Bryan Johnson is a tech multimillionaire with one aim in mind: turning back his biological clock and returning his 45-year-old “brain, eyes, heart, lungs, kidneys, arteries, tendons muscles bladder penis rectum to 18 year-old condition”.
His annual spend of $2 Million represents the extreme longevity movement led by tech gurus like Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and PayPal’s Peter Thiel.
1. Reverse Aging by Reprogramming the Brain
As neurons age, their abilities to communicate with other cells diminishes and they lose the ability to transmit nerve impulses and regulate metabolism – leading to neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s. Scientists have demonstrated that partially resetting neurons back to more youthful states using Yamanaka factors significantly extends lifespan, increases synaptic connections and improved motor and social behaviors in mice.
Studies of gene reprogramming could enable scientists to treat conditions such as osteoarthritis and dementia more effectively, drawing investment of hundreds of millions from Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and billionaires like Milner and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. A few startups are already exploring therapies based on reprogramming such as Unity Biotechnology in the US, Life Biosciences & Turn Biotechnologies in Europe as well as AgeX Therapeutics in Australia.
But some researchers remain doubtful that reprogramming technologies will ever reach commercial use, including Alejandro Ocampo of the Salk Institute who now heads a lab at University of Lausanne in Switzerland. He holds that reprogramming should only be seen as one factor to extend lifespan; genetics and environment also play a significant role.
2. Reverse Aging by Reprogramming the Heart
Hackers have long attempted to combat aging by replacing damaged cells with healthy ones, however this approach doesn’t always work in people who already have serious heart damage. Now researchers are turning their focus toward partial cell reprogramming in order to create more youthful cardiomyocyte-like cells that can replace damaged ones and help protect from cardiovascular disease.
To achieve their goal, scientists are employing CRISPR gene editing technology to introduce genetic mutations that mimic the effects of aging by inhibiting an enzyme called Akt. Akt is central to cell repair mechanisms and its inhibition could have significant benefits in combatting inflammation in cardiovascular myocytes.
Researchers are also trying to modify the microenvironment surrounding cardiomyocytes in order to promote reprogramming. By decreasing inflammatory signaling levels, they hope to create an environment in which more cells will become cardiomyocyte-like; later they hope that this may allow these “cardiomyocyte-like cells” to differentiate into normal heart muscle cells.
Some Silicon Valley billionaires have invested millions into life-extension research: Google co-founder Sergey Brin launched Calico Labs in 2013, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos bet big on life extension startup Altos Labs; Sam Altman from OpenAI’s Sam Altman has invested $180 million into Retro Biosciences; however, Steele and Ungerleider don’t believe there is one silver bullet solution that will extend human lifespan to 120.
3. Reverse Aging by Reprogramming the Gut
An expanding cohort of super-wealthy individuals are investing billions into longevity research to try to beat death. Bryan Johnson, a self-described “biohacker” who spends $2 million annually on his regimen that involves calorie restriction and stem cell therapy is among them. Johnson is part of a movement to reverse age-related diseases while lengthen healthy lifespans supported by companies including Google’s Calico project as well as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ investment in Altos Labs.
Central to this effort is cellular reprogramming, which resets genetic markers that determine cell longevity. Shinya Yamanaka first demonstrated how this could work with skin cells by showing how activating Yamanaka factors could turn them into embryonic stem cells that can give rise to all body tissues – thus leading to attempts at using transplantable tissue and replacing diseased ones through transplant. Yet scientists have also experimented with activating Yamanaka factors within living animals; activation results in tumor-like formations known as teratomas which arises within living animals due to activated Yamanaka factors creating uncontrollable embryonic tissue growth within living animals themselves!
Recently, Altos Research leader Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte made headlines when his press release announced the company had successfully reversed aging processes in laboratory mice. Later he told reporters it might not be possible to make humans younger but it was “very realistic goal”. Scientists cautioned against over-hyped claims about reprogramming’s effect; in reality it changes cells by turning normal skin cells into stem cells, explaining why no evidence has emerged showing increased lifespan even while slowing animals down through its effects.
4. Reverse Aging by Reprogramming the Immune System
Reprogramming may not only alter epigenetics but can also promote better proteostasis by increasing mitochondrial function and limiting oxidative stress – and could therefore help slow accumulation of protein aggregates found in neurodegenerative diseases.
From Ponce de Leon’s voyage in search of the Fountain of Youth to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory researchers’ discovery that immune T cells can be reprogramed to fight aging, humans have long sought ways to slow aging and extend healthy lifespans. Now a group from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York have revealed how T cells within our immune systems can be reprogramed to combat it!
T cells are an essential defense mechanism in protecting our bodies against bacteria and viruses; however, as people age their T cells become less effective at fighting off pathogens causing inflammation as well as age-related conditions.
T cells can be reprogrammed in the lab using Yamanaka factors (OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 and c-MYC) – this transforms mature somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells capable of differentiating into any other cell type – but due to possible tumor formation this approach cannot be recommended; researchers are exploring alternative strategies to achieve the same result while not increasing cancer risks.
5. Reverse Aging by Reprogramming the Endocrine System
Bryan Johnson and other extreme longevity pioneers are on a mission to beat death through cellular reprogramming and other rejuvenation techniques, known as biohacking. Johnson represents Silicon Valley’s growing fascination with this biohacking movement known as The Blueprint Movement; many super-wealthy entrepreneurs who focus their $2 Million annual regimens on perfecting health in hopes that they may beat mortality altogether.
Blueprint’s track record speaks for itself; regardless of critics, their research shows they are capable of improving health and extending lifespans. C1 — their most efficacious cocktail of chemicals — can reverse biological ageing, restore muscle cell potency and revert mitochondrial aging marks by reducing oxidative stress levels. Furthermore, cell reprogramming may synchronize epigenetic clocks to restore correct gene expression timing during early development.
Beyond reprogramming, other anti-ageing technologies focus on clearing away old or damaged cells. Unity Biotechnology — funded by investors such as Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel — is working to develop therapies targeting senescent cells which contribute to age-related diseases.
6. Reverse Aging by Reprogramming the Nervous System
Scientists working on reprogramming cells into stem-cell-like states have made significant strides over recent years. Their approach focuses on turning off molecular pathways responsible for aging and degrading healthy cells – this could potentially add decades to human lifespans and is one of the hottest investment fields with billionaires such as Sam Altman investing billions into companies trying to extend human livespan.
Researchers must devise ways of turning back time without turning old cells cancerous. A recent study demonstrated how partially reprogramming cells reduced their estimated age by several years within four days of treatment, suggesting this might be one solution.
Researchers may find this approach could allow them to halt or reverse organ degeneration such as brain and liver health problems, though doing so would mean significantly altering human biology which most geroscientists advise against.
Accomplishing complete age reversal through fertilization or somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), requires the transformation of biologically aged germ cells into young ones that will give rise to healthy organisms. But doing this successfully is a challenging endeavor, since these methods require dedifferentiating mature cells with potentially high teratogenic risks and requires dedifferentiating mature ones first.
7. Reverse Aging by Reprogramming the Immune System
Extreme longevity enthusiasts have taken an extraordinary interest in the possibility that death might be preventable. Tech billionaires such as Bryan Johnson are dedicated to perfecting their health in hopes of prolonging their lifespans; investing millions into such pursuits. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has invested in Altos Labs – an anti-ageing lab using cellular reprogramming – while Peter Thiel has made substantial donations towards an anti-aging foundation known as Methuselah.
Cellular reprogramming, also known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), involves turning adult cells into embryonic stem cells that can form different tissues. Unfortunately, it’s not an easy process; researchers must first restore embryonic-like features into these adult cells without damaging or uncontrollably growing their functions or leading to uncontrollable cell division.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory recently reported that T cells, or white blood cells, can be reprogrammed to slow or even reverse aging. T cells are designed to fight pathogens and protect from inflammation; as we age however, more of these inflammatory responses arise, which deplete our energy levels over time and make immune systems less effective over time. By reprogramming T cells the team hopes to increase their effectiveness and extend mouse lives by making their immune systems stronger over time.
