Russian scientists are studying elderly monkeys in an attempt to go beyond the natural limits of the human lifespan, according to Mikhail Kovalchuk, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin and head of the Kurchatov Institute.
Speaking to reporters at the Kurchatov Genomic Forum in Moscow, Kovalchuk said: "We are now screening elderly monkeys to look at all stages of aging." The research is the latest development in Russia's quest to "cheat God or nature" and achieve immortality.
Research on Thousands of Primates
According to state news outlet Tass, the new research involves more than 7,000 primates. Within this group is a smaller section of apes Kovalchuk described as a "unique group," containing older monkeys aged between 20 and more than 30 years old.
Kovalchuk revealed that researchers at the institute are examining monkeys older than 30, conducting biochemical, structural, vascular tests and brain analyses on the elderly animals.
Putin's Longevity Ambitions
Previously, Putin has spoken of greatly extending the human lifespan and has said he believes immortality may one day be possible. In a past meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the two leaders speculated that people may be able to live up to 150 years old one day.
An interpreter conveying Xi's message said: "In the past, people rarely lived longer than 70 years, but today they say at 70, you are still a child." Putin replied: "With the development of biotechnology, human organs can be continuously transplanted, and people can live younger and younger, and even achieve immortality."
A State-Backed Longevity Drive
Kovalchuk has longstanding ties with the Russian leader and has called himself a close friend to Putin, also describing himself as an informal scientific adviser to Putin on topics such as genetics.
Putin's oldest daughter, Maria Vorontsova, also studies genetics and has her own longevity laboratory where she helps extend people's life spans, according to Russia's Vedomosti newspaper. The paper claimed her work strives to extend human lifespan in an attempt to "cheat God or nature."
Vorontsova, 41, is being positioned as a key face of the Kremlin's £21 billion longevity drive, a state-backed programme. In a broadcast, she reportedly said the "main driver" pushing scientists towards longer life is "the existential fear of death."
She further claimed: "Russia has every chance of being the first to invent a pill against ageing." She also reportedly hinted at how tightly the Kremlin wants such breakthroughs controlled, adding: "It is important to establish the criteria for who should be prescribed this pill." The project, dubbed "New Health Preservation Technologies," is reportedly operating under a government mandate to deliver practical longevity milestones by 2030.
