George Church is well known as a geneticist and genome engineer for his expertise in genome sequencing and CRISPR gene editing. Now focused on reversed aging therapies in humans, he plans to commence clinical trials within one year.
He describes how master genes exert significant control over other genes, and by deliberately modulating their activity we may be able to reverse aging. He provides several lifestyle strategies which may slow aging:
1. CRISPR Technology
George Church is an internationally acclaimed scientist renowned for pioneering genomics and synthetic biology research. Additionally, he co-founded commercial concerns including human genomics testing services (Knome, LS9, and Joule Unlimited).
George is an industry pioneer in genome engineering and gene editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9. His team has successfully reversed aging in cells, and they anticipate using this method clinically soon (i.e. in humans).
CRISPR was initially developed by bacteria to protect themselves against viruses that often infiltrated their bodies, and now is used by scientists as an innovative means to precisely cut DNA at specific points within cells, thus inducing random mutations and potentially eliminating disease-causing genes or changing stem cell DNA into desired cell types.
CRISPR can be used to modify genes in many different ways and has applications both medically and agriculturally. For instance, its inventors identified genes responsible for fruit quality and yield in groundcherry crops, which could help farmers produce higher-quality and more abundant yields. Furthermore, CRISPR can modify genomes of plants and animals so that their environments or medical treatments better match them, among many other uses.
CRISPR holds great promise as a way of eliminating genetic diseases caused by defective genes, potentially curing cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other debilitating illnesses in due course. Furthermore, we may use this technology to extend life span by altering genes linked to aging processes.
Church is the founding and leading figure behind the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and oversees its directed evolution of molecules, polymers and whole organisms for biomedicine and sustainable agriculture purposes. His work includes genome sequencing, development of synthetic biology methods and chip-based DNA libraries as well as widely applied technologies like multiplexing tags molecular multiplexing array synthesizers as well as homologous recombination methods.
2. Gene Editing
Since the discovery of DNA’s double helix structure in the 1950s, scientists have acknowledged that genetic codes are passed faithfully from parent to child despite errors that may cause disease; gene editing allows researchers to correct such mistakes and possibly reverse certain conditions or even reverse them altogether.
Gene editing comes in three main varieties. Base editing acts like an eraser, making single letter changes such as switching A and C for example to correct conditions caused by point mutations.
3. Age-Reversal Medicine
Age-reversal medicine aims to develop drugs that can reverse the aging process and extend human lifespan, according to researchers. They hope this can lead to longer lifespan and reduce age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s. Harvard geneticist George Church predicts that within 10 years there will be anti-ageing pills on the market that target specific genes to reverse aging processes in specific tissues of the body – these pills would double human longevity! Eventually scientists may even be able to double lifespan research. This would represent an unprecedented feat.
Church’s lab is developing an experimental treatment, known as ER-100, which has shown promising results in mice and monkeys. They hope to begin conducting human trials of it soon.
4. Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative medicine seeks to replace or stimulate the growth of tissues and organs to restore or establish normal function, such as replacing heart valves or spinal cord injuries. Regenerative therapies may use tissue engineering or cell therapies as approaches towards this end, or combined together in order to amplify our natural healing mechanisms where needed, or take over function of damaged organs like heart valves or spinal cord injuries.
Church believes regenerative medicine could be an invaluable weapon in the fight against aging. Regenerative medicine encompasses multiple disciplines – biology, chemistry, computer science engineering genetics medicine robotics. By merging all these fields regenerative medicine could enable scientists to create technologies which extend human lifespans while improving overall health.
Church is currently exploring gene therapy as one of her technologies, using CRISPR-based genome editing systems to modify cells so they can heal or resist disease more efficiently. Scientists could develop new drugs using gene therapy that could decrease cancer and other serious illnesses risk.
Church is currently exploring partial reprogramming as another therapeutic technique. This method involves changing the epigenetic patterns of cells so they more closely resemble those from younger cells. A key advantage of this method is bypassing immune systems, meaning reprogrammed cells may not be rejected by patient’s bodies.
Church was also optimistic that gene therapy advancements may serve as the key to unlocking multiple age-related pathways and pushing us past LEV. He expressed particular enthusiasm about two triple gene therapies targeting genes for proteins which promote longevity in mice; one gene codes for an excretory protein found in kidneys while the other targets genes which reduce muscle tissue degradation.
