Biological ageing and clinical consequences of modern technology

Abstract

The pace of technology is steadily increasing, and this has a widespread effect on all areas of health and society. When we interact with this technological environment we are exposed to a wide variety of new stimuli and challenges, which may modulate the stress response and thus change the way we respond and adapt. In this Opinion paper I will examine certain aspects of the human-computer interaction with regards to health and ageing. There are practical, everyday effects which also include social and cultural elements. I will discuss how human evolution may be affected by this new environmental change (the hormetic immersion in a virtual/technological environment). Finally, I will also explore certain biological aspects which have direct relevance to the ageing human. By embracing new technologies and engaging with a techno-social ecosystem (which is no longer formed by several interacting species, but by just two main elements: humans and machines), we may be subjected to beneficial hormetic effects, which upregulate the stress response and modulate adaptation. This is likely to improve overall health as we age and, as I speculate here, may also result in the reduction of age-related dysfunction.

Aging as “Time-Related Dysfunction”: A Perspective

“…It is a non-linear dose-response process (23). This may result in overall improvement of clinical function, and there is a myriad of specific methods that may invoke hormesis (24)(25)(26)(27). Hormetic interventions broaden and expand the older person's limits of stress resistance, for example through expanding their Homeodynamic Space, the space where a person is able to adapt to challenges and survive (28).…”

“…A related and more specific approach is to encourage more cognitive activities instead of focusing mainly on physical ones ( 25 , 29 , 30 ). I have suggested ( 31 ) that increased cognitive positive (hormetic) stress acts through the neuronal stress response which in turn shifts repair resources from the germline to the neurons, thus improving age-related damage and ameliorates overall function.…”

Randomness in microtubule dynamics: an error that requires correction or an inherent plasticity required for normal cellular function?

“…Rather than viewing this as counterintuitive, wherein more frequent MT attachment errors that are not monitored suggests that normal cell division is sufficient for addressing these mistakes, these random events can be considered part of the normal course of improving the efficiency of the process. Such cellular randomness may extend to the organ level and to disease processes (Yamamoto and Hughson, ; Rajendra Acharya et al, ; Kyriazis, ).…”

Four Principles Regarding an Effective Treatment of Aging

“…For instance, as our environment is becoming more cognitive-oriented (instead of physically-oriented), existing biological mechanisms may be exapted in order to accommodate the new relationship between us and our environment. Therefore, by the mere fact that our society is becoming more cognitive, this may have benefits against age-related degeneration via exaptation [39].…”