THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY

1230 YORK AVENUE NEW YORK, NY 10021

September 27, 1988

 

JOSHUA LEDERBERG

PRESIDENT

Dr. P. E. Culbertson
President

The Lew Evans Foundation
600 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Suite 600

Washington, D.C. 20024-2571

Dear Dr. Culbertson:

Thank you for your letter of September 22nd about space
geriatrics. I would be interested to know what you are refer-
ring to by "limited number of space experiments at the cellu-
lar or molecular level which show changes" similar to aging.
If there were such a tangible lead, I would be much more sym-
pathetic to the leap of faith involved in trying to connect
space medicine with geriatrics.

Of course every environmental stimulus and insult connects
with aging in some fashion; and if nothing else the radiation
environment of space and its possible interactions with,
probably, episodic vibration more than microgravity, would be
expected to influence the aging process. However I would put
that environment about tenth on my list of promising prospects
for environmental interactions with aging. Circadian rhythms
and their disturbance would stand very high; but these can be
studied at least as well, or not better,and inexpensively,
without going into space. Many other factors of dietary con-
trol, antigenic stimulation, exercise,all deserve a very high
priority. Not to mention the broader aspects of psychic and
physical stress.

So I think you may want to call on others who would begin
with more @ priori enthusiasm.

Yours sincerely,

   
 

shua Lederberg

cc: Robert Butler