Recent Stanford Conference on Longevity Science
A report here on the recent conference at the Stanford Center for Longevity, representative of the dominant "work to slow aging through metabolic manipulation" faction in the research community: "Recent, near-miraculous advances in our understanding of biological processes at the cellular and molecular level offer the possibility of extending individual lives by slowing the aging process itself. ... Not that environment doesn't play a key role in aging-associated disease. For instance, the gene cited by Brunet is involved in the insulin pathway. Brunet, whose laboratory is studying aspects of this pathway in mammals as well as in C. elegans, noted that restricting caloric intake by about one-quarter to one-third - which suppresses insulin levels - has a life-span-increasing effect on all other species in which it's been tried: worms, flies, mice, even monkeys. Experiments with humans are ongoing, but our life spans are so long that data are dribbling out slowly. However, an apparent diminution in aging-related conditions such as type-2 diabetes, stroke and cancer is being seen, she said."
Link: http://news.stanford.edu/news/2009/april22/med-longevity-042209.html