Children born from 2070 may surpass the age of “centenarians,” living up to 150 years old thanks to groundbreaking advancements in anti-aging technology.
What was once considered a fanciful dream is getting closer to reality, as scientists have discovered a way to reverse the aging process in older mice with minimal side effects. They predict that this technology will be ready for human application in a few decades.
Predictions suggest this groundbreaking technology could extend lifespan to 150 years – (Image: Shutterstock).
Dr. Andrew Steele, a biologist and author of the book “Ageless: The Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old”, believes that clinical trials for reversing aging in humans will soon commence and achieve success within the next 50 years.
In agreement, Professor Jurd Bahler, a geneticist at University College London, predicts that this revolutionary technology could extend lifespan to 150 years. The current average lifespan for men and women in the UK is 79 years and 82.9 years, respectively. Meanwhile, the life expectancy of children born in the U.S. in 2020 is significantly lower, averaging 74.2 years for males and 79.9 years for females.
The experts’ opinions come just weeks after a group of scientists at the Salk Institute in San Diego successfully “reversed” the aging process in middle-aged and older mice using cellular rejuvenation techniques.
They attempted to reset a portion of the mice’s cells to a younger state by utilizing four molecules known as Yamanaka factors.
Previous cellular rejuvenation experiments had caused experimental mice to develop cancer or organ failure. However, this issue did not arise in the recent Salk Institute experiment.
The research team also asserts that this treatment method will be safe for humans, based on positive signals observed in mice. According to their findings, a treatment period of approximately 7 to 10 months may be required to prevent unwanted side effects of aging.
In addition to reversing the human biological clock, it is also expected to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
Professor Bahler stated that while previous lifespan-extending measures allowed people to live longer but in a weakened state, the cellular rejuvenation method would not have this side effect. He remarked: “There has been a significant increase in average lifespan over the past 200 years, from 30-40 years to 80 years today. But the problem is that people are living longer and weaker. They can still develop cancer when they reach a certain age.”
According to him, if we can change the core of the aging process, humans will be able to live healthier for longer.
Nevertheless, Dr. Andrew Steele believes that aging is a complex process and cellular rejuvenation is not the only solution for extending lifespan. “Remember proteins like collagen. It is the most abundant protein in your body, and as you age, its function changes. Collagen is located outside your cells, so rejuvenating the cells is unlikely to change it.”
