159: How DNA Mutations and Epigenetic Drift Cause Aging with Prof. Jan Vijg
Release Date: 10/27/2025
169: Protein Folding Errors Contribute to Aging and Disease
Longevity Roadmap
In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Judith Frydman to explore proteostasis: the tightly regulated systems that ensure proteins are correctly folded, maintained, and cleared before they become toxic. As these systems degrade with age, misfolded proteins accumulate, cellular signaling falters, and vulnerability to neurodegeneration increases. The discussion centers on why protein folding begins during translation, how molecular chaperones like TRIC preserve cellular integrity, and why aging creates a self-reinforcing cycle of proteostatic failure. We also examine upstream mechanisms—and what...
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168: Best of 2025
Longevity Roadmap
Over the past year, we covered a wide range of ground—from clinicians working directly with patients to top scientists studying the underlying biology of aging. This episode is a chance to look back at some of the more interesting conversations we had on Longevity Roadmap in 2025. Looking ahead, there’s no sign that the pace is slowing. In longevity, it often feels like every year brings another set of breakthroughs, and 2026 is shaping up to be a big one. One of the most important trends to watch is the increasing role of artificial intelligence in medicine, particularly in...
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167: Why Bats Don’t Age and Why You Should Care with Dr. Emma Teeling
Longevity Roadmap
Aging is usually linked to size, metabolism, and inevitable decline—but bats defy all three. In this episode, Dr. Buck Joffrey speaks with Dr. Emma Teeling about why bats are rewriting the rules of longevity science. The discussion explores how bats live far longer than expected for their size while avoiding cancer, immune dysfunction, and chronic inflammation. They examine how stable telomeres, enhanced DNA repair, and tightly controlled immune responses allow bats to age slowly despite extreme metabolic demands. Watch the full episode to understand why bat biology is reshaping how...
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166: BioXcellerator - The Cutting Edge of Stem Cell Therapy
Longevity Roadmap
Longevity medicine is moving beyond symptom management—and regenerative therapies are forcing a deeper look at how healing actually works. In this episode, Dr. Buck Joffrey speaks with the team at BioXcellerator about what separates rigorous regenerative medicine from hype-driven shortcuts. The conversation focuses on why stem cells aren’t about “replacing” tissue, but about directing the body’s own repair systems through immune signaling, inflammation control, and cellular communication. Drawing from Buck’s own experience receiving treatment at BioXcellerator, the discussion...
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165: Improving Cellular Cleanup to Extend Healthspan with Dr. Ana Maria Cuervo
Longevity Roadmap
Aging begins when cellular quality-control systems lose their precision. In this episode, Professor Ana Maria Cuervo outlines how chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA)—a selective lysosomal degradation pathway essential for proteostasis—progressively declines with age, triggering downstream failures across neuronal and metabolic tissues. Reduced LAMP2A availability, impaired lysosomal docking, and disrupted protein triage lead to toxic proteotoxic burden, mitochondrial dysfunction, and metabolic inflexibility. Emerging evidence shows that preserving CMA activity can improve healthspan,...
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164: Young Blood Can Rejuvenate Old Brains with Dr. Tony Wyss-Coray
Longevity Roadmap
In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Tony Wyss-Coray to discuss his groundbreaking research on brain resilience and aging. He explains how systemic factors, particularly proteins in the blood, influence cognitive function and the aging process. The discussion covers the role of proteomics, machine learning, and the potential of parabiosis and plasma infusions in developing therapies for age-related diseases like Alzheimer's. Dr. Wyss-Coray emphasizes the importance of understanding the biological markers of aging and resilience to create targeted interventions for healthier aging. Learn more...
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163: How Mitochondrial Decline Drives Brain Aging with Dr. Francisco Gonzalez-Lima
Longevity Roadmap
In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Francisco González-Lima to delve into the metabolic mechanisms that drive brain aging and cognitive decline. He begins by outlining how reductions in cytochrome oxidase activity, disruptions in oxidative phosphorylation, and the accumulation of mitochondrial mutations progressively impair neuronal energy metabolism. These metabolic deficits, he explains, often emerge long before the structural abnormalities associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Building on this foundation, the conversation examines how reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial inefficiency,...
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162: The Habits of Healthy Aging with Dr. Kate Wolin
Longevity Roadmap
We are joined by behavioral epidemiologist Dr. Kate Wolin to unpack why so many health interventions collapse outside the lab—and what actually drives lasting change in the real world. From frictionless habit design and daily self-monitoring to movement, sleep, and the muscle-preserving realities of GLP-1s, she reveals the behavioral strategies that truly move the needle on long-term metabolic and overall health. Watch the full episode to learn how evidence-based behavior science can transform your healthspan. Learn more about Dr. Kate Wolin: - Download Dr. Buck Joffrey's FREE ebook, Living...
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161: The Future of Tissue Regeneration with Dr. Jennifer Elisseeff
Longevity Roadmap
In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Jennifer Elisseeff to discuss the evolving field of tissue engineering and its applications in regenerative medicine. She explains the shift from using stem cells to focusing on immune cells for tissue repair, the challenges of regenerating cartilage, and the importance of vascularity in tissue health. The discussion also covers the impact of aging on tissue repair, the role of senescent cells, and the future of personalized medicine in tissue engineering. Dr. Elisseeff emphasizes the need for innovative approaches and the integration of immunotherapies to...
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160: Molecular Secrets of Aging Told Through Worms with Dr. Heidi Tissenbaum
Longevity Roadmap
Dr. Heidi Tissenbaum, a molecular geneticist at UMass Chan Medical School, joins Dr. Buck Joffrey to explore what C. elegans worms have revealed about the biology of aging. She explains how these simple organisms helped uncover key longevity pathways—like insulin/IGF-1 signaling and sirtuins—that also exist in humans. The conversation dives into the balance between stress and resilience, the role of IGF-1 in muscle health and lifespan, and why she believes true longevity breakthroughs will require understanding how the body’s systems communicate as a whole. Learn more about Dr. Heidi...
info_outlineThis week, Professor Jan Vijg joins us to discuss the intricate relationship between DNA mutations, epigenetic drift, and aging.
He explains the differences between mutations and epigenetic changes, the role of environmental factors, and the potential for reversing epigenetic changes.
The conversation also touches on the implications of somatic mutations and the future of longevity research, particularly in relation to DNA repair mechanisms.
Learn more about Professor Jan Vijg:
https://einsteinmed.edu/faculty/11318/jan-vijg
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Download Dr. Buck Joffrey's FREE ebook, Living Longer for Busy People: https://ru01tne2.pages.infusionsoft.net/?affiliate=0
Book a FREE longevity coaching consultation with Dr. Buck Joffrey: https://coaching.longevityroadmap.com