’s maintenance and stress resistance, which is something that has been evolutionarily neglected when compared to more vital functions, such as cellular reproduction; it is thought that sirtuins are a form of biological level which can be used to increase cell-longevity and attack the ageing processes at a cellular level[6]. From this, it is clear that there are possibilities to increase cell longevity, and that the notion of a prolonged lifespan is possible, albeit for a defined period of time.

[1] Nathaniel Rich (November 2012), Can a Jellyfish Unlock the Secret of Immortality [online], last accessed 11.07.17: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/magazine/can-a-jellyfish-unlock-the-secret-of-immortality.html

[2] Ibid

[3] Sarah Knapton (December 2016), Scientists Reverse Ageing in Mammals and predict Human Trials within 10 Years [online], last accessed 22.07.17: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/12/15/scientists-reverse-ageing-mammals-predict-human-trials-within/

[4] Amy Danson (November 2012), Live Forever or Die Trying: The Science of Ageing [online], last accessed 16.12.17: http://www.pem.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Live-Forever-or-Die-Trying-The-Science-of-Ageing-Amy-Danson-.pdf

[5] Adam Piore (May 2016), The Immortality Hype [online], last accessed 23.07.17: http://nautil.us/issue/36/aging/the-immortality-hype

[6] Ibid

Chemical Youth

It is nice to believe that there will one day be a chemical you can use to make you immortal, but is this prospect closer to reality than previously thought? There have been some advances which have extended the lifespan of mice, such as the usage of a drug called rapamycin, which is traditionally an organ transplant drug, but can also extend the lifespan of a mouse by around 25%[1]. This works by slowing down the growth of cells through the turning off of the “TOR Pathway,” and compounds that derive from rapamycin have been tested on elderly patients in 2014 by Novartis, where it was determined that the drug enhanced the immune response of the elderly by 20% – something which is meant to deteriorate with age – suggesting that compounds such as rapamycin are indeed capable of biologically slowing down the ageing process in humans[2]. In fact, recent discovery places the cure to ageing in germ cells found within our own bodies, as Professor Azim Surani has noted that a fertilised egg is potentially immortal due to its property of pluripotency; the exact mechanism of this ability to differentiate into any cell type with an organism has been isolated (in response to an erasure process where epigenetic modifications of the genome are wiped out) and could be used in the name of regenerative medicine, and perhaps help path the way to a notion of immortality[3]. Medical technology is clearly one route that could be used to obtain an endless life, although the human application is tentative. Whilst Ray Kurzweil, an American Futurist, claims that by 2045, an event known as “the singularity” will occur, making man indistinguishable from machine, the claim is somewhat bombastic and not really grounded in any hard evidence[4]. However, this claim is corroborated with one from Stephen Cave, who says that this could very well occur due to the advent of nanomedicine, as nanobots would be able to remodel and improve our grey matter, ultimately culminating in an apotheosis where there is a being who is “superintelligent” i.e. has a total understanding of the universe[5]. Nevertheless, the idea is speculative, especially given that nanotechnology is not really widespread at this current point in time, and the idea of it becoming prominent by 2045 is questionable. Furthermore, even if it were possible, Cave does concede that this could have a negative impact on humanity, as the “superintelligent” being may be destructive, and uncooperative[6]. As such, medical technologies do provide a glimmer of hope for the prospect of anti-ageing but should not be considered the only possible route into creating an immortal human.

[1] Madhumita Murgia (January 2016), Will Technology Help Us Live Forever? [online], last accessed 16.07.17: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/01/25/will-technology-help-us-live-forever/

[2] Adam Piore (May 2016), The Immortality Hype [online], last accessed 23.07.17: http://nautil.us/issue/36/aging/the-immortality-hype

[3] Azim Surani (April 2009), Germ Cells: The Route to Immortality [online], last accessed 09.12.17: http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/germ-cells-the-route-to-immortality

[4] Molly Edmonds (May 2010), Can Humans Live Forever? [online], last accessed 22.07.17: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/genetic/humans-live-forever.htm

[5] Stephen Cave (USA 2012), Immortality: The Quest to Live Forever and How It Drives Civilisation, p71

[6] Ibid, p71

Technological Immortality

Technological immortality involves life in a suspended state, most notably regarding cryogenics. This branch of science believes that it is possible to preserve the body for an indefinite period of time, through freezing and storing at sub-zero temperatures, although this is most likely completely nonviable, as modern technology at the moment suggests the brain cannot be frozen and then thawed, with the expectation that normal functioning can resume[1]. This view could be marked by biblical excerpts, such as St Paul’s account that Jesus rose from the dead – this would explain the belief in the resurrection method, even though there is no actual material explanation[2]. However, there is some evidence to suggest that medical technologies could help prolong life and grant humanity immortality. For example, the United Nations have roughly estimated that in 2012, there were 316,600 people alive who were over the age of 100. However, it has also been estimated that by 2050, this number will grow to approximately three million, due to the advent of medical technologies in the coming decades[3]. A variety of approaches are being taken in order to lengthen life, which range from delivering certain chemicals to the body in order to slow the ageing process down, to the far more extreme methods – one of which includes the somewhat macabre idea that blood can be transferred from the young to the old to increase cognitive function and as such stop ageing. However, the trial which ran this was inconclusive and inherently flawed, as although it was seen to work in mice, the human trials did not use a proper placebo and the collection method involved caregivers flagging improvement; human optimism dictates that they would have flagged any minor improvement as being attributable to the treatment, even when this was not the case[4]. Moreover, anti-ageing pills could focus on stopping the production of free radicals – natural bodily by-products which cause harm to the cell and accumulate as we grow older[5]. As such, although there is optimism regarding medical technologies role in cultivating immortality for humans, the current prospect of this is relatively bleak.

[1] The Guardian Editorial Team (April 2017), The Guardian View on Immortality: Not for the Faint-Hearted [online], last accessed 11.07.17: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/apr/13/the-guardian-view-on-immortality-not-for-the-fainthearted

[2] Ibid

[3] Madhumita Murgia (January 2016), Will Technology Help Us Live Forever? [online], last accessed 16.07.17: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/01/25/will-technology-help-us-live-forever/

[4] New Scientist (2017), Young Blood Trial, Published 4^th November 2017 No3150 in New Scientist, p4

[5] Molly Edmonds (May 2010), Can Humans Live Forever? [online], last accessed 22.07.17: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/genetic/humans-live-forever.htm