Fight Aging!

This has been a great year for SENS rejuvenation research, both in progress in the lab and in fundraising from the growing community of supporters. The work needed to build the first therapies capable of repairing the root causes of aging, and thereby preventing and turning back age-related disease and disability, is moving forward. New allies are arriving, and more attention by industry, public, press is being given to this critical area of medical research. The year ends a little under a week from now, and there is still more than $25,000 left in the final matching fund put up a week ago by the Foster Foundation. All charitable donations made to the SENS Research Foundation before the end of 2015 will be matched from this fund - so it isn't too late to make a difference this year.

We are pleased to announce that the Foster Foundation, a longtime supporter of SENS Research Foundation, has offered us a final year end challenge. They will match dollar for dollar up to $50,000 raised from December 14th to 31st. Formerly the Rose and Winslow Foster Family Foundation, the Foundation has provided over $150,000 in donations to SRF this year. We thank them for their amazing support of our mission. Help us secure this challenge grant by donating today and helping enable SRF's critical work to end age-related disease.

Earlier this year, the SENS Research Foundation crowdfunded more than $45,000 for mitochondrial DNA repair research via Lifespan.io. This year also saw progress in the for-profit world towards the first practical single-gene implementation of this same technology for the treatment of inherited mitochondrial disease, an important part of building a robust clinical technology platform to prevent the contribution of mitochondrial DNA damage to degenerative aging. Our 2015 Fight Aging! matching fundraiser, held in collaboration with the SENS Research Foundation, was also a success and raised $250,000 for research into the effective treatment of aging over the last few months.

Going on for 600 people donated to this year's SENS fundraisers, or at least to those where I can count the totals. The more attention we can create, the more discussion, the more modest donations made in the same spirit as people donate to cancer research, the better off we will all be. It is the hum and chatter and spirited donations from the grassroots that draw the attention of high net worth philanthropists and conservative traditional funding sources. The only way to see six and seven figure checks in the mail is to first have thousands of people cheering you on. Those with deep pockets rarely lead the crowd: they put their support to organizations with backing. Early stage research in the life science is very cheap these days - that $45,000 for mitochondrial repair research will enable six months of highly productive work at the cutting edge by people who know more about the particular approach taken by the SENS Research Foundation than near anyone else in the world. Our donations are not of token value, and enable real and meaningful progress. Nonetheless, in the long term the greater value we provide to the future of humanity is to shine a light, to be a beacon pointing out the worth of SENS research - and the value of the treatment of aging as a goal - to those who can fund causes with millions and more.

This is an important, transformative time in the shift from the old approach to age-related disease towards the new approach of medicine to treat aging itself. The avalanche is starting, and what we do today will shape the direction and pace of progress for years to come. So back the causes you believe in.