An infrequently discussed topic in aging circles is the point that we should probably expect any therapy that improves tissue maintenance and regeneration in old people to also increase cancer risk. There isn’t much in the way of evidence to support that position, but it seems worthy of consideration. Cancer is a numbers game, and the greater the activity undertaken by stem cells and progenitor cells, the greater the likelihood of cancerous mutations. The only exceptions are interventions that act to improve the function of the immune system in addition to any other benefits that they produce; such treatments could lead to a net reduction in cancer risk, due to improved immunosurveillance of potent…
Too Much Klotho Increases Cancer Risk in Cancer Survivors
An infrequently discussed topic in aging circles is the point that we should probably expect any therapy that improves tissue maintenance and regeneration in old people to also increase cancer risk. There isn’t much in the way of evidence to support that position, but it seems worthy of consideration. Cancer is a numbers game, and the greater the activity undertaken by stem cells and progenitor cells, the greater the likelihood of cancerous mutations. The only exceptions are interventions that act to improve the function of the immune system in addition to any other benefits that they produce; such treatments could lead to a net reduction in cancer risk, due to improved immunosurveillance of potent…