adminLONDON. – Someone reading this could realistically live to the age of 150, thanks to leaps in technology, a leading longevity expert has claimed.
Dr Steven Cohen, who owns wellness clinics in California and London, claims he is coming tantalisingly close to harnessing stem cell therapy that can de-age people.
He claims the technology — which involves injecting people with exosomes, small vesicles that are naturally produced by stem cells — is just five years away and could revolutionise the anti-aging industry.
Other scientists have suggested people could one day live to the age of 2000 and are exploring technology like pills to flush out ‘zombie cells’ and ways to tweak DNA to extend someone’s lifespan.
Dr Cohen said: ‘The ability to prolong or delay aging sounds like science fiction — but it is just around the corner and will soon be available.
‘We’ve been hampered a little by the belief that one must die sometime, and that you can’t live forever.
But in reality, there are animals that do live for hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of years.’
Stem cells have helped to revolutionise the way we treat injuries, some cancers and brain diseases due to their unique ability to repair and regenerate damaged tissues.
They are found everywhere in the body, especially the bone marrow, standing ready to morph into the 200-odd types of cell that make up humans to repair damage.
But their numbers fall as we age, leaving older adults lacking the same regenerative capabilities as their younger peers.
This reduces the number of exosomes produced by stem cells, or the small bubbles that travel to injured, old or dying cells carrying vital proteins to help make repairs.
Dr Cohen described them as like ‘jet planes’ delivering aid packages to ill cells that take off from an ‘aircraft carrier’, the stem cell.
Scientists argue that having fewer of these in the body speeds up aging because cells are left less able to repair themselves.
A growing body of scientific evidence shows that boosting the numbers of exosomes slams the brakes on the aging process.
Doctors have also linked having more exosomes to younger-looking skin.
Dr Cohen’s new treatment, which he says could be available by 2028, involves injecting someone with exosomes produced by younger stem cells.
The hope is that these bubbles — bursting with essential proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and others — will flow into organs and help to ‘de-age’ them, allowing someone to live longer.
There are also suggestions that they could revitalise the skin, making someone appear younger.
The procedure — when it’s available — will likely be priced at hundreds of thousands of dollars per person. – BBC.
Online Reporter