CURTIS HENDERSON - Alcor Life Extension Foundation

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“Ethical” Stem CellCrop BoostedUS researchers have found a way to dramaticallyincrease the harvest of stem cells fromadult tissue. It is a practical step forward intechniques to produce large numbers of stemcells without using embryos. Using threedrug-like chemicals, the team made the procedure200 times more efficient and twice asfast, the Nature Methods journal reported. It ishoped stem cells could one day be widely usedto repair damaged tissue in diseases and afterinjuries. Much of the work on stem cells hasfocused on those taken from embryos as theyhave an unlimited capacity to become any ofthe 220 types of cell in the human body—aso-called pluripotent state. This is the firstexample in human cells of how reprogrammingspeed can be accelerated. But this hasproven controversial and some campaignershave objected to their use on the grounds thatit is unethical to destroy embryos in the nameof science. The creation of stem cells fromhuman adult skin cells was first reported in2007 by Japanese and US researchers, openingthe way for new sources of stem cells. Thelatest research builds on that process byadding specific chemicals to improve theprocess. Study leader Professor Sheng Dingsaid they had manipulated a “fundamental”process in the cell.BBC News10/18/09http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8311055.stm___________________________________Tests Raise Life Extension HopesA drug discovered in the soil of a SouthPacific island may help to fight the agingprocess, research suggests. When US scientiststreated old mice with rapamycin itextended their expected lifespan by up to38%. The findings, published in the journalNature, raise the prospect of being able toslow down the ageing process in older people.However, a UK expert warned against usingthe drug to try to extend lifespan, as it cansuppress immunity. Rapamycin was first discoveredon Easter Island in the 1970s. It isalready used to prevent organ rejection intransplant patients, and in stents implantedinto patients to keep their coronary arteriesopen. Researchers at three centers in Texas,Michigan and Maine gave the drug to mice atan age equivalent to 60 in humans. The micewere bred to mimic the genetic diversity andsusceptibility to disease of humans as closelyas possible. Rapamycin extended the animals’expected lifespan by between 28% and 38%.Researcher Dr Arlan Richardson, of theBarshop Institute, San Antonio, Texas, said: “Inever thought we would find an anti-ageingpill for people in my lifetime; however,rapamycin shows a great deal of promise todo just that.”BBC News7/8/09http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8139816.stm___________________________________The 15-Minute Genome: Faster,Cheaper Sequencing on the WayIn the race for faster, cheaper ways to readhuman genomes, Pacific Biosciences ishoping to set a new benchmark with technologythat watches DNA being copied inreal time. The device is being developed tosequence DNA at speeds 20,000 times fasterthan second-generation sequencers currentlyon the market and will ultimately have a pricetag of $100 per genome. Chief TechnologyOfficer Stephen Turner of PacificBiosciences will discuss Single Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing, due to be releasedcommercially in 2010, at the 2009 IndustrialPhysics Forum, a component of the 51stAnnual Meeting of American Association ofPhysicists in Medicine, which takes place fromJuly 26—30 in Anaheim, California. A decadeago, it took Celera Genomics and the HumanGenome Project years to sequence completehuman genomes. In 2008, James Watson’sentire genetic code was read by a new generationof technology in months. SMRTsequencing aims to eventually accomplish thesame feat in minutes.ScienceDaily7/29/09http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727191912.htm___________________________________Call for Debate on Killer RobotsAn international debate is needed on the useof autonomous military robots, a leading academichas said. Noel Sharkey of theUniversity of Sheffield said that a pushtoward more robotic technology used inwarfare would put civilian life at grave risk.Technology capable of distinguishing friendfrom foe reliably was at least 50 years away, headded. However, he said that for the firsttime, US forces mentioned resolving suchethical concerns in their plans. “Robots thatcan decide where to kill, who to kill and whento kill is high on all the military agendas,”Professor Sharkey said at a meeting inLondon. “The problem is that this is all basedon artificial intelligence, and the military havea strange view of artificial intelligence basedon science fiction.” Professor Sharkey, a professorof artificial intelligence and robotics,has long drawn attention to the psychologicaldistance from the horrors of war that is maintainedby operators who pilot unmannedaerial vehicles (UAVs), often from thousandsof miles away.BBC News8/3/09http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8182003.stm___________________________________Groundbreaking Treatment forOxygen-Deprived NewbornsUntil now immediate cooling of the newborninfant was the only treatment that could possiblyprevent brain damage following oxygendeprivation during delivery. New researchfindings from the Sahlgrenska Academy at theUniversity of Gothenburg and SahlgrenskaUniversity Hospital, Sweden, in collaborationwith Zhengzhou University in China, open upthe possibility of a new and effective treatmentthat can be started as late as two daysafter birth. The new treatment involvesnewborn infants being given a two-weekcourse of injections of erythropoietin, ahormone that stimulates the formation of redblood cells. “For the first time we can demonstratethat it is possible to influence the braindamage occurring as a result of oxygen deprivationduring delivery considerably later thanthe six-hour window of opportunity fortreating with cooling,” says Klas Blomgren,professor of pediatrics at the SahlgrenskaAcademy and specialist at Queen SilviaChildren’s Hospital.ScienceDaily8/16/09http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090811144000.htm22 Cryonics/Third Quarter 2009 www.alcor.org
MeetingsAbout the Alcor FoundationThe Alcor Life Extension Foundation is a nonprofit tax-exempt scientific and educationalorganization dedicated to advancing the science of cryopreservation and promotingit as a rational option. Being an Alcor member means knowing that—shouldthe worst happen—Alcor’s Emergency Response Team is ready to respond for you, 24hours a day, 365 days a year.Alcor’s Emergency Response capability includes specially trained technicians and customizedequipment in Arizona, northern California, southern California, and southFlorida, as well as many additional certified technicians on-call around the UnitedStates. Alcor’s Arizona facility includes a full-time staff, and the Patient Care Bay is personallymonitored 24 hours a day.ARIZONACALIFORNIADISTRICT OF COLUMBIALife Extension Society, Inc. is acryonics and life extension group withmembers from Washington, D.C.,Virginia, and Maryland. Meetings areheld monthly. Contact Secretary KeithLynch at kfl@keithlynch.net. Forinformation on LES, see our web site atwww.keithlynch.net/les.TEXASScottsdale:This group meets the third Friday of eachmonth and gatherings are hosted at a homenear Alcor. To RSVP, visithttp://cryonics.meetup.com/45/.At Alcor:Alcor Board of Directors Meetings andFacility Tours – Alcor business meetings aregenerally held on the first Saturday of everymonth starting at 11:00 AM MST. Guestsare welcome. Facility tours are held everyTuesday and Friday at 2:00 PM. For moreinformation or to schedule a tour, callD’Bora Tarrant at (877) 462-5267 x 101 oremail dbora@alcor.org.NEVADALas Vegas:There are many Alcor members inthe Las Vegas area. If you wish tomeet and socialize, contact Katie Karsat (702) 251-1975. This group wants toget to know you!Host a Meeting in your area.If you are interested in hosting regularmeetings in your area, contact Alcor at877-462-5267 ext. 113. Meetings area great way to learn about cryonics,meet others with similar interests,andintroduce your friends and family toAlcor members!Los Angeles:Alcor Southern California Meetings—For information, call Peter Voss at(310) 822-4533 or e-mail him atpeter@optimal.org. Although monthlymeetings are not held regularly, you canmeet Los Angeles Alcor members bycontacting Peter.San Francisco Bay:Alcor Northern California Meetings areheld quarterly in January, April, July, andOctober. A CryoFeast is held once a year.For information on Northern Californiameetings, call Mark Galeck at (408) 245-4928or email Mark_galeck@pacbell.net.OREGONPortland:Cryonics Oregon holds regular meetingsevery 2-3 months for members of cryonicsorganizations living in Portland and thesurrounding areas. For information, pleasecontact Chana de Wolf at chana.de.wolf@gmail.com or (503) 756-0864.A Yahoo group is also maintained forcryonics activities in the Pacific Northwestat http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/CryonicsNW/.Dallas:North Texas Cryonauts, please sign up forour announcements list for meetings(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cryonauts-announce) or contact DavidWallace Croft at (214) 636-3790 for detailsof upcoming meetings.NEW ENGLANDCambridge:The New England regional group strives tomeet monthly in Cambridge, MA – forinformation or to be added to the AlcorNEmailing list, please contact Bret Kulakovichat 617-824-8982, alcor@bonfireproductions.com,or on FACEBOOK via theCryonics Special Interest Group.UNITED KINGDOMThere is an Alcor chapter in England.Its members are working diligently to buildsolid emergency response, transport, andcryopreservation capability. For informationabout meetings, contact Alan Sinclair atcryoservices@yahoo.co.uk. See the web siteat www.alcor-uk.org.www.alcor.org Cryonics/Third Quarter 200923
Page 1 and 2: 3 rd Quarter 2009 • Volume 30:3Co
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Page 5 and 6: ImpressionsOFCURTISHENDERSONBy Mike
Page 7 and 8: Snowball, Curtis Henderson’s dog.
Page 9 and 10: CSNY Purpose, from Bylaws._________
Page 11 and 12: MP:CH:MP:CH:great with writing and
Page 13 and 14: forced either to look to alternativ
Page 15 and 16: Curtis Henderson in his own words:I
Page 17 and 18: --------------------“THERE IS NOS
Page 19 and 20: John is a happy-go-lucky guy on a v
Page 21 and 22: Alcor Membership Dues 2010 Increase
Page 23: iological bypass in patients with c
Page 27: What is Cryonics?Cryonics is an att

CURTIS HENDERSON - Alcor Life Extension Foundation

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