The Long Game

Back in the day, a secretive startup with a $180 million in funding meant we were in for a new photo sharing app or maybe a faster way to get pet supplies delivered to our front stoops. But the startup world has gotten more mature, and by mature, I mean old. And when you have hundreds of millions and aren’t as young as you used to be, you tend to focus on the more vital things in life, or what the Bee Gees might refer to as, ah, ah, ah, ah stayin’ alive. Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother, you may end up benefiting from some of the efforts of companies like Retro Biosciences. Its goal: To add ten good years to your life. Ashlee Vance in Bloomberg (Gift Article): The Most Secretive Longevity Lab Finally Opens Its Doors. Retro isn’t focused on any single silver bullet. The idea is to piece together a handful of solutions to add years to your life; including the latest rage: teaching an old cell new tricks. “The company of about 50 people has small teams shooting for breakthroughs in autophagy (the removal of damaged cells), the rejuvenation of blood plasma and three research programs tied to what the biotech industry calls partial cell reprogramming. Cell reprogramming is a process, proven out in numerous animal experiments, in which the cells of an older creature can be treated with a combination of proteins or molecules and turned into much younger cells.”