Dr. Dr. med. Dominik Duscher is a specialist in plastic and aesthetic surgery and owner of the Longevity Center Munich. In 2020, he landed a place in the German magazine "Aging becomes curable: Stay young with the power of the three cell competencies", a national bestseller. The scientist and entrepreneur recently joined the MoleQlar family as a scientific advisor. To help you get to know our newest team member a little better, we sat down with him to talk about longevity and his vision for a healthy future.
MoleQlar: Hello Dominik! As a trained plastic surgeon, how did you first come across the topic of longevity?
Dominik Duscher: After graduating and during my residency, I spent three years at Stanford University, conducting research in the fields of regenerative medicine, wound healing, stem cell biology, and cell signaling pathways. It was a truly significant time in my life, because although I was already a trained physician, I had little practical experience. Actually, at 25, I wasn't even that advanced yet. So I had to, and was able to, learn a lot very quickly there.
This is how I learned how to conduct science at the highest international level; anything else would not have been possible there.
So I was in the lab day and night, whether the sun was shining or not. That was quite an experience! At the time, I was the youngest researcher in my plastic surgery department. Stem cell biology has always been a particular focus of mine, and I was particularly interested in stem cell dysfunction. Stem cells don't work as well as they do when they're older; they have problems with their regenerative function. I recognized this as a key element in many things that followed.
So if you have a stem cell deficiency, it will negatively affect many other things as well.
The organism is an organized system, and it's clear that if the cell, as the smallest component, poses problems, it will inevitably cause problems throughout the entire system. Ultimately, Stanford laid the foundation for everything I do today.
MoleQlar: You are the owner of the Longevity Center Munich – the first center for institutionalized longevity medicine. What does that mean to a layperson, and what specific services do you offer as a longevity doctor?
Dominik Duscher: It has become clear that everything about genetics is not as set in stone as was long thought. Many predestination ideas had been placed into genetics. Only recently, in longevity research and regenerative medicine, has it been discovered that genetics is the hardware, above which lies another layer of software that directs the genome: the Epigenetics (epi, Greek for "on," "over") It controls gene expression, whether genes are switched on or off.
Researchers are increasingly recognizing the role of epigenetics in human growth, development, disease, and health. In particular, biological cell age can serve as an epigenetically determined marker of cell health and can also be used to monitor therapies, such as personalized recommendations for nutrition and health products.
This allows therapies to be tailored to individual needs. This approach makes it possible, for the first time, to track the development of (cellular) health and specifically improve lifestyle.
With a sophisticated nutritional supplement regime or prescription medication, we reduce the biological age and thus reduce the risk profile for age-related diseases. I'm not a big fan of hormonal interventions. I don't like to interfere with the hormonal regulatory system unless it's absolutely necessary and there's a lot of suffering involved.
I have a different system and different concepts, and I'm trying to design an individual, viable path that is also feasible.
If someone often has to go out to eat in the evening, I can't take away their dinner, for example.
MoleQlar: You are also involved in the University of Tübingen as Program Director for Applied Regenerative Medicine. What is your research focus there?
Dominik Duscher: In my academic work, I focus on cell biology in the context of aging and diabetes, but I also have research projects that focus on breast cancer and, in particular, its recurrence.
MoleQlar: You recently joined the MoleQlar team. What was the deciding factor for you to join? Why MoleQlar and not another company with a similar focus?
Dominik Duscher: In my opinion there is MoleQlar no alternative in German-speaking countries.
The quality of the products had already convinced me as a longevity physician and long before I joined the MoleQlar team, I always recommended the products to my patients.
Therefore, it was a great pleasure and honor for me to serve as a scientific advisor.
MoleQlar: What are your responsibilities as a Scientific Advisor at MoleQlar?
Dominik Duscher: I am primarily responsible for the development of new products. Together with the MoleQlar team, I am working on expanding the product range beyond the dietary supplements and will help make a personalized form of longevity intervention available via MoleQlar.
MoleQlar: What advice can you give to people who want to do something for their health and longevity? What's the best first step?
Dominik Duscher: The The basis of all longevity is lifestyleEven the best products won't help if the right focus isn't put into practice. A solid fasting regimen and an adequate training program are the foundations upon which you can then effectively build with individually selected nutritional supplements.
MoleQlar: What's your personal key to a long, healthy life? Do you have a longevity routine that you maintain?
Dominik Duscher: Longevity medicine is ultra-personalized precision medicine for the prevention of age-associated diseases, but also for performance improvement.I've already mentioned that the foundation of all efforts toward a healthy, long life is lifestyle. I certainly have my weaknesses here due to a relatively stressful daily routine, but I adhere to a consistent 16:8 fasting regime.
I always skip breakfast and start the day with lunch.
Additionally, I naturally strive to support the other levels of the longevity pyramid with targeted nutritional supplements. Here, I am a fan of NAD boosters but also other substances such as Spermidine, Quercetin and GlucosamineI not only recommend Metformin to my patients, but I am also convinced that it is a good idea to take it myself. At least I was able to reduce my biological age to 25.6 years, which is a good 10 years less than the age stated in my passport.
Thank you for the interview!
Would you like to learn more about the team behind MoleQlar? Then take a look at the About Us over!
