Centenarians in a dish: studying the secrets of exceptional longevity | George Murphy | TEDxBoston

Core Argument - The healthcare industry currently focuses on treating chronic diseases rather than preventing them [4] - The industry should shift its focus from disease treatment to investigating resilience, defined as the ability to robustly respond to insult or injury [6] - Centenarians, individuals who live to 100 years or more, exemplify exceptional longevity and provide a blueprint for healthy aging [7] Research & Development - Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS-CEs) can be used to create disease models and investigate resilience mechanisms [2][8] - Researchers can create "centenarians in a dish" using iPS-CEs from centenarians to study their resistance to aging-related diseases [7][8] - Centenarian neurons exhibit more stable activity, reduced background noise, and operate in a more energy-efficient state compared to normal individuals [12][13] Potential Applications & Future Directions - iPSC master stem cell modeling can identify new biomarkers of aging and facilitate preclinical screening of novel therapeutics aimed at increasing longevity and health span [18] - Developing novel therapeutics ("geroprotectors") can increase resilience and health span, potentially through personalized clinical trials using an individual's own cells [18] - Lifestyle choices such as not smoking, exercising, and practicing preventative medicine can contribute to a more centenarian-like existence [17]