The Longevity World Forum Congress will be held in Alicante until 2026

The Colegio de Médicos de Alicante (COMA) and the Valencian company Talentum Group have officially sealed their union, on Thursday 18 April, to hold the Longevity World Forum (LWF) congress in 2024, 2025 and 2026 in the capital of Alicante. This strategic alliance symbolises their shared commitment to progress and innovation in the field of longevity, healthy ageing and wellbeing.

COMA’s president, Dr. Hermann Schwarz, signed the cooperation agreement with the managing partner of Talentum Group, Francisco Larrey, at the association’s headquarters. Both parties agreed “on the importance that the ageing of the population has and will have in the not too distant future, not only on a national level, but evidently on a global level, the scientific advances of the last 20th century and of this first quarter of the 21st century”. They predict that the survival rate will continue to grow, making Spain a world leader and therefore a benchmark in terms of quality of life and living conditions, as the indisputable basis for people’s longevity.

COMA’s president, Dr. Hermann Schwarz, signed the cooperation agreement with the managing partner of Talentum Group, Francisco Larrey, at the association’s headquarters. Both parties agreed ” on the importance that the ageing of the population has and will have in the not too distant future, not only on a national level, but evidently on a global level, the scientific advances of the last 20th century and of this first quarter of the 21st century”. They predict that the survival rate will continue to grow, making Spain a world leader and therefore a benchmark in terms of quality of life and living conditions, as the indisputable basis for people’s longevity.

Significant day for the College of Doctors of Alicante, a milestone for the institution, which for the last year has been working together with Talentum to ” involve the civil, institutional, administrative and political society of both the province of Alicante and the Valencian Community”. Several agreements have been signed for the success of the FLM, being the city of Alicante and its province, for many reasons, the ideal place for its reissue and consolidation as a world reference, placing it as a permanent venue, with the advantages for all participants. This means establishing its name within the brand and denomination.

Thus, the hub of the longevity health industry will have an unmissable event every October for the next three years at the Palacio de Congresos de Alicante, owned by COMA. The city will be the international capital of healthy ageing with the Longevity World Forum Alicante, a congress based on three fundamental pillars: science and research, technological development and the latest trends linked to longevity. A pioneering event in Europe, promoted by the College of Doctors, which has the firm support of Alicante City Council, in line with its MICE Tourism strategy (congresses, meetings, events and incentives). To demonstrate this, it is intended to sign a collaboration framework agreement, whereby the LWF will be renamed “Longevity World Forum Alicante”.

The Longevity World Forum chooses Alicante as host city for its third edition in 2024

The Longevity World Forum has already chosen the venue for its third edition. Alicante will host this international congress, thus becoming the world capital of longevity. This was confirmed by the event organisers at Fitur 2024, where it was announced that the international benchmark congress on the latest advances in medical longevity and healthy ageing will take place in the second half of October at the Palacio de Congresos del Colegio de Médicos de Alicante.

International benchmark congress
The Longevity World Forum, after two successful editions, has become a world reference event in the fields of science and research focused on longevity and healthy ageing.

It is an international meeting point for the scientific and academic community and the longevity industry with leading specialists in the field to share their knowledge and present the development and innovation of new therapies to increase quality of life and life expectancy.

In previous editions, the congress was attended by top-level speakers from the international scientific and medical community, such as Jay Sarkar, co-founder of Turn Biotechnologies; María Blasco, scientific director of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre; Aubrey de Grey, scientific director of the SENS Research Foundation; Manuel Serrano, scientist at the Barcelona Institute for Biomedical Research; Liz Parrish, founder and CEO of BioViva Science; Rafael De Cabo, head of the Department of Translational Gerontology at the National Institute on Aging; Álvaro Pascual-Leone, professor of neurosurgery at Harward Medical School; and Bruno Vellas, president of Gerontolope and head of the Department of Geriatric Internal Medicine at the University Hospital of Toulose, among others.

A promising third edition
The third edition of the Longevity World Forum will focus on preventive medicine and epigenetics, as well as lifestyle. It will have a concept that will combine virtual-presential development with internationally renowned speakers, offering all the positive aspects of attending a congress of this magnitude, but also being able to do so from anywhere in the world. It will also incorporate parallel initiatives aimed at dissemination.

The event will seek to reach out to all people with scientific, business, social and economic interests, whether they are health professionals and researchers, companies in the sector, E-Health start-ups, students or anyone interested in the subject anywhere in the world. In this way, the participation and international expansion of the congress will be much greater, guaranteeing a unique and enriching experience.

The world’s leading scientists and doctors who will participate in the congress will be responsible for explaining the latest scientific and medical developments in the longevity sector. The health industry hub will also have a strong presence so that the most cutting-edge companies in this sector can share their technological innovations.

The industry of the future
Interest in longevity is growing at a dizzying pace. Everyone wants to live a healthy life for longer and there is increasing scientific understanding of the biological process of ageing. Hence the growing number of investments in this field from venture capital, the pharmaceutical industry, not-for-profit organisations and the wealthy, such as Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Sam Altman (ChatGPT), Larry Page (Google) and Peter Thiel (PayPal), who support research into biotechnology for ageing and longevity, with the aim of living a longer, healthier and happier life.

The market is expected to reach $610 billion by 2025. In addition, the ageing industry is expected to grow by 28% annually, and could account for up to 20% of the world’s GDP.

In short, longevity is on its way to becoming the biggest industry of the future and the Longevity World Forum in Alicante is an essential international event that brings together prevention, genetics, medical technology, research and social impact.

What happens when we grow old?

To grow old is to learn. Not surprisingly, different cultures around the world consider their elders as a source of wisdom and, therefore, treat them with their deserved respect. For example, in Hawaii the word kupuna (or, plural, “kūpuna”) is used to speak of older people, with three different meanings. First of all, by that word they refer to an old man as the leader of his family and community. Secondly, “kūpuna” are all the ancestors who have served as a guide for the community, thanks to their spiritual wisdom. Finally, “kupuna” means “the origin”, the starting point. In Japan, they even celebrate with their elders the “kanreki”, a party dedicated to their elders on their 60th birthday. All these cultural features have a reason. Age is a reflection of wisdom and the years bring knowledge and experiences. However, the passage of time also brings diseases and problems associated with aging. What happens in the body as we age, so that these associated pathologies appear?

Alterations in the genome and the epigenome

Every day, our organism is bombarded by different biological, physical and chemical agents, which affect the integrity of DNA. These agents range from ultraviolet radiation to bacterial and fungal infections. Fortunately, our cells have a wide variety of tools that it uses to detect and repair damage. Or, at least, almost all failures. DNA error detection and correction mechanisms are not 100% effective and therefore many errors are ignored. In this way, over the years, errors begin to accumulate in our genome, promoting the appearance of cancer cells and causing our tissues to not function properly. Similarly, there is an accumulation of alterations in our epigenome, a crucial element for the correct expression of the genome.

Telomere shortening

One of the most characteristic molecular alterations of aging is the shortening of telomeres, the terminal chromosomal structures. These regions, made up of highly repeated DNA sequences, are essential for maintaining the structural stability of chromosomes.

The main problem with telomeres is that, after each cell division, they shorten, generating DNA molecules that are increasingly unstable and prone to accumulating damage. This, added to the high sensitivity of the telomeres to damage caused by external agents, has been linked to the appearance of different diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Loss of protein balance

Our body has a series of mechanisms that it uses, on the one hand, to correctly fold its proteins in a three-dimensional way and, on the other hand, to eliminate or recycle all the proteins that do not work correctly. Over the years, these mechanisms begin to be less effective, which results in an accumulation in the cells of misfolded proteins.

The accumulation of certain proteins can be toxic to the cell, putting its integrity at risk. This is the case of Alzheimer’s disease, a disease associated with aging in which accumulation of some proteins is observed in the cells of the nervous system.

Irregular nutrient detection and communication problems between cells

Nutrients are essential for proper cellular and tissue function and, therefore, our body has systems for detecting the availability of nutrients to ensure that each cell receives the necessary nutrients. Similarly, our body is able to adapt to situations that modify the availability of nutrients, thanks to some hormonal routes. The effectiveness of all these systems decreases with aging and, with this, communication between cells is altered.

Failures in mitochondrial function

Thanks to mitochondria, our body is able to generate energy in the form of ATP, from oxygen and some other molecules. During mitochondrial function, a series of molecules, known as “reactive oxygen species,” are produced that can be harmful if they accumulate. The problem is that, in stressful situations, greater amounts of these harmful substances are produced, which affect the mitochondrial genome. Therefore, over the years, the number of functional mitochondria in our cells and their activity are diminished and, with them, the energy availability of tissues.

Cell senescence

Cellular senescence is an essential cell state in cancer prevention and serves to stop the proliferation of some cells when they are no longer needed. However, in older people, cellular senescence, far from being a beneficial mechanism for the body, becomes a problem. Over the years, an accumulation of damage occurs in the cells of our body. For this reason, many of them begin the process of cellular senescence, being able to cause failures in the different tissues.

Stem cell depletion

Each tissue and organ has a limited number of stem cells. These cells are used to regenerate the tissues against the damages they may receive, as well as to generate new cells if they are needed. In an aged tissue, the stem cell reserve is depleted and, therefore, the regenerative capacity of the tissue is diminished.

Just as the sum of experiences is what transforms an inexperienced young man into a “kupuna”, the sum of all the factors associated with aging are those that modify our body over the years. Fortunately, in recent years, the cause behind the biochemical and physiological factors associated with aging is being better investigated. The objective is to find ways to improve the quality of life of our “kūpuna”, so that they can continue to share their experience with the rest of us better and for longer.

Bibliography:

Partridge L, Deelen J, Slagboom PE. Facing up to the global challenges of ageing. Nature. 2018 Sep;561(7721):45-56. doi: 10.1038/s41586-018-0457-8.

López-Otín C, Blasco MA, Partridge L, Serrano M, Kroemer G. The hallmarks of aging. Cell. 2013 Jun 6;153(6):1194-217. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.05.039.

Longevity World Forum will celebrate its third edition on November 19 and 20 in Valencia

  • The worldwide reference event on longevity and healthy aging will take place the third week of November

The organization committee of the Longevity World Forum has confirmed the dates of November 19 and 20 for the celebration of the third edition of the worldwide congress on healthy aging and longevity. In addition, the event will take place in the city of Valencia, repeating location after the success of its first two celebrations.

 

The city of Valencia will serve for the third consecutive year as a meeting point for the world scientific community at the Longevity World Forum, as well as for industry agents from different countries, whose work is related to the increase in life expectancy and healthy aging On the other hand, there will also be a space for society where the latest advances and discoveries regarding healthy aging will be explained. Thus, human longevity will be approached again from different perspectives, generating multidisciplinary knowledge and showing the latest scientific and technological advances in this area.

 

The organization of the Longevity World Forum, chooses the month of November agaom for the celebration of the meeting and aims to overcome the good result of its first two editions, when it had more than 400 people attending and a program that included more than 20 first level speakers.

 

Thus, the Longevity World Forum will continue betting on national and international referents in healthy aging and longevity. In this sense, in previous editions there were experts such as María Blasco, Director of the National Oncological Research Center; Pura Muñoz, doctor of biology and Jaime I Medical Research Award; Aubrey de Gray, manager and founder of the SENS Research Foundation; Alvaro Pascual-Leone, professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School; Manuel Serrano, ICREA doctor and professor; or Rafael de Cabo, head of the Division of Translational Gerontology of the National Institute of Aging in Baltimore.

 

Therefore, the Longevity World Forum is considered the reference forum by the international scientific community and in turn consolidates Valencia as one of the scientific capitals of the world. Those interested in attending can manage their registration through the official website: www.longevityworldforum.com.

The international scientific community concludes in Valencia that aging can be modified with timely action

The Longevity World Forum, the international congress on healthy aging, has been consolidated at the close of the second edition in Valencia, where leading names from the international scientific community met to reflect on the advances and challenges posed by this subject. All those who participated during the three days of this conference have agreed that it is possible to modify the way aging occurs, always through a timely and personalised treatment.

 

“Eternal youth is not a realistic objective, but we are beginning to see actions based on scientific evidence to slow down or delay aging,” affirmed Manuel Pérez Alonso, professor of genomics and member of the organising committee, at the close of the congress. Calorie restriction and the control of senescence have also been highlighted as good strategies that have been proven in preliminary trials.

 

However, the implications in this respect go further. Continuing with the words of Pérez Alonso: “We have seen during these days that it is necessary to continue the research because a person’s sex, their genetic composition, diet or even when a therapeutic intervention is carried out, have an influence on the degree of success of these strategies. Therefore, everything points to the fundamental role of precision medicine in the near future.”

 

Furthermore, the Longevity World Forum has approached innovation in longevity, which has served to show that the breakthroughs in this field “will not only come from biology, but also from engineering and technology.” In fact, the conference has been the venue for the sharing of examples of how artificial intelligence is the key to interpreting data with regard to a person’s state of health. The full development of this potential requires an investment by the private sector, but also the support of the public sector through policies to ensure good quality of life, especially taking into account that “we are an increasingly long-living society” and that “age is the main risk factor for all chronic diseases,” as Pérez Alonso points out.

 

The Longevity World Forum has been held for the second consecutive year, since it began in 2018, and it has once again brought together the leading professionals whose work is related to longevity. On a national level, participants included María Blasco, director of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO); Manuel Collado, head of the cancer and aging stem cell laboratory at the Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS); Pura Muñoz, researcher of the Spanish National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC); and Manuel Serrano, a doctor and professor who is currently working on the ICREA programme of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Barcelona (IRB Barcelona).

 

Participants from other countries included Rafael de Cabo, chief of the Translational Gerontology Branch of the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore (USA); Maria Entraigues Abramson, Global Outreach Coordinator of SENS Research Foundation (USA); Mirka Uhlirova, of Excellent in Aging Research (CECAD) of the University of Cologne (Germany);  Bruno Vellas, doctor of the Aging Unit of the Gerontopole at the University Hospital of Toulouse (France); and Álvaro Pascual-Leone, professor of Neurology at the Harvard Medical School (USA); among others. Furthermore, attendees heard the testimony of Liz Parrish, the “patient zero” of the first successful gene therapy against aging, not currently validated by any international scientific organisation.

Liz Parrish shows gene therapies to be a successful formula to increase longevity

Liz Parrish was assailed by doubts about diseases in human beings when her son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This eventually led her to submit to an internationally pioneering gene therapy which is showing how the conditions associated with age can be combatted. Thus, she is considered to be the “patient zero” of an unprecedented process that she is developing from BioViva Science, the biotechnology company she leads. This experimental case, which has not been validated or backed by any international scientific organisations, has been presented at the Longevity World Forum, the international congress on healthy aging that is being held for the second time in Valencia.

 

Specifically, the gene therapy received by Liz Parrish focuses its action on telomerase, which improves genomic stability, reduces senescence and may even prevent cancer, follistatin, which increases and improves muscle mass and reduces frailty, and klotho, an enzyme that optimises brain functions and eliminates the damage caused by oxidative stress, as the CEO of BioViva Science herself explained. Furthermore, she has announced that in 2020 work will begin with the PGC-1alpha protein, since they believe that it may help in the treatment of dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

 

The last day of the Longevity World Forum, focused on the social and economic aspects of longevity and on the proven guidelines for healthy aging, was completed with presentations by Maria Entraigues Abramson, Global Outreach Coordinator of SENS Research Foundation (USA); Álvaro Pascual-Leone, professor of Neurology at the Harvard Medical School (USA); María Trinidad Herrero Ezquerro, Professor of Anatomy of the University of Murcia and director of the Aging Research Institute of Murcia; and Pedro Almaida, doctor of the Chronobiology group of the University of Murcia; among other speakers.

Leading scientists claim that medicine should focus on the quality of life during old age

The second day of the Longevity World Forum, the international congress on healthy aging, served to share the latest research underway on the subject of longevity. The professionals participating explained their different approaches to this subject and emphasised the need to focus medicine towards guaranteeing quality of life in old age, since the impact of chronic diseases has recently become greater than the increase in life expectancy.

 

In this respect, Rafael de Cabo, chief of the Translational Gerontology Branch of the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore (USA), indicated that it is not possible to detain aging, but that it can be delayed or slowed. Specifically, he presented calorie restriction as one of the possible interventions. Although specific strategies have not been applied to people, interesting results are being obtained in clinical trials.

 

Manuel Collado, head of the cancer and aging stem cell laboratory at the Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), and Manuel Serrano, a doctor and professor who is currently working on the ICREA programme of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Barcelona (IRB Barcelona), focused their attention on senolytic therapies, that is, those dedicated to reducing the accumulation of senescent cells inherent to age, or even eliminating them. This could result in a mechanism for the suppression of tumours or the prevention of pulmonary fibrosis.

 

Furthermore, Carlos F. Sánchez noted that senescence can also be detected in cardiovascular diseases. His presentation focused on pointing out the factors that mark vascular age and the importance played in this by endothelial cells, as well as the relationship between their dysfunction and the alteration of the immune system and oxidative stress.

 

The evening session of the Longevity World Forum served to present different initiatives developed by industry in the field of longevity, thanks to R&D&i. This is the case of the senolytic medicine being developed by Senolytic Therapeutics, Inc. (Boston), the medical images offered by QUIBIM (Valencia), the epigenetic reprogramming currently being worked on by Turn Biotechnologies, Inc. (USA), and the personal genome data sharing promoted by Cambridge Precision Medicine Ltd. (United Kingdom).

 

The final session of the Longevity World Forum will take place on 15 November, at the Palacio de Congresos (Conference Centre) of Valencia, and it will focus on the social and economic aspects of longevity and on the proven guidelines for healthy aging. To this end, presentations will be given by Maria Entraigues Abramson, Global Outreach Coordinator of SENS Research Foundation (USA), and Álvaro Pascual-Leone, professor of Neurology at the Harvard Medical School (USA), among other speakers. Furthermore, attendees will hear the testimony of Liz Parrish, the “patient zero” of the first successful gene therapy against aging.

The latest breakthroughs for a longer and better life expectancy are presented in Valencia on the occasion of the Longevity World Forum

A scientific congress and, at the same time, a space in which to connect with society and share the latest breakthroughs for a longer and better life expectancy. In short, this is the aim of the Longevity World Forum, the international forum on human longevity that, for the second year, has chosen Valencia as its venue. Specifically, the main event has taken place on 14 and 15 November at the city’s Palacio de Congresos (Conference Centre).

“This congress covers all the aspects involved in this subject, from academia to industry. The public authorities have responsibility with regard to aging, since we must care for the wellbeing of the population. A longer-living society is a challenge for the welfare state and an opportunity for economic development. It is an honour to receive leading professionals here, in Valencia, to share their knowledge,” explained Carolina Pascual Villalobos, councillor for Innovation, Universities, Science and Digital Society, at the inauguration of this year’s conference.

Mercedes Hurtado, president of the Professional Association of Physicians of Valencia, highlighted the importance of “sharing experiences, knowledge and strategies” with a view to gaining quality of life. “Slowing the aging process has always been a concern for humanity. Working together in this direction is synonymous with success,” she affirmed. Likewise, Manuel Pérez Alonso, professor of genomics of the University of Valencia and member of the organising committee, remarked on the need for a congress of this type. “We must communicate with society on such an important topic as longevity. Spain is one of the most long-living countries and we will soon be included in the worldwide classification. We hope to live longer and to do so with better health, for aging to stop being associated with suffering from illness,” he concluded.

A congress with a holistic vision

The Longevity World Forum is divided into different thematic sessions to explain the scientific innovation currently being applied in the field of longevity and analyse the social and economic effects implied by growing life expectancy, among other matters. To this end, the congress will be attended by eminent participants such as Pura Muñoz, researcher of the Spanish National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC), who has this year received the Jaume I Prize for Medical Research for her contributions on the molecular mechanisms of aging, and Manuel Collado, head of the cancer and aging stem cell laboratory at the Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), who has recently discovered that an active ingredient extracted from Digitalis or foxglove is able to selectively eliminate senescent cells.

Leading names on the international scale include Rafael de Cabo, chief of the Translational Gerontology Branch of the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore (USA); Maria Entraigues Abramson, Global Outreach Coordinator of SENS Research Foundation (USA);  Bruno Vellas, doctor of the Aging Unit and chairman of the Gerontopole at the University Hospital of Toulouse (France); and Álvaro Pascual-Leone, professor of Neurology at the Harvard Medical School (USA); among others. Furthermore, attendees will hear the testimony of Liz Parrish, the “patient zero” of the first successful gene therapy against aging.

Opening with an international symposium at the Príncipe Felipe Research Centre

The second edition of the Longevity World Forum included a symposium by way of an opening event, which took place at the Príncipe Felipe Research Centre on the afternoon of Wednesday 13 November. This event saw the sharing of new research models on longevity by renowned scientists such as María Blasco, director of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), whose team has recently managed to increase longevity without genetic intervention on mouse models born with longer than usual telomeres.

Valencia is consolidated as the world scientific capital of healthy aging

The organisers of the Longevity World Forum have decided that Valencia will be its venue for the second year running, thus consolidating the city as the world scientific capital of healthy aging. Leading international figures will be in the city on 13, 14 and 15 November to explain the scientific innovations currently being applied in the field of longevity and analyse the social and economic effects inherent to growing life expectancy.

 

Pilar Bernabé, deputy mayor of Valencia, emphasised at the press conference for the official presentation, held at the city hall, that a congress of these characteristics represents a great opportunity for the city. “We believe that we meet all the requirements to lead the way in this respect and that, as an institution that is close to citizens, we have direct responsibilities for the wellbeing of older people. Therefore, it is very important to consider the research for its subsequent application, as well as to promote social awareness with regard to healthy aging,” she concluded.

 

Indeed, Manuel Pérez Alonso, doctor of Genomics of the University of Valencia and representative of the organising committee, emphasised the social side of the Longevity World Forum. In his words: “It is not only a meeting for scientific professionals, but also serves to inform citizens of the new developments in this field of research. More and more breakthroughs predict that, in the near future, we will be able to curb aging.”

 

José Viña, doctor of Physiology of the University of Valencia and representative of the scientific committee, stated the need for a congress such as the Longevity World Forum, taking into account that “it is forecast that in barely four years we will be the longest-living society in the world.” He also emphasised the quality of the speakers participating in this second edition of the event. “It is a unique occasion to approach great scientists who work in international benchmarking research groups,” he explained.

 

The most authoritative voices on longevity

The participants at the Longevity World Forum will include María Blasco, director of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), whose team has recently managed to increase longevity without genetic intervention on mouse models born with longer than usual telomeres, and Manuel Collado, head of the cancer and aging stem cell laboratory at the Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), who has recently discovered that an active ingredient extracted from Digitalis or foxglove is able to selectively eliminate senescent cells.

 

Also present will be Pura Muñoz, researcher of the Spanish National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC), who has this year received the Jaume I Prize for Medical Research for her contributions on the molecular mechanisms of aging, and Manuel Serrano, a doctor and professor who is currently working on the ICREA programme of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Barcelona (IRB Barcelona) leading research into senescence and cellular plasticity.

 

On an international level, participants include leading figures such as Rafael de Cabo, chief of the Translational Gerontology Branch of the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore (USA); Maria Entraigues Abramson, Global Outreach Coordinator of SENS Research Foundation (USA); Mirka Uhlirova, of Excellent in Aging Research (CECAD) of the University of Cologne (Germany);  Bruno Vellas, doctor of the Aging Unit of the Gerontopole at the University Hospital of Toulouse (France); and Álvaro Pascual-Leone, professor of Neurology at the Harvard Medical School (USA); among others. Furthermore, attendees will hear the testimony of Liz Parrish, the “patient zero” of the first successful gene therapy against aging.

 

A flourishing field

Healthy aging is an issue that increasingly interests companies. Poof of this is the continuing growth in the number of international organisations that work in this line. The Longevity World Forum already benefits from the involvement of some of the strongest, such as Calico, the biotechnology firm of Google, General Electric Healthcare, the medical solutions division of the multinational company, and Siemens Healthineers, a group of medical technology companies. All in all, Spain is becoming the world forum par excellence on healthy aging.

Liz Parrish visits Spain to talk about her experience as “patient zero” of the first successful gene therapy against aging

She was the first, but she is no longer the only one. In 2015 Liz Parrish, founder and CEO of BioViva Science, received two experimental gene therapies that were being developed by her own company, making her the “patient zero” who has demonstrated the success of telomerase activation in human beings. According to information provided by the company itself, a few months ago more people began to participate in the same process.

 

These treatments, which BioViva Science and its partner company Integrated Health Systems (IHS) are offering in the city of Monterrey (Mexico), will be the focus of part of the presentation to be offered by Liz Parrish on 15 de November in Valencia on the occasion of the Longevity World Forum, the international congress on healthy aging and life expectancy which has again chosen this city as the venue for its second edition.

 

During her presentation Liz Parrish will also report on the AAV (Adeno Associated Virus) method, which integrates pre-programmed DNA fragments in the nuclear DNA to stimulate the production of certain proteins that are no longer produced with aging and which are necessary to delay the appearance of chronic diseases associated with old age. Furthermore, she will talk about research being conducted by BioViva Science together with Rutgers University of New Jersey (USA) to design a “rejuvenating vaccine” which does not involve genome editing and which causes a minimal immune response.

 

Liz Parrish joins the list of authoritative voices on longevity who will meet on 13, 14 and 15 November at the Longevity World Forum. Participants will include, for example, María Blasco, director of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Rafael de Cabo, chief of the Translational Gerontology Branch of the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore (USA); Maria Entraigues Abramson, Global Outreach Coordinator of SENS Research Foundation (USA); Avan Sayer, director of the Newcastle Institute for Ageing (United Kingdom); and Álvaro Pascual-Leone, professor of Neurology at the Harvard Medical School (USA); among others.

 

Thus, the second edition of the Longevity World Forum will focus on scientific innovation, explaining the latest research currently underway in the field of longevity, the guidelines recently proven to be ideal to achieve healthy aging, and the social and economic effects inherent to growing life expectancy.