Transcription
What is aging in the first place? Many life scientists believe that aging is controllable. If a world where only the rich can stay young comes about, I think that would be a bit unpleasant. Humans are made of cells, so I think it's a good idea to break down the contents of cells little by little every day and replace them with new ones. Why do I say that? Because it's a daily practice of looking at yourself, facing the mirror while shaving, and getting feedback. That's where autophagy increases. It's difficult to make it a habit that aging can be controlled, but I think it would be a waste not to utilize it. If we maintain healthy skin, the aging of our skin should also be suppressed, right? To maintain healthy skin, isn't shaving, which we do casually every morning, also an important habit? Therefore, this time, we will discuss aging from the perspective of shaving. Our guest is Mr. Yoshimori, the leading expert in research on the cell's recycling function, autophagy. Thank you for having me. Thank you. I'm Yoshimori. Mr. Yoshimori, it's a question that really makes me curious, but what is aging in the first place? Well, most people think of aging and death as absolute things, like physical laws. However, many life scientists now believe that aging is controllable. This is because research has advanced to that point, and we have come to understand that. Globally, AI and other technologies are being discussed extensively, but the developers of ChatGPT and the founder of Amazon in the US are also investing billions of yen in research to combat aging. Is there such an investment trend now? America is, and Japan is just starting, isn't it? But conversely, Japan is a bit behind. America is progressing at an incredible pace with such things now. I think investing a huge amount of money and conducting various research is a good thing in itself. However, what concerns me is that if only methods that cost a lot of money are pursued, and a world where only the rich can stay young comes about, I think that would be a bit unpleasant. But, well, I hope that as such research progresses, it will become accessible to everyone, so I don't deny that in itself. On the other hand, we are also developing things that anyone can do, such as foods and food ingredients, like blue-green algae. Your specialty, Mr. Yoshimori, is research on autophagy. Could you explain what that is? Well, autophagy is, simply put, a mechanism for breaking things down. There are various things inside cells, and it's a mechanism for breaking them down. And what does it do? It breaks down the contents of cells little by little every day and replaces them with new ones. For example, if you buy a car and after 10 years it's a used car, right? But if you replaced the parts with new ones every day, it would be a new car in tens of days, wouldn't it? Cells do things like that, breaking down little by little every day and replacing them with new ones. That's how health is maintained. Humans are made of cells, so diseases and aging all occur at the cellular level, and by replacing the contents of cells, we are maintaining the cells. It has another important role: when harmful substances appear in cells. For example, as we first discovered, things like bacteria and viruses can enter cells and cause disease. It breaks down those things. So, it protects cells. Also, you've probably heard of mitochondria; they are important in cells, like power plants, but they sometimes break down. When they break down, harmful substances called active oxygen are released from them, which is not good. Autophagy also disposes of those broken mitochondria. So, autophagy is essential for health and suppresses aging, and of course, the same applies to the skin. I've heard that the skin is quite a reversible area, where you can turn back time, so to speak. Is that true? The skin is easy to approach because cells are replaced. The skin is also an organ. It's the largest organ. However, a big difference from other organs is that it faces the outside world and is easily affected by external stimuli. For example, ultraviolet rays, which cause photoaging. The skin also ages due to UV rays. So, it's not just aging with time. Regarding photoaging, is it important not to damage the deeper layers? Why are UV rays bad? Because they damage the DNA of cells, which are genes. For example, the reason black people's skin is black is to protect against UV rays, right? Melanin exists to protect against UV rays, so it's very important not to let UV rays reach deep inside. If you don't get sunlight, you can't produce vitamin D, so it's not good to be afraid of UV rays and never go outside. Conversely, to some extent, for vitamin D production. So, I think it's good to run outside while wearing sunscreen. I see. That's the best. But conversely, since that stimulation is harmful, isn't correct shaving more likely to suppress that? That's what I think. So, if you perform the correct procedure, it might be a trigger to stop aging. Let me ask you to look at this again. This is shaving with benefits. The usage rate of shaving products for men is only 52%, which is more than half. However, conversely, about half of people don't use them. This is likely to cause significant damage to the skin, isn't it? It leads to aging, doesn't it? Now, here's a comparison of the state of the skin when shaving without shaving cream and when using it. Please take a look. This is the state of the skin when using shaving cream and when not using it, for those who shave regularly. Wow, Mr. Yoshimori, it's completely different. The skin has a high self-repair ability and is replaced, so it's better than other organs. However, I think this care is important. Senescent cells increase in the skin. Senescent cells are a bit of a misleading term; they are different from human aging. Senescent cells are the opposite; they are cells that have stopped dying. Normally, they should die and be replaced, but they survive and release various inflammatory substances. Chronic inflammation is a major factor in aging, everywhere in the body. So, in the skin, if such photoaging occurs, and senescent cells increase, inflammatory substances are released from them and go to other parts of the body, so I don't think it's just a skin problem. I think the habit of shaving is very good. In contrast to that. Why? Because it's a way to look at yourself. When we say "look at yourself," it often refers to mental aspects, but it's also about looking at yourself. Not only that, but it's also about confirming your biological age. Confirming it daily and getting feedback. That's where autophagy increases. If there's scientific evidence that aging can be controlled, it's easier to do, isn't it? In that sense, facing the mirror every day while shaving and getting feedback. "Oh, this is bad," or "It's getting rough. Maybe aging has started in my internal organs." If you realize that, you might be able to establish such a habit. I think that's very good. It's like sleep and diet; by accumulating it, there's a possibility that the future will change significantly. So, please try shaving as well. In fact, the aging of appearance and the aging of internal organs are almost correlated, according to a paper. It's called biological age. Chronological age is how many years have passed since birth. Biological age varies greatly from person to person. For example, I am 67 years old, but some people at 67 look older and some look younger. This is because their biological ages are different. Regarding that, I believe it can be controlled. To achieve that, researchers around the world are considering various methods. We believe that lifestyle habits can also change things considerably. There are various lifestyle habits that promote autophagy, such as aerobic exercise being good, and sleep being important. The biggest enemy is that humans can't continue things easily. It's difficult, isn't it? It's difficult to maintain good habits. The habits that increase autophagy are generally things that have been considered good since ancient times. I see, I see. What about what you eat, food-wise? Yes. Yes. Food is very important. Things that increase autophagy have been found in food. For example, natto is good because it contains a substance called spermidine, which is known to activate autophagy. Also, astaxanthin is found in salmon, shrimp, and other fish. So, consuming those things is one aspect. On the other hand, there are things that lower autophagy. The most prominent example is a fatty diet. So, if you eat ramen every day, you will age. Is that so? We discovered the cause of the decline in autophagy with age, and also in photoaging. It's a protein in cells called Rubicon. Rubicon acts as a brake on autophagy. It was probably necessary originally, but as we age, it increases, and the brake becomes too strong. We discovered that. Animals without Rubicon live longer and are less prone to various diseases. That's why we say that if you prevent autophagy from declining, it's about that. Fatty foods increase Rubicon, so it's better to avoid fatty foods. But I like ramen, so I eat it sometimes. However, stress, stress hormones also lower autophagy, and we know that. That's also not good. So, it's not good to be too restrained. I see, I see. It's about balance, but in the end, things that have been considered good since ancient times, like natto, and skin care, and aerobic exercise. Many people do skin care, which is good. But men, including myself, have been too indifferent. Of course, men also feel better if they look good, and it boosts their spirits. But it's not just that; the problem of aging is significant. Therefore, I believe that stopping the aging of the skin is important for stopping overall aging. Certainly, in that regard, it's about the habit we discussed earlier. Shaving with shaving cream in the morning. I wonder what the result would be. If you can change your mindset a little, you can do it. In that sense, it's very cost-effective as a point to combat aging. I see. Confirming it. Ah, if I think it's a bit bad, I might start running. I might change my diet. I might change my diet, so I can increase it. That kind of feedback. Shaving is a very useful habit for that. As I said earlier, it's difficult to make it a habit, but I think it would be a waste not to utilize it. By the way, this might go against your thinking, but in terms of the latest trends, what kind of future awaits us in this genre of combating aging? What will become possible? Well, there are various approaches and developments. In particular, there's a competition called the XPRIZE, which is organized by the XPRIZE Foundation in the United States. They are offering $100 million, about 16 billion yen, if you can reverse aging. About 700 teams applied, and last year there was an announcement of the semi-finalists. We are also participating, and we have reached the semi-finals. Out of 700 teams, 40 teams. We are among them. Of course, if we win and receive $100 million, we will accept it. But our goal is not just to receive it; it's to test things. It's not an approach where only those with money can become young. The fact that changing lifestyle habits is also winning is something I feel proud and happy about. Competitions like this are ongoing. Of course, some companies are developing drugs, and we are also developing drugs. However, I can't say exactly when. In this field of science, you can't say "in X years." But perhaps in the near future, becoming 10 or 20 years younger might become possible. If that happens, I think society will change. It will end. What about the opposite approach, not just for the wealthy? Something like genetic modification? Yes, yes, yes. It's called cellular reprogramming. Professor Yamanaka, who is also a running companion from Kyoto, is amazing. He is very fast at marathons. The four genes he discovered, when introduced, reprogram cells and return them to their initial state. He won the Nobel Prize for that. Making that happen within the body and making oneself younger is the ultimate research in rejuvenation. However, it's difficult and not easy, so it will take time. When I hear that, the possibility of realization... We are also developing drugs to increase autophagy. But it will probably take 10 to 20 years. I'm already quite old, so I don't know if it will be in time. I can't see it. No, no, no. I don't find that very convincing. Japan, in particular, is facing a super-aged society. The healthy life expectancy is 10 years shorter than the average life expectancy. Doesn't that significantly reduce individual happiness? Yes, of course. Not only that, but it could also lead to the collapse of national finances, as treatment costs will skyrocket. We have to do something about this. Conversely, if we can extend the healthy life expectancy, people can work for that much longer, which can compensate for the labor shortage due to the aging population and declining birthrate. If things continue as they are, it could become a dystopia. However, if we can control aging, it could become an opportunity to transform it into a utopia. So, perhaps we shouldn't just talk about rosy dreams, but we should aim for it, and I believe we can achieve it. I see. I haven't really thought about healthy life expectancy. I have the impression that average life expectancy is increasing due to medical advancements. Japan has one of the highest average life expectancies in the world. It must be difficult to live with physical anxieties and reduced happiness. So, in addition to the lifestyle habits you just taught me, please use shaving cream correctly and make it a morning habit. Please incorporate that habit and let's all fight against aging and enjoy life to the fullest until the end. I hope we can achieve a long life. Thank you very much, Mr. Yoshimori. Thank you.