Aubrey de Grey – Artificial Organs as Replacement Parts to aid in Defeating Aging

Aubrey de Grey discusses using artificial organs and synthetic devices as replacement parts to aid in defeating aging. (Also see this interview where Aubrey discusses some of the various approaches that SENS therapy will likely be delivered.)

Replacing a failing organ with a healthy one can sidestep the need for the various SENS therapies for that organ only – however there are two limitations – 1) much of the body is made up of non-transplantable organs, 2) transplanting organs or tissue engineering involves invasive surgery, something that involves risks if it is done too much.
Organ transplantation/Tissue engineering is useful today and will be useful when early forms of SENS delivery become available – however there will continue to be a very high priority in approaches that mitigate the need for invasive organ transplantation.
Non-biological organs are useful today – for instance the cochlear implant – and there will continue to be a place for them. Though in the long run biological organs will likely work more effectively because they are ‘evolved’ for that purpose.

Aubrey de Grey is the chief science officer of the SENS Research Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) public charity that is transforming the way the world researches and treats age-related disease.

The research SENS funds at universities around the world and at SENS own Research Center uses regenerative medicine to repair the damage underlying the diseases of aging. The goal of SENS is to help build the industry that will cure these diseases.

Aubrey de Grey was interviewed by Adam Ford in 2012.

Here is a playlist of all the interview sections: