SENS3 program: John Schloendorn: Medical bioremediation

SENS3 is coming, so it’s time to take a closer look at the agenda. Here is my first pick: Friday 7th September, Session 6

14:20

John Schloendorn Tempe, USA

Medical bioremediation

J. Schloendorn, M. Hamalainen, S.K. Kemmish, L. Jiang, J. Rebo, B. Turner, B.E. Rittmann

Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, 1001 South McAllister Ave., Tempe, AZ 85287-5701, USA

Medical bioremediation is the proposal to utilize the catabolic diversity of environmental microbes to treat all conditions associated to catabolic insufficiency in aging humans. Here we report on our progress towards medical bioremediation. We have isolated several bacteria degrading 7-ketocholesterol and other oxysterols implicated in atherosclerosis. We also present a method to determine the early steps in the biochemical pathway of 7-ketocholesterol degradation, which may be used to screen different species for therapeutically interesting reactions. We have also recently begun work on other targets, such as lipofuscin components and advanced glycation end-products. We hope that enzymes derived from our work can be used to put the role of catabolic insufficiency in aging to a final test, and if such a relationship exists, provide a therapeutic opportunity. Unconventional interdisciplinary collaborations will be required to make this possible.

Key words: medical bioremediation, catabolic insufficiency, aging, atherosclerosis, 7-ketocholesterol

John Schloendorn is one out of the new wave of researchers and life scientists who can perfectly fit their scientific drive and skills with his serious life extension commitment. In fact, I dare to say that John would not be involved in life sciences if he did not have the chance to explore a healthy life extension technology.

Links:

Related presentation on SENS3:

12:20

Pedro Alvarez Houston, USA

Microbial degradation of 7-ketocholesterol

About LysoSENS

John Schloendorn, the LysoSENS connection: chat on life extension

Engineering Away Lysosomal Junk: Medical Bioremediation Bruce E. Rittmann, John Schloendorn. Rejuvenation Research. ahead of print. doi:10.1089/rej.2007.0594.

Cellular therapy using microglial cells Schloendorn J, Sethe S, Stolzing A Rejuvenation Res. 2007 Mar;10(1):87-99.

Making the case for human life extension: personal arguments. Schloendorn J Bioethics. 2006 Aug;20(4):191-202.

Negative Data from the Psychological Frontline

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