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'''Aubrey David Nicholas Jasper de Grey''' (born 20 April 1963 in ], ]) is an ] author and theoretician in the field of ], and the Chief Science Officer of the ]. '''Aubrey David Nicholas Jasper de Grey''' (born 20 April 1963 in ], ]) is an ] author and theoretician in the field of ], and the Chief Science Officer of the ].


De Grey is the author of the ] ] theory of ], and the general-audience book '']'', a detailed description of how regenerative medicine may be able to thwart the aging process altogether within a few decades. He works on the development of what he has termed "]" (SENS) - a ] strategy intended to ] the human body and thereby allow an ]. To this end, he has identified seven types of molecular and cellular "damage" caused by essential metabolic processes; SENS is a proposed panel of therapies to repair this damage.<ref></ref> The scientific community is skeptical of de Grey's claims; a review of SENS by 28 scientists concluded that none of de Grey's therapies "has ever been shown to extend the lifespan of any organism, let alone humans".<ref name=EMBOSENS>{{Cite pmid|16264422}}</ref> De Grey is the author of the ] ] theory of ], and the general-audience book '']'', a detailed description of how regenerative medicine may be able to thwart the aging process altogether within a few decades. He works on the development of what he has termed "]" (SENS) - a ] strategy intended to ] the human body and thereby allow an ]. To this end, he has identified seven types of molecular and cellular "damage" caused by essential metabolic processes; SENS is a proposed panel of therapies to repair this damage.<ref></ref> Some sections of the scientific community have expressed skepticism of de Grey's claims; a review of SENS by 28 scientists concluded that none of de Grey's therapies "has ever been shown to extend the lifespan of any organism, let alone humans".<ref name=EMBOSENS>{{Cite pmid|16264422}}</ref> However, de Grey has responded <ref name=EMBOSENSREPLY>{{Cite pmid| 16264420}}</ref> that this merely reveals a serious gap of understanding between basic scientists and technologists and between biologists studying aging and those studying regenerative medicine, and the 15-member Research Advisory Board of ] have signed an endorsement of the plausibility of the SENS approach.<ref></ref> Thus, SENS remains a contentious concept among appropriately credentialed scientists.


De Grey has been interviewed in recent years in many news sources, including CBS '']'', ], the '']'', '']'', the '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']''. His main activities at present are as Chief Science Officer of the ]<ref></ref> and editor-in-chief of the academic journal '']''. De Grey has been interviewed in recent years in many news sources, including CBS '']'', ], the '']'', '']'', the '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']''. His main activities at present are as Chief Science Officer of the ]<ref></ref> and editor-in-chief of the academic journal '']''.


==Education== ==Education==
Aubrey de Grey was educated at ] and ]. In 1985 he received a ] in Computer Science from ], ] and joined ] as an ]/software engineer; in 1986, he co-founded Man-Made Minions Ltd<ref></ref> to pursue the development of an ]. Until 2006, he was in charge of software development at the University of Cambridge ] Department for the ] ] database. Aubrey de Grey was educated at ] and ]. In 1985 he received a ] in Computer Science from ], ] and joined ] as an ]/software engineer; in 1986, he co-founded Man-Made Minions Ltd<ref></ref> to pursue the development of an ]. From 1992 until 2006, he was in charge of software development at the University of Cambridge ] Department for the ] ] database.


In 2000 Cambridge awarded de Grey a ]<ref name="phd">{{cite web | title = Congregation of the Regent House on 9 December 2000 | work = ] | date = December 13, 2000 | url = http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2000-01/weekly/5831/27.html | accessdate = March 24, 2009 }} De Grey was not registered as a Ph.D. student. available only to previous Cambridge undergraduates (of whatever discipline) permit the submission of "...a significant contribution to scholarship" instead. Applicants are evaluated by the usual methods, with examiners appointed and an oral defence of the submitted work.</ref> on the basis of his book concerning the biology of one aspect of aging, ''The Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of Aging'' (ISBN 1-58706-155-4), which he wrote in 1999. The book controversially claimed that obviating damage to mitochondrial DNA might by itself extend lifespan significantly, though it stated that it was more likely that cumulative damage to mitochondria is a significant cause of senescence, but not the single dominant cause. A February&nbsp;8, 2007 search for "de&nbsp;Grey&nbsp;AD&nbsp;" on PubMed<ref></ref> revealed 61 publications in 25 peer-reviewed journals, of which 19 are in '']'' (] 4.728), the journal edited by de Grey. In 2000 Cambridge awarded de Grey a ]<ref name="phd">{{cite web | title = Congregation of the Regent House on 9 December 2000 | work = ] | date = December 13, 2000 | url = http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2000-01/weekly/5831/27.html | accessdate = March 24, 2009 }} De Grey was not registered as a Ph.D. student. available only to previous Cambridge undergraduates (of whatever discipline) permit the submission of "...a significant contribution to scholarship" instead. Applicants are evaluated by the usual methods, with examiners appointed and an oral defence of the submitted work.</ref> on the basis of his book concerning the biology of one aspect of aging, ''The Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of Aging'' (ISBN 1-58706-155-4), which he wrote in 1999. The book controversially claimed that obviating damage to mitochondrial DNA might by itself extend lifespan significantly, though it stated that it was more likely that cumulative damage to mitochondria is a significant cause of senescence, but not the single dominant cause. A February&nbsp;8, 2007 search for "de&nbsp;Grey&nbsp;AD&nbsp;" on PubMed<ref></ref> revealed 61 publications in 25 peer-reviewed journals, of which 19 are in '']'' (] 4.728), the journal edited by de Grey.
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De Grey has published papers in this area in prominent journals with some of biogerontology's foremost researchers, including ], Leonid Gavrilov and ], as well as other thinkers such as ].<ref name=NulandFebr2005>Nuland, Sherwin. (February 2005). "". ''Technology Review''.</ref> He has also received support from other prominent scientists, such as William Haseltine, the biotech pioneer of ], who in March 2005 stated regarding the Methuselah Mouse Prize "there’s nothing to compare with this effort, and it has already contributed significantly to the awareness that regenerative medicine is a near term reality, not an if."<ref>Britt, Robert Roy. March 9, 2005. "". ''LiveScience''. Imaginova.</ref> De Grey has published papers in this area in prominent journals with some of biogerontology's foremost researchers, including ], Leonid Gavrilov and ], as well as other thinkers such as ].<ref name=NulandFebr2005>Nuland, Sherwin. (February 2005). "". ''Technology Review''.</ref> He has also received support from other prominent scientists, such as William Haseltine, the biotech pioneer of ], who in March 2005 stated regarding the Methuselah Mouse Prize "there’s nothing to compare with this effort, and it has already contributed significantly to the awareness that regenerative medicine is a near term reality, not an if."<ref>Britt, Robert Roy. March 9, 2005. "". ''LiveScience''. Imaginova.</ref>


In 2005, he was the subject of a critical article in ]'s '']''.<ref name=NulandFebr2005>Nuland, Sherwin. February 2005. "". ''Technology Review''.</ref> See ]. In 2005, he was the subject of two highly critical editorials accompanying an article in ]'s '']''.<ref name=NulandFebr2005>Nuland, Sherwin. February 2005. "". ''Technology Review''.</ref> See ].


In 2007, de Grey wrote the book "]" with the assistance of Michael Rae.<ref name=EndingAging>de Grey, Aubrey; Rae, Michael. September 2007. '']''. ], NY: Saint Martin's Press, 416 p. ISBN 0312367066.</ref> It summarizes the science, politics and social challenges of the entire SENS agenda.<ref>{{cite web | last = ] | title = Book Review: ENDING AGING | work = Life Extension Magazine | publisher = ] | month = December | year = 2007 | url = http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2007/dec2007_bookreview_01.htm | accessdate = 2007-04-12 }}</ref> In 2007, de Grey wrote the book "]" with the assistance of Michael Rae.<ref name=EndingAging>de Grey, Aubrey; Rae, Michael. September 2007. '']''. ], NY: Saint Martin's Press, 416 p. ISBN 0312367066.</ref> It provides a detailed account of the science, politics and social challenges of the entire SENS agenda.<ref>{{cite web | last = ] | title = Book Review: ENDING AGING | work = Life Extension Magazine | publisher = ] | month = December | year = 2007 | url = http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2007/dec2007_bookreview_01.htm | accessdate = 2007-04-12 }}</ref>


In a 2008 broadcast<ref>''Aux frontières de l'immortalité'', November 16th, 2008, 23:10, director : Gerald Caillat</ref> on the ] German & French TV, de Grey confirmed that according to him, the first human who will live up to 1,000 years is probably already alive now, and might even be today between 50 and 60 years old. In a 2008 broadcast<ref>''Aux frontières de l'immortalité'', November 16th, 2008, 23:10, director : Gerald Caillat</ref> on the ] German & French TV, de Grey confirmed that according to him, the first human who will live up to 1,000 years is probably already alive now, and might even be today between 50 and 60 years old.
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{{main|De Grey Technology Review debate}} {{main|De Grey Technology Review debate}}


A debate over the validity of the de Grey's theories on aging was published in ]'s '']''. In the end, none of the challengers to de Grey were able to convince the judges that SENS was "so wrong that it is unworthy of learned debate." A debate over the legitimacy of de Grey's proposals for combating aging was published in ]'s '']''. In the end, none of the challengers to de Grey were able to convince the judges that SENS was "so wrong that it is unworthy of learned debate."


==Scientific journal== ==Scientific journal==
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==Titles and positions== ==Titles and positions==
De Grey is a fellow of the ]<ref></ref> and an advisor for the ].<ref></ref> De Grey is a fellow of the ], the ], the ]<ref></ref> and an advisor for the ].<ref></ref>


==Recorded public appearances== ==Recorded public appearances==

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Aubrey de Grey
Aubrey de Grey, 2008
Born (1963-04-20) April 20, 1963 (age 61)
London, England
NationalityBritish
Alma materUniversity of Cambridge
Known forSENS, Methuselah Mouse Prize
Scientific career
FieldsBiogerontology

Aubrey David Nicholas Jasper de Grey (born 20 April 1963 in London, England) is an English author and theoretician in the field of gerontology, and the Chief Science Officer of the SENS Foundation.

De Grey is the author of the mitochondrial free-radical theory of aging, and the general-audience book Ending Aging, a detailed description of how regenerative medicine may be able to thwart the aging process altogether within a few decades. He works on the development of what he has termed "Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence" (SENS) - a tissue-repair strategy intended to rejuvenate the human body and thereby allow an indefinite lifespan. To this end, he has identified seven types of molecular and cellular "damage" caused by essential metabolic processes; SENS is a proposed panel of therapies to repair this damage. Some sections of the scientific community have expressed skepticism of de Grey's claims; a review of SENS by 28 scientists concluded that none of de Grey's therapies "has ever been shown to extend the lifespan of any organism, let alone humans". However, de Grey has responded that this merely reveals a serious gap of understanding between basic scientists and technologists and between biologists studying aging and those studying regenerative medicine, and the 15-member Research Advisory Board of SENS Foundation have signed an endorsement of the plausibility of the SENS approach. Thus, SENS remains a contentious concept among appropriately credentialed scientists.

De Grey has been interviewed in recent years in many news sources, including CBS 60 Minutes, BBC, the New York Times, Fortune Magazine, the Washington Post, TED, Popular Science and The Colbert Report. His main activities at present are as Chief Science Officer of the SENS Foundation and editor-in-chief of the academic journal Rejuvenation Research.

Education

Aubrey de Grey was educated at Sussex House School and Harrow School. In 1985 he received a B.A. in Computer Science from Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge and joined Sinclair Research Ltd as an AI/software engineer; in 1986, he co-founded Man-Made Minions Ltd to pursue the development of an automated formal program verifier. From 1992 until 2006, he was in charge of software development at the University of Cambridge Genetics Department for the FlyBase genetic database.

In 2000 Cambridge awarded de Grey a Ph.D. on the basis of his book concerning the biology of one aspect of aging, The Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of Aging (ISBN 1-58706-155-4), which he wrote in 1999. The book controversially claimed that obviating damage to mitochondrial DNA might by itself extend lifespan significantly, though it stated that it was more likely that cumulative damage to mitochondria is a significant cause of senescence, but not the single dominant cause. A February 8, 2007 search for "de Grey AD " on PubMed revealed 61 publications in 25 peer-reviewed journals, of which 19 are in Rejuvenation Research (impact factor 4.728), the journal edited by de Grey.

Strategies

De Grey argues that the fundamental knowledge needed to develop effective anti-aging medicine mostly already exists, and that the science is ahead of the funding. He works to identify and promote specific technological approaches to the reversal of various aspects of aging, or as de Grey puts it, "the set of accumulated side effects from metabolism that eventually kills us," and for the more proactive and urgent approaches to extending the healthy human lifespan. Regarding this issue, de Grey is a supporter of life extension.

As of 2005, his work centered upon a detailed plan called Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS), which is aimed at preventing age-related physical and cognitive decline. In March 2009, Aubrey de Grey co-founded the SENS Foundation, a non-profit organization based in California, United States, where he currently serves as Chief Science Officer. The Foundation "works to develop, promote and ensure widespread access to regenerative medicine solutions to the disabilities and diseases of aging," focusing on the Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence. De Grey is also co-founder (with David Gobel) and former Chief Scientist of the Methuselah Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Springfield, Virginia, United States. A major activity of the Methuselah Foundation is the Methuselah Mouse Prize, a prize designed to hasten the research into effective life extension interventions by awarding monetary prizes to researchers who stretch the lifespan of mice to unprecedented lengths. Regarding this, de Grey stated in March 2005 "if we are to bring about real regenerative therapies that will benefit not just future generations, but those of us who are alive today, we must encourage scientists to work on the problem of aging." The prize reached 4.2 USD million in February 2007. De Grey believes that once dramatic life extension of already middle-aged mice has been achieved, a large amount of funding will be diverted to this kind of research, which would accelerate progress in doing the same for humans.

De Grey has published papers in this area in prominent journals with some of biogerontology's foremost researchers, including Bruce Ames, Leonid Gavrilov and S. Jay Olshansky, as well as other thinkers such as Gregory Stock. He has also received support from other prominent scientists, such as William Haseltine, the biotech pioneer of Human Genome Sciences, who in March 2005 stated regarding the Methuselah Mouse Prize "there’s nothing to compare with this effort, and it has already contributed significantly to the awareness that regenerative medicine is a near term reality, not an if."

In 2005, he was the subject of two highly critical editorials accompanying an article in MIT's Technology Review. See de Grey Technology Review controversy.

In 2007, de Grey wrote the book "Ending Aging" with the assistance of Michael Rae. It provides a detailed account of the science, politics and social challenges of the entire SENS agenda.

In a 2008 broadcast on the Arte German & French TV, de Grey confirmed that according to him, the first human who will live up to 1,000 years is probably already alive now, and might even be today between 50 and 60 years old.

The seven types of aging damage proposed by de Grey

Main article: Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence
  1. Cancer-causing nuclear mutations/epimutations:
    These are changes to the nuclear DNA (nDNA), the molecule that contains our genetic information, or to proteins which bind to the nDNA. Certain mutations can lead to cancer, and, according to de Grey, non-cancerous mutations and epimutations do not contribute to aging within a normal lifespan, so cancer is the only endpoint of these types of damage that must be addressed.
  2. Mitochondrial mutations:
    Mitochondria are components in our cells that are important for energy production. They contain their own genetic material, and mutations to their DNA can affect a cell’s ability to function properly. Indirectly, these mutations may accelerate many aspects of aging.
  3. Intracellular aggregates:
    Our cells are constantly breaking down proteins and other molecules that are no longer useful or which can be harmful. Those molecules which can’t be digested simply accumulate as junk inside our cells. Atherosclerosis, macular degeneration and all kinds of neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer's disease) are associated with this problem.
  4. Extracellular aggregates:
    Harmful junk protein can also accumulate outside of our cells. The amyloid plaque seen in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients is one example.
  5. Cell loss:
    Some of the cells in our bodies cannot be replaced, or can only be replaced very slowly - more slowly than they die. This decrease in cell number causes the heart to become weaker with age, and it also causes Parkinson's disease and impairs the immune system.
  6. Cell senescence:
    This is a phenomenon where the cells are no longer able to divide, but also do not die and let others divide. They may also do other things that they’re not supposed to, like secreting proteins that could be harmful. Immune senescence and type 2 diabetes are caused by this.
  7. Extracellular crosslinks:
    Cells are held together by special linking proteins. When too many cross-links form between cells in a tissue, the tissue can lose its elasticity and cause problems including arteriosclerosis and presbyopia.

Technology Review debate

Main article: De Grey Technology Review debate

A debate over the legitimacy of de Grey's proposals for combating aging was published in MIT's Technology Review. In the end, none of the challengers to de Grey were able to convince the judges that SENS was "so wrong that it is unworthy of learned debate."

Scientific journal

Titles and positions

De Grey is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, the American Aging Association, the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies and an advisor for the Singularity Institute.

Recorded public appearances

Talks

2010

2009

2008

2007

  • Edmonton Aging Symposium presentation (28:45) -- Took place March 30-31, 2007
  • Google TechTalk Video (1:01:06) -- 1st Appearance (May 2007) entitled "Prospects for extending healthy life - a lot"
  • Google TechTalk Video (1:13:10) -- 2nd Appearance (June 2007) entitled "WILT: taking cancer seriously enough to really cure it"
  • Prospects for extending healthy life — a lot. -- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley -- October 2, 2007
  • Google TechTalk Video (1:02:26) -- 3rd Appearance (December 2007) entitled "Aging of the Other Genome: A Decisive but Ambitious Solution"

2006

2005

2003

TV interviews

Radio, podcast, and video podcast interviews

de Grey being interviewed by Eliezer Yudkowsky on Bloggingheads.tv.

Film appearances

Quote

  • "It has always appalled me that really bright scientists almost all work in the most competitive fields, the ones in which they are making the least difference. In other words, if they were hit by a truck, the same discovery would be made by somebody else about 10 minutes later."

See also

References

  1. SENS (Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence)
  2. Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 16264422, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=16264422 instead.
  3. Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 16264420, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid= 16264420 instead.
  4. SENS (Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence)
  5. SENS Foundation
  6. Man-Made Minions - HOME
  7. "Congregation of the Regent House on 9 December 2000". Cambridge University Reporter. December 13, 2000. Retrieved March 24, 2009. De Grey was not registered as a Ph.D. student. Special regulations available only to previous Cambridge undergraduates (of whatever discipline) permit the submission of "...a significant contribution to scholarship" instead. Applicants are evaluated by the usual methods, with examiners appointed and an oral defence of the submitted work.
  8. PubMed Home
  9. ^ Hang in There: The 25-Year Wait for Immortality interview with LiveScience
  10. http://sens.org/index.php?pagename=mj_about_mission
  11. Methuselah Mouse Prize
  12. ^ Nuland, Sherwin. (February 2005). "Do You Want to Live Forever?". Technology Review. Cite error: The named reference "NulandFebr2005" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  13. Britt, Robert Roy. March 9, 2005. "Anti-Aging Prize Tops $1 Million". LiveScience. Imaginova.
  14. de Grey, Aubrey; Rae, Michael. September 2007. Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs that Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime. New York, NY: Saint Martin's Press, 416 p. ISBN 0312367066.
  15. Ben Best (2007). "Book Review: ENDING AGING". Life Extension Magazine. Life Extension Foundation. Retrieved 2007-04-12. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  16. Aux frontières de l'immortalité, November 16th, 2008, 23:10, director : Gerald Caillat
  17. Aubrey de Grey, Fellow, Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies
  18. Aubrey de Grey, advisor, The Singularity Institute
  19. http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/16508

External links

Categories: