Hall, a US journalist and historian of modern science, presents an overview of ageing as a biological phenomenon. In his introduction he writes, “Because we've done such a spectacular job of minimizing the agents of premature death—diseases, accidents, poor hygiene, injuries, not to mention predation, starvation, exposure—we are living so long that aging itself has only recently emerged as a subdiscipline of medicine.”
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Stephen S Hall
Houghton Mifflin Company, $25, pp 448 ISBN 0 618 09524 1 www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
Rating: ★★
He quotes the eminent US cell biologist Leonard Hayflick, “Aging is an artifact of civilization.” Hayflick is famous for discovering that the WI-38 cell line that he created from fetal tissue in 1962 had built-in limitations on longevity. The WI-38 cells would subdivide by mitosis only about 50 times. Hayflick is quoted again: “There are no genes for aging... aging is a deteriorative process... everything in the universe ages.”
Not all cell biologists agree with Hayflick. The book, which centres on genetic research, cites work by Cynthia Kenyon and her colleagues with the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. They have extended its life by altering a single gene. Hall discusses genes that, when properly manipulated, might significantly extend life span.
And stem cell technology could replace ageing, failing, or diseased organs. Hall asks whether stem cell treatments can be effective in illnesses such as Parkinson's disease and diabetes. He quotes the Nobel prize winner Gunter Blobel, who considers the discovery of embryonic stem cells to be a “revolutionary” development in biomedical research. Hall writes that the potential clinical impact is staggering—on a par with the importance of antibiotics and vaccines.
So called “regenerative medicine” has accelerated the commercialisation of biotechnology, and Hall discusses the politics and financing of biotechnology in detail. He profiles Michael West, an entrepreneur who has criticised President Bush for yielding to the pro-life organisations, including the Catholic church. Such groups oppose federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Bush decided in 2001 to allow stem cell research, but only using existing cell lines. Hall believes this will hinder US studies into ageing mechanisms and biomedicine.
Hall engages in considerable philosophical speculation on the effects on society of prolonging life. He asks what it will mean for societies to have a disproportionate number of old people. He writes, “The futurologists of immortality like to imagine that life extension will be accompanied by the kind of medical wisdom and skill that will keep everyone vigorous and healthy during their extended lifetimes.”
Hall writes in a sometimes irritatingly florid style: “We might be witnessing a postmodern, molecular version of the Fountain of Youth tale, a spectacle of promise and hubris and failure that will make the Ponce de Leon story look like bad summer stock.” But Hall continues Ponce de Leon's 16th century search for the fountain of eternal youth into the 21st century. His book is an important addition to cellular gerontology.