Are humans one step closer to immortality? Possibly. Latest research published by a team of scientists from Harvard Medical School suggests they’ve discovered a mixture of medicine that may reverse the ageing process. With this treatment they imagine that, within the near future, one single pill will have the ability to enhance eyesight, treat age-related diseases, repair injuries more efficiently, rejuvenate internal organs, and reduce visible outer signs of ageing. 

“Until recently, one of the best we could do was slow ageing. Latest discoveries suggest we are able to now reverse it,” says genetics professor David Sinclair, who led the team and has also authored the book Lifespan.

Over the course of three years, and after extensive research on mice and monkeys, the team identified a drug combination that may reverse cellular ageing and revive cells. Within the paper, they cite a chemical cocktail made up of growth hormone, Metformin, and a drug that prompts the enzyme AMPK, which starts being effective “in lower than per week”. When given to mice, this mix was found to rejuvenate aged muscles, liver tissue and other organs.

We discover six chemical cocktails, which, in lower than per week and without compromising cellular identity, restore a youthful genome-wide transcript profile and reverse transcriptomic age. Thus, rejuvenation by age reversal will be achieved, not only by genetic, but in addition chemical means.

The findings have been published within the July issue of medical journal Aging and shared on Twitter by Sinclair. “We’ve previously shown age reversal is feasible using gene therapy to activate embryonic genes,” he wrote in a tweet. “Now we show it’s possible with chemical cocktails, a step towards inexpensive whole-body rejuvenation.”

Sinclair says the chemical cocktails identified by his team can reverse transcriptomic age in lower than per week. He also shared previous gene therapy studies, done by his biotechnology company Life Biosciences, on the optic nerve, brain tissue, kidney and muscle. These showed promising results for improved vision and prolonged lifespan in mice, and in April, improved vision in monkeys. Preparations for human clinical trials of the age reversal gene therapy are in progress.

“This recent discovery offers the potential to reverse ageing with a single pill, with applications starting from improving eyesight to effectively treating age-related diseases,” wrote Sinclair. “We envision a future where age-related diseases will be effectively treated, injuries will be repaired more efficiently, and the dream of whole-body rejuvenation becomes a reality.”

While gene therapy is restricted in its widespread use, a chemical alternative in the shape of a pill will offer age reversal that is far more cost-effective and with shorter timelines. For anyone still unclear about what this research could mean, Sinclair broke it down for Elon Musk who asked him on Twitter what precisely the recent discovery was. 

“Life is information. When corrupted, we age and die. Found a backup copy (cf Shannon). With genes and chemicals, we reboot the body. Works in monkeys to revive vision. Humans next.”

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