Day Three Of The 10th ARDD Meeting Featuring Dr. David Sinclair

While the first day of the 10th Aging Research and Drug Discovery (ARDD) conference, a five day non-profit event organized by the University of Copenhagen, was dedicated to Longevity Medicine and the second day was mostly dedicated to cellular senescence and senotherapeutics, the third day covered a broad range of topics.

The Grand Hall was once again filled to capacity, but the atmosphere remained electric rather than crowded, thanks to the hybrid format that allowed attendees to engage both in-person and online. As always, the day was opened by the executive chairs and organizers of the conference, who brought the ARDD conference to Copenhagen and put Denmark on the global map of healthy longevity science, Professor Morten Scheibye-Knudsen, MD, PhD, and Daniela Bakula, PhD.

The morning session opened with Adam Antebi from the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Germany. His talk, “A Tale of Old and New Love: Insights into Longevity and Rejuvenation from Diapause,” delved into the fascinating biological phenomenon of diapause—a temporary suspension of development often triggered by environmental conditions—and its implications for understanding aging and rejuvenation at the cellular level.

Following Antebi, Liesbeth Veenhoff from the University Medical Center Groningen in The Netherlands presented her research on “Poor Old Pores; Surveillance of the Intrinsically Disordered FG-Nucleoporins.” Her work focuses on the nuclear pore complex, specifically the FG-nucleoporins, and how their disordered nature might be a target for age-related diseases. Veenhoff’s research opens up new avenues for understanding cellular aging from a structural biology perspective.

Collin Ewald from ETH Zurich then took the stage to discuss whether longevity interventions could repair age-related collagen crosslinking in his talk, “Do Longevity Interventions Repair Age-Related Collagen Crosslinking?” Ewald’s research is particularly relevant for understanding the aging of connective tissues and has implications for a range of age-related diseases, including osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases.

Yousin Suh from Columbia University continued the morning’s momentum with her presentation on “Cellular Senescence and Human Longevity.” Suh’s work is at the forefront of understanding how cellular senescence, a state of irreversible cell cycle arrest, contributes to aging and age-related diseases. Her research offers insights into potential therapeutic targets for extending healthspan.

Natalia Mitin, CEO and Co-Founder of Sapere Bio, shifted the focus to clinical applications with her talk on “Proactive Clinical Monitoring of Immune System Aging.” Mitin emphasized the importance of monitoring the immune system as a proactive approach to managing health and longevity, a topic of increasing relevance given the ongoing research into immunosenescence.

The morning session concluded with Coleen Murphy from Princeton University discussing her groundbreaking research on the activation of GNAQ, a protein that has been shown to rejuvenate memory in aged animals. Murphy’s work is a significant step in understanding the molecular mechanisms that could potentially reverse cognitive decline in aging.

After a lunch break, the afternoon sessions resumed with a presentation by Björn Schumacher from the University of Cologne on “Genome Stability in Aging and Disease: New Insights and Therapeutic Avenues.” Schumacher’s work is pivotal in understanding how genome stability impacts aging and offers potential therapeutic targets for age-related diseases.

Tim Peterson of BIOIO and VitaDAO presented on “Developing Gerotherapeutics by Defining Mechanisms of Action (MoAs).” His talk was particularly relevant for the many venture capitalists in the audience, as it bridged the gap between academic research and commercial application in the field of longevity biotechnology.

Jan Vijg from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine then discussed “Genome Instability, Aging, and Disease,” focusing on how genomic instability contributes to the aging process and the onset of age-related diseases. His work adds another layer to the complex interplay between genetic factors and aging.

Dr. Jamie Justice from Wake Forest University who recently joined the X-Prize for Healthy Longevity, presented on the general concept of the goal-oriented prizes originally pioneered by Dr. Peter Diamandis. She also presented her own research. The entire industry is eagerly awaiting the official launch of the X-Prize and everyone wanted to talk to her.

The afternoon also featured shorter but impactful talks. David Meyer from the University of Cologne discussed “Accurate Aging Clocks Based on Accumulating Stochastic Variation,” while Victoria Acosta Rodriguez and Kejun Albert Ying from Harvard Medical School presented on circadian clock-oriented feeding and causal epigenetic age, respectively. Fabian Finger from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research rounded off this session by discussing why fast glycolytic muscle declines first during aging.

The day’s most anticipated event was David Sinclair’s lecture on “Epigenetic Stabilization and Reprogramming: An Update.” The talk was so compelling that the venue reached maximum capacity, and the online audience was so large that it briefly overwhelmed the AV system. Sinclair’s presentation was a masterclass in the information theory of aging and epigenetic reprogramming, topics at the cutting edge of longevity research. His exit was akin to that of a rockstar, as he had to leave immediately after his talk for another engagement, avoiding a throng of autograph-seeking graduate students. He was accompanied by a famous longevity physician, Dr. Serena Poon, who helped curate his meetings and limited access for some of the supplement and wellness vendors who often abuse pictures with Dr. Sinclair to promote their practices.

The day also featured a remarkable talk by Andrea Olsen, an 18-year-old prodigy who began her research in aging at the age of 15. She discussed dual-purpose glioblastoma and aging targets, captivating the audience with her depth of knowledge and research acumen.

The formal proceedings concluded with a gala dinner at the historic club of the Danish Medical Society, where Andrea Olsen performed an opera song, adding a touch of elegance to an already distinguished event.

The open bar, complete with bartenders in lab coats and a special menu of biogerontology-inspired drinks, was a hit among the delegates, fostering an atmosphere conducive to forming lifelong friendships and collaborations.