From the Editor
Eve Herold
Editor-in-Chief
Welcome to the latest news in healthspan! This issue covers an exciting cell therapy breakthrough for diabetes, an enticing discovery about the effect of psilocybin mushrooms on aging, and how parabiosis (blood transfer) offers hope of protecting the eye’s retina from common age-related diseases. Follow that with a timely report on how heat affects aging, plus a video of HSAC Executive Director and regenerative medicine pioneer Bernard Siegel’s interview on the Pioneers of Hope podcast with Doug Oliver. Then, read about how HHS budget cuts to the National Cancer Institute are set to hobble research from the world’s premier cancer research institute. Last but certainly not least, we shine a spotlight on HSAC member Frontier Bio in a conversation with CEO Eric Bennet about cutting-edge technologies that could eliminate the shortage of organs for transplant.
Cell Therapies Make Huge Breakthrough in Diabetes
Diabetes has been one of the most widely recognized targets for cell therapies, given that it’s well known that a deficit of pancreatic beta islet cells causes the disease. Globally, there are 589 million people living with some form of it, a huge drain on healthcare systems and the cause of complications like blindness, heart disease and other afflictions that limit both the life- and healthspan. In Type 1 diabetes, the body’s immune system attacks the pancreatic islet cells needed for regulating sugar. Insulin, the frontline treatment, is not a perfect fix because it only replaces some, but not all, of the functions of a healthy pancreas. New beta cells created from stem cells have been a tantalizing target for decades, because the right cells could perform all the functions that could effectively cure the disease. Now, Peking University cell biologist Hongkui Deng and colleagues seem to have struck gold by literally reversing diabetes using a patient’s own induced-pluripotent stem cells and coaxing them into islet cells, then transplanting the cells into a new location. In the past, cadaveric islet cells have been transplanted into the major vein of the liver, an imperfect treatment because immune cells attack the grafts and patients still need insulin. But Deng’s team chose a different location for the genetically matched cells—between the subcutaneous fat layer of the abdomen and the abdominal muscle. The result: a woman in China with type 1 diabetes has now gone one year completely independent of insulin. The research community’s premise that new, immune-compatible islet cells could eventually reverse diabetes, has proven correct. Heng’s work gives new hope of successfully treating, if not eliminating, diabetes.
Shrooms and Aging. Who Would Have Thought?
Psilosybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms” that causes the hallucinogenic effects, has recently been an active area of study for mental illnesses like anxiety and depression, where it has shown long-lasting benefits. But new research suggests this ingredient also can have a significant effect on aging. A new study led by Louise Hecker at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston suggests that psilocybin may actually protect telomeres and slow cellular aging. Hecker’s team tested psilocin, a molecule that psilocybin breaks down to in the body, on female mice whose age was the equivalent the that of a human in their 60s. The study showed that aging was slowed in the mice by several biomarkers, so the scientists tested it on isolated human skin and lung cells. The result? The lifespan of the cells was extended by 57% by preserving telomere length, reducing levels of oxidative stress and ramping up levels of Sirt1, a protein previously associated with longer life. Could a non-psychogenic molecule be isolated from psilocybin that could result in a drug to slow aging? The search is on.
Good News for Vampires: Young Blood Repairs Aging Eyes
Parabiosis is a technique where the circulatory systems of two individuals are joined and blood is exchanged. It has been found in recent years that joining an aged mouse and a young one in this way results in a reversal of aging markers in the aged animal and accelerated aging in the young one. This practice is hardly a candidate for real-world use in humans, but identifying anti-aging molecules in young blood could lead to potential drugs to fight aging. The human retina is a fragile tissue at the back of the eye that’s vulnerable to degradation with aging, causing so-far irreversible diseases like macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy late in life. But in a radical new discovery, a research team led by Wenru Su at Shanghai People’s Ninth Hospital found that infusing old mice with a receptor called AdopiR1 through the circulation of young blood rejuvenates the aging retina. The parabiosis alleviated cellular senescence, reduced inflammation and oxidative stress, and restored mitochondria health in the retinas of the aged mice. It was noted that AdipoR1 expression was naturally diminished in the older mice, a process thought to contribute to mitochondrial breakdown and cellular senescence. The importance of this work is underscored by the fact that retinal degeneration in later life has heretofore been seen as irreversible. The next step will be testing AdipoR1 agonists for safety and efficacy in humans. If this is successful, sharp vision could be maintained as we age, dramatically improving quality of life and extending the healthspan and functionality of millions of older people.
It’s Not Your Imagination. The Heat is Killing Us
Have you ever wondered why the highest fatalities from extreme heat occur in older people? A new study announced by USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology explains why. As we age, our bodies’ cooling mechanism, sweat and its evaporation, itself evaporates. Humidity plays a major role, making those regions that are both hot and humid the most dangerous for people over 65. The study’s lead author, Jennifer Ailshire, and her colleague Eunyoung Choi, analyzed epigenetic changes in blood samples of over 3,600 older individuals compared to the number of dangerously hot days in their cities and regions over a period of six years. By analyzing DNA methylation in study subjects, they found that biological aging accelerates in extreme heat. The findings showed that those living in places like Phoenix, AZ showed up to 14 months of additional aging compared to those who live in cooler climes. As extreme heat spreads to more and more regions of the world, city planning that includes more trees and green spaces, plus policies that provide air conditioning and cooling centers are urgent for protecting our aging populations.
Bernard Siegel on PIONEERS of HOPE™
HSAC Executive Director Bernard Siegel was at the very inception of one of the most revolutionary new fields in the search for medical cures—stem cell research. A seasoned advocate for patients and scientists involved in the development of new therapies, Siegel made history when he filed the first lawsuit challenging a claim that the first human baby had been cloned. Now, he declares that healthspan is a universal human right. Enjoy his insightful review of his career as a leader in regenerative medicine advocacy for Pioneers of Hope, a podcast featuring “Visionaries, Thinkers and Healers.” He provides a front-row view of how cell therapy science, which he has dubbed one of the new pillars of medicine, evolved from the first isolation of human stem cells in 1998 to the current day, when this groundbreaking science is beginning to provide not just treatments, but a radical new approach to age-related diseases and conditions.
How “Drone Attacks” on NCI Funding Are Hindering Advances
Cancer is the second-highest cause of death in the U.S. after heart disease, but in the last few decades, many cancers have been managed to the point of long-term survivability. This didn’t happen by accident. It happened through decades of funding for the National Cancer Institute from the U.S. government. Under the current administration, huge cuts have been made to the NCI’s budget, and despite numerous advances, the job of eliminating cancer deaths is far from over. But Draconian cuts have led to staff firings, shortages of research supplies, and even abandoning updates on the Institute’s public-facing websites that provide a crucial source of information for clinicians seeking guidance. With the current gutting of funding, many labs have either closed or are destined to close, with years of research already done simply going to waste. Most concerning is the lack of consultations with the people doing the work. “We use the word ‘drone attack’ now regularly,” an NCI staffer told CNN about the sudden yanking of funding for critical projects and programs. “It just happens from above.” Considering that the NCI is the world’s leading organization for cancer research and training, there’s no question that further advances have been set back by years.
Member Spotlight:
Frontier Bio Seeks to Ease the Global Organ Shortage
The need for transplantable organs could not be more urgent. According to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, there are currently over 103,000 Americans on a transplant list, and about 13 of them die each day waiting for an organ. The Healthspan Compass sat down with Eric Bennet, CEO of member organization Frontier Bio, to learn more about the company’s leading-edge technologies for creating engineered tissues and organs that could address the worldwide shortage of organs for transplant. Their vision entails using a combination of engineered tissues, organs on a chip and 3-D bioprinting, starting with human induced pluripotent stem cells to create tissues and, ultimately, whole organs that could save hundreds of thousands of lives throughout the world. Check out the interview, in which Bennet dishes about the exciting research underway to make this a reality.
UPCOMING ENDORSED CONFERENCES & EVENTS
OCTOBER 7, 2025
Healthspan Action Coalition Member
Endorsed Conference
Conference
on Healthy Longevity
and Dr. Jeanne Loring
will Be speaking
October 7, 2025
Venue: Great Lecture Hall of
Jožef Stefan Institute
Address: Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
OCTOBER 10, 2025
Healthspan Action Coalition Member
Endorsed Conference
Ageless Evolution
Longevity Summit 2025
USE DISCOUNT CODE
HEALTHSPAN
October 10, 2025
Silicon Valley, California