In 1986, Queen frontman Freddie Mercury asked a simple question: Who wants to live forever? And, if all goes to plan, we could soon be doing just that. Scientists are, for the first time, testing a drug that could reverse the aging process in humans.
First Human Trial of Age-Reversing Drug
Boston-based longevity company Life Biosciences announced Tuesday that it had injected the drug into the eyes of a patient suffering from glaucoma. Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve, causing vision to deteriorate. The drug, called ER-100, aims to reverse this deterioration by persuading genes that can 'reprogram' old cells to behave young.
Life Biosciences says this technique, known as cellular reprogramming, could also one day be used on an aging liver or brain. This could pave the way for a pill that could melt away wrinkles or make us feel like children again.
How Does the Drug Work?
In 2007, scientist and surgeon Shinya Yamanaka found that four unusual genes active in early embryonic development, the 'Yamanaka Factors', tell cells to age. Yamanaka's experiment, which won the Nobel Prize in 2012, introduced these genes to the skin cells of an old mouse. Over two weeks, the cells essentially walked backwards through time and became something close to embryonic stem cells.
Later studies found that if you reprogram all four genes, cells revert to stem cells, which are blank sheets. However, tinker with three, and they become youthful and resilient while maintaining their role in the body. ER-100 targets these three genes in neurons of the optic nerve that grow tired and cannot regenerate. By manipulating the cells' genes, scientists turn back the clock, making them 'more youthful and functional', according to Life Biosciences.
Trial Details
The company did not share other information about the patient, with National Library of Medicine records showing the study began in March. Over the next six months, scientists will monitor how well the technique works and if any health issues arise. Throughout, the patient will take an antibiotic pill that acts as an on/off switch for the drug. Clinics in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, and Charleston are recruiting patients, with 20 patients slated. The Phase 1 clinical trial, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, will finish by 2033 at the latest.
The company's co-founder, David Sinclair, said in 2020 that his team hit the rewind switch for the neurons of elderly mice with damaged optic nerves. Sinclair, who theorized that the first person to live to 150 has already been born, has been criticized for 'overhyping' his findings. Writing on X on Tuesday, he said: '30 years of research came down to one moment. Was honored to be there. Congrats to the team!'
Could We Really Live Forever?
Billionaires, including Amazon's Jeff Bezos and OpenAI's Sam Altman, have invested billions into extending their lives. Interestingly, all humans have aged backwards at conception: women carry egg cells since birth, while sperm cells are often months old. When they meet to form a zygote, its cells show signs of age, yet they iron out the wrinkles of the parents' DNA and become young. Scientists have spent decades trying to replicate this natural rejuvenation process in the lab to unlock eternal youth.
Attempts at full-body rejuvenation have so far been limited to animals like mice and monkeys. As well as reversing aging, experts hope that mastering cellular rejuvenation could help cure diseases. However, critics say longevity science is overhyped and fear that cellular reprogramming can lead to cancer, given that two of the genes instruct cells to replicate forever. Tests involving mice in 2012 ended with the rodents developing teratomas—tumors made of scraps of tissues like hair, teeth, and skin.
