The biotech startup Rejuvenate bio, co-founded by the Harvard biologist George Church, been talked about for quite a while. In the field of longevity research he has achieved and certified several results. And she said she was even ready to revive an extinct species like that of the woolly mammoth.
Now though announced that they have developed a technology that would be able to significantly extend the life of elderly mice, doubling their remaining life span.
Documents that have attracted the attention of the scientific community, which will now carefully examine the data to verify the validity of this revolutionary claim. If confirmed, it could offer new perspectives for research into human aging and longevity.
Double the time left for mice. And to us?
According to peer-reviewed papers, an injection that reprograms genes into mice allowed them to live on average twice as long as control mice. Imagine, for comparison, that a 70-year-old person can certainly reach 100 with just one injection.
The result was achieved by exposing the mouse cells to proteins present in early stage embryos, to alter the genetic properties of the cells. It is a technique devised by the Japanese biologist Shinya Yamanaka, awarded the Nobel Prize in 2012 (and now engaged with other luminaries in the project of Altos Labs).
Before we can acclaim the claims of Rejuvenate Bio as a real scientific revolution, however, we need to proceed with caution. Analyze the data carefully.
Especially those related to the potential risks of this type of genetic reprogramming: MIT researchers report cases of cancer in some mice subjected to similar treatments during another test. And we must always remember that mice are different from human beings: treatments and procedures are not always good for both.
However, there is great enthusiasm in the environment
The CEO of Rejuvenate Bio, Noah Davidson, praises the results obtained and hopes for a future application of these procedures to the elderly population.
The doubts remain. Previous studies (at the Salk Institute) have also shown that mice with a prematurely aging condition live longer after a similar treatment, but one wonders if this also works on healthy mice. Despite years of research, the answer is still uncertain.
Rejuvenate Bio relaunches. His method, he says, is unique and is based on gene therapy, which makes it applicable not only to mice, but also to humans.
The company is currently working on similar therapies for companion dogs and people suffering from specific medical conditions, including heart failure.
It should be said: who will live, will see.
