X-Message-Number: 2324
Newsgroups: sci.cryonics
From:  (Ralph Merkle)
Subject: Biology of Aging talk
Message-ID: <>
Date:  1 Jul 93 21:25:03 GMT


PARC Forum
Thursday July 8, 1993
Xerox PARC Auditorium, 4:00 PM

BIOLOGY OF HUMAN AGING

Leonard Hayflick
University of California, San Francisco

Our finding that normal human and animal cells age in laboratory cultures 
just as they do in the animals or humans from which they were obtained 
overturned the dogma held since the turn of the century that cultured cells 
are immortal.  We proposed that aging results from intracellular events, a 
proposal now widely confirmed.

Two of the observations that support this are: 1) The number of population 
doublings of cultured normal human fibroblasts is inversely proportional 
to donor age.  2) A direct proportionality may exist between population 
doubling potential and the maximum lifespan of many animal species.

It seems that a molecular clock is present in cells.  One recent discovery 
that merits attention is the loss of the telomeric sequences TTAGGG as 
normal cells age in vitro and in vivo.  Could this be the molecular clock?

-----------------------

This Forum is OPEN to the public.  All are invited.

For more information contact Ralph Merkle at (415) 812-4422 ()

Refreshments will be served at 3:45 P.M. for Forum Attendees only.

Requests for videotapes *Xerox Employees Only* should be sent to Susie Mulhern
(Mulhern:PARC:Xerox).

The PARC Auditorium is located at 3333 Coyote Hill Rd. in Palo Alto.  We
are in the Stanford Research Park, between Page Mill Road (west of Foothill
Expressway) and Hillview Avenue.  The easiest way here is to get onto Page Mill
Road, then turn onto Coyote Hill Road.  As you drive up Coyote Hill past the
horse pastures, PARC is the building on the left after you crest the hill.
Park in the large lot, and enter the auditorium at the upper level of the
building. (The auditorium entrance is located down the stairs and to the
left of the main doors.)

Upcoming Speakers:
Thursday, July 15, 4pm, Paul Saffo, Institute for the Future,
    Never Mistake A Clear View for a Short Distance
      (and other lessons from innovation in the information revolution).


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