Can the eternal dream of the alchemists come true? Recently, a US biolaboratory joined the search for the “elixir of eternal life”, marking one of the most serious and unprecedentedly funded attempts to create a “philosopher’s stone”. Billionaires like Jeff Bezos believe that aging is a disease that can be slowed down, stopped and even reversed.
Altos Labs was founded in early 2021 by Russian investor Yuri Milner and, as conceived by the richest people in the world, it must take the biggest step in the search for “biological keys” that will prolong human life. According to some scientists, a person can live a full and healthy life for about 130 years.
The Altos Lab was created to uncover the biology behind reprogramming cells so they can rejuvenate on their own. Its a company focused on biological reprogramming technology. “Reprogramming” is the scientific term for converting old cells into new ones. It was discovered in 2012 by the Japanese scientist Sinia Yamanaka, who called it the “elixir of life”, is to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Similarly, Coinbase co-founder and CEO Brian Armstrong recently invested in a company working to radically extend human lifespan using epigenetic reprogramming therapies. Overall, the anti-aging industry is expected to grow to over $ 64 billion by 2026, up 45% from 2020 ($ 44 billion).
“Our mission is to restore cellular health and resilience to the diseases, injuries and disabilities that occur throughout life,” the Altos Labs corporate website says.
The company, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, has already said it is working closely with a scientist from Cambridge and Japan. The organization’s fast pace was achieved thanks to the funding of $3 billion, which brought together the best scientific and managerial staff, whose efforts are likely to lead to success.
“Cells have the ability to rejuvenate by resetting their epigenetic clock,” says the Altos Labs website.
The list of people who joined the project is impressive and is at the level of a “dream team”, because among them there are several Nobel laureates: Francis Arnold (professor of chemistry, bioengineering and biochemistry), Hal Barron (scientist and chairman of GSK R&D), Jennifer Doudna ( professor of chemistry, molecular and cellular biology), Sinia Yamanaka (biologist and director of the Center for Research) and many, many others.
Galactic Team
Let many consider that the main thing is precisely scientists, but leaders also play an important role, including no less famous (in their circle) names.
According to rumors, the numbers of scientists’ fees are huge. For example, in an interview with El País newspaper, Manuel Serrano, from Barcelona’s Biomedical Research Institute, commented that when Altos Labs contacted him, they offered him a salary that was 10 times his current rate.
Although the company has yet to reveal the specific lines of research they seek to defeat human death, all indications are that Yamanaka’s work (using stem cell rejuvenation) will be the first beacon and point the way forward.
In a press statement, Hal Barron, current director of Altos Lab, said the following:
“I am honored to be offered this unique opportunity to lead this incredible company on a mission to reverse disease and fight ageing.
Billionaire Investors
Sinia Yamanaka’s work and many other studies demonstrate that cells have the ability to rejuvenate themselves by resetting their epigenetic clock and repairing damage caused by stressors.
These insights, combined with breakthroughs in a number of related technologies, have inspired Altos Labs to reimagine therapies that can reverse disease in patients of all ages.
No less intriguing than Altos Labs’ future research is the origin of this massive funding.
The main investors were Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and the Russian billionaire, Yuri Milner. Both tycoons have previously invested in similar laboratories. It seems that they want to find the “elixir of youth” more than others and are ready to spend huge amounts of money on this.
So why do billionaires like Jeff Bezos invest in anti-aging or anti-aging technologies?
Most people take the aging process for granted. If they are disciplined, healthy and lucky, they will acquire about 20 years of youth.
They accept that life expectancy is 81.2 years for women and 76.4 years for men – knowing that this is a given irreversible condition.
And who can invoke the opposite? Almost every human institution – governments, the insurance industry, medicine, religion – is organized around this mentality, assuming that mortality is inevitable and youth is ephemeral.
But medicine has evolved.
We have entered an era of explicit medicine: Innovations such as genome sequencing, transcription RNA, Wnt pathway modifiers, vaccines, CRISPR, fluid biopsies, CAR-T cells, gene therapy, extracorporeal and stem cells Cells are just one example of the technologies that the world’s billionaires are advancing at a rapid pace.
Free from the close example of the academic community, these scientists earn five to ten times the salary of a top professor, working for Altos and others.
After all, aging is a disease – a disease that many of the most powerful people on the planet believe can slow down, stop, and even reverse.
The spirit of the Longevity Mindset
How can you develop it
Examine and evaluate the six key areas of life that you all, whether you belong to the financially disadvantaged or not:
- Beliefs: Many people have embraced the belief that they will live to be 75 years old. At the other end of the spectrum are people who see aging as a disease and actively follow the breakthroughs in biotechnology that have the potential to slow or even reverse aging. Which of the two categories do you belong to?
- The influence of the media: The movies, books, articles you consume have a profound, direct effect on the way you think. Do the media reinforce your belief that you will not live long? Or do you read books like David Sinclair’s Lifespan about achieving longevity?
- Community: The people you spend time with also shape your mindset. Do you spend time with people who are constantly worried about death? Or do you hang out with a younger, happier company that surrounds you with optimism and a vision for the future?
- Sleeping habits: Normally we need eight hours of sleep a night. Do you pay attention to your need for rest, using the best techniques that will help you?
- Eating habits: We are literally what we eat. The nutrients (or not) we consume become our body, our mind, our spirit. Do you eat sugar-rich foods? Or have you implemented a balanced diet rich in nutrients in order to maximize energy and longevity?
- Exercise : Exercise – especially one that increases muscle mass – is vital for longevity. Exercise at least three times a week – perhaps taking peptides to maximize growth hormones and increase muscle mass?
- Mentality : Do you cultivate the mentality of longevity? Do you see your future bigger than your past?
You do not need any capital investment to lay the foundations of a Longevity Mindset. Everyone should develop the belief that to achieve this you need a balanced diet and adequate rest.
