USA: “A Forever Question and Challenge”

. PASADENA, California / Vision / Summer 2009 Edition Interview Robert Nathan,who holds a doctorate in chemistry and biology from the California Institute of Technology, has semi-retired from a long and distinguished career as a senior scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. In “retirement” he cofounded the Los Angeles Gerontology Research Group and also serves on the board of the Volunteer Professionals for Medical Advancement (VPMA).

“For me, extending our healthy years is an immediate short-term step on the longer path to reverse the aging process and thereby attain physiological immortality. . . .”

Vision’s Gina Stepp asked him about his research into aging and human longevity. Are we on the brink of immortality? GS You’ve enjoyed a long career focusing your vision on outer space—about as far outward as it’s possible for humans to see. What is it that focuses your vision, not only back down to earth but to the inner workings of the human body in the hope of increasing longevity? RN In general, I appear to have an insatiable curiosity about seeing and understanding in greater detail how things work. What could be more intriguing than discovering what makes us humans tick? For as many years as I can recall (even back to my late teens), I have been fascinated by how and why we age and die. It has been a forever question and challenge. In my years at JPL I was extremely fortunate to have been able to develop computer programs that clean up and increase detail in the images from our cameras traveling to other planets. With that success I was able to get a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health [NIH] to apply the same technology to biomedical problems. I had developed a close relationship with the noted gerontologist Bernard Strehler of the University of Southern California (and formerly with NIH); in the early 1970s we each gave testimony to Senator Alan Cranston to help create a new Institute on Aging within the NIH. GS What is the goal of longevity research? Is it ultimately immortality, or is it merely to extend the number of years that people live at the top of their quality-of-life curve? RN For me, extending our healthy years is an immediate short-term step on the longer path to reverse the aging process and thereby attain physiological immortality with high quality of life, though it isn’t clear how well we can avert catastrophic accidental death. Also, the big killer diseases appear to be age related: heart, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s. If we reverse aging, do we avoid these killers? GS Some longevity experts say that within the next decade or two, people might be able to remain as youthful at 120 years of age as most are now at 40 or 50. Are we really that close to nearly doubling the average lifespan? RN Futurists like Aubrey de Grey and Ray Kurzweil have been very vocal about achieving a doubling of life expectancy within the next 15 to 30 years. (Since I am already 81, I would like to get there in 10 to 15 years!)[rc] Click here to read further Related report Who wants to live forever? Copyright © 2009 Vision.org