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There are people who age very quickly. Literally, at the age of 5, they look like old people.
There are people who do not age at all; they look 17, but are actually 30 or 40.
And then there is everyone else—normal.
But Nature seems to show us that there are certain mechanisms that influence this “normality.” For some, this normality leads to aging at 50, while for others it begins as early as 40.
This process is not the same for everyone.
And there are people who demonstrate this quite clearly.
Moreover, there are scientists studying this phenomenon.
Of course, these people also age. But some processes seem to have stopped. As I said, scientists are studying this (the phenomenon seen in the man in this video), with a clear goal—to help everyone achieve eternal youth. Of course, “eternal” in a certain sense.
In particular, the results of this research were recorded by the scientist Richard Walker in his book entitled “Why We Age.”
Today I want to draw your attention to just one word—“telomeres.”
And read the article:
This article is not included to make us dream about artificially altering genes like this. No. It is about the fact that everything is subject to consciousness. Genes are too. It is possible.
There are people who do not age at all; they look 17, but are actually 30 or 40.
And then there is everyone else—normal.
But Nature seems to show us that there are certain mechanisms that influence this “normality.” For some, this normality leads to aging at 50, while for others it begins as early as 40.
This process is not the same for everyone.
And there are people who demonstrate this quite clearly.
Moreover, there are scientists studying this phenomenon.
Of course, these people also age. But some processes seem to have stopped. As I said, scientists are studying this (the phenomenon seen in the man in this video), with a clear goal—to help everyone achieve eternal youth. Of course, “eternal” in a certain sense.
In particular, the results of this research were recorded by the scientist Richard Walker in his book entitled “Why We Age.”
Today I want to draw your attention to just one word—“telomeres.”
And read the article:
Elizabeth Parrish is the first woman in the world to voluntarily undergo gene therapy against aging at her own risk. Elizabeth is the CEO of the biotechnology company BioViva USA Inc., founded in 2015 and engaged in developing gene-therapy technologies.
The first treatment was intended to inhibit age-related loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) caused by the protein myostatin. For this purpose, the FS follistatin gene was introduced into the leg muscles.
The second was developed to prevent cellular aging, specifically the shortening of telomeres. The human telomerase gene (hTERT) regulates the activity of the telomerase enzyme, which increases telomere length. It was introduced into several locations on Elizabeth’s body to facilitate its spread throughout the organism.
Telomeres (shown in green in the image) are protective “caps” on chromosomes that become shorter as we age. Age-related telomere shortening leads to aging of the organism, overall cell loss, and an increased risk of cancer. Shorter telomeres are also associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and certain forms of dementia.
Both therapies were administered using a specific type of viral vector called an adeno-associated virus (AAV), which is used to deliver genes to the body’s target tissues.
As Elizabeth Parrish reported, before gene therapy in September 2015, she had a blood test at the Texas laboratory SpectraCell, where the telomeres of her leukocytes were measured. The results showed that they were quite short, meaning that she was aging much faster than other people her age. Her telomeres corresponded to those of a person around 60 years old.
Six months later, in March 2016, she had her telomere length tested at the same laboratory. The results were difficult to predict, but it turned out that her telomeres had increased from the initial 6.71 kb to 7.33 kb (from 6,710 to 7,330 base pairs), meaning that her body’s cells had become approximately 20 years younger in just six months. Gene therapy restored the telomeres of her cells to her chronological age. “I hardly dared hope that there was still room for improvement,” Elizabeth wrote at the time.
In 2018, her telomeres had also increased, from 7.33 thousand base pairs in 2016 to 8.12 thousand base pairs, equivalent to another decade of cellular rejuvenation. Considering that during natural aging, telomeres in lymphocytes shorten at a rate of 33 base pairs per year (study: 1 ), Elizabeth’s reported results are impressive!
“This result exceeded all my expectations. First, because so far there have been no negative consequences from my therapy. That is, there is no cancer, which is the presumed danger when activating the telomerase enzyme. And second, because my telomeres continued to lengthen without any additional treatment,” reported Liz Parrish.
The same improvement was achieved after therapy against muscle degradation. Elizabeth’s muscle mass not only increased, but did not decrease for three years, and her muscles remained toned.
Although it is still unclear whether telomere lengthening occurs only in lymphocytes or also in other cells of the body, this remains to be determined. Elizabeth Parrish also stated that she and her team would continue working to determine the exact dose needed to treat all the cells in the body.
Liz Parrish hopes that gene therapy can postpone old age.
“My goal is to create a treatment for people before they become patients, to create a preventive medical institution for the next generation and for the evolution of healthy people,” Elizabeth wrote.
Gene therapy is one of the most promising fields in the treatment of age-related diseases and rejuvenation of the body. Well, let us await more news about gene therapy for increasing telomere length!
In 2015, one of the most unusual and revolutionary experiments in human rejuvenation began. Volunteer and researcher Elizabeth Parrish agreed to alter her own genome in order to stop the aging process. Now the first results of the experiment have become known.
Elizabeth Parrish, a 44-year-old American researcher, is the first woman on Earth whose genes were artificially altered. The experiment began in 2015, and now the first results are available to us… It sounds like the plot of a science-fiction thriller, no less than “Prometheus” or “Interstellar,” yet this is the reality of 2016.
Research into the aging process is currently among the most sought-after and promising fields. Not only because we all dream of remaining young forever, but also because scientific progress finally allows us to look more deeply into the subject than before.
A new milestone in this progress was laid by the scientists of BioViva, who began their incredible experiment in altering the human genome last year. Genetic material was introduced into volunteer Elizabeth Parrish, who was also one of the executives of the scientific and medical company behind the experiment. After entering the nucleus of every cell in her body, it was supposed to initiate changes that would stop aging and rejuvenate the body. The results of such an intervention could have been the most incredible.
First, no one had previously conducted such experiments on a human being. Second, the drug itself was so innovative that it had not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Therefore, the injection was administered to Parrish in Colombia. Before this, she also had to record a video address confirming that she understood all possible consequences, accepted the fact that anything could happen, and released others from all responsibility for whatever might happen to her and her body. The scientist also noted that even if the consequences proved fatal, she would still not regret taking such a risk, since any results of this experiment would be incredibly valuable to millions of lives.
And so the first stage of the experiment was completed, producing the first positive results—namely, Liz’s body was recorded as having been “rejuvenated” by 20 years. No, the young woman did not begin to look like a university graduate; the main changes occurred, of course, inside her body, which is much more important than supple skin and shiny hair. According to the new data, Parrish’s blood leukocytes had become younger, and her telomeres had “lengthened” by 20 years. This can be considered an incredible scientific breakthrough.
It is known that the aging process is formed at the DNA level. It begins with the shortening of telomeres, the terminal sections of chromosomes. The length of these DNA sections is directly related to a person’s biological age—the older we are, the shorter they become.
Cell division begins with the duplication of its chromosomes thanks to an enzyme called DNA polymerase. Moving along the DNA strand, it synthesizes another identical strand. The problem is that DNA polymerase does not begin its work at the very end of the chromosome, but slightly away from the beginning of the DNA strand. Consequently, with each cell division, part of the DNA simply drops out of the process.
Telomeres are those very ends that are lost during division. They do not contain valuable genetic information, so until a certain point our body does not notice these “losses.” However, sooner or later, a moment arrives when chromosome shortening can no longer occur at the expense of these telomeres. Then DNA polymerase, starting its work once again, notices that shortening is beginning not “from an empty end,” but from a section containing “data.” The enzyme may then begin joining different chromosomes together in order to “restore” the broken connection. When a certain number of such “connections” accumulate, the mechanism of apoptosis—the process of cell death—is triggered in the cell. In simple terms, aging.
So, the new data from the BioViva study indicate that the drug injected into Parrish’s vein makes it possible to “lengthen” telomeres by 20 years, effectively postponing apoptosis by almost a quarter of a century. These are extremely encouraging results that could truly overturn our entire understanding of old age and bring us closer to the dream of eternal youth.
It is also interesting to note that despite the revolutionary nature of the study in which Parrish is participating, this is not the first attempt to lengthen human telomeres. In 2014, scientists at Stanford University developed a technology that also makes it possible to lengthen the ends of DNA. The drug they developed gradually increases the activity of telomerase (the enzyme that adds new sections to the end of DNA) for one to two days, during which the telomeres lengthen rapidly. This technology was used exclusively on cultured cells, which are used to test new drugs and model various diseases. Human trials were, of course, out of the question at that time.
The data from the Stanford University researchers, like those obtained by the BioViva scientists, are incredibly valuable because they demonstrate that humanity is gradually approaching the solution to the mystery of the aging process. It seems that very soon we will learn, if not to program our genes, then at least to understand the processes that for many centuries appeared to be a mystery.
(Elizabeth Parrish, a 44-year-old American researcher, the first woman on Earth whose genes were artificially altered)
The first treatment was intended to inhibit age-related loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) caused by the protein myostatin. For this purpose, the FS follistatin gene was introduced into the leg muscles.
The second was developed to prevent cellular aging, specifically the shortening of telomeres. The human telomerase gene (hTERT) regulates the activity of the telomerase enzyme, which increases telomere length. It was introduced into several locations on Elizabeth’s body to facilitate its spread throughout the organism.
Telomeres (shown in green in the image) are protective “caps” on chromosomes that become shorter as we age. Age-related telomere shortening leads to aging of the organism, overall cell loss, and an increased risk of cancer. Shorter telomeres are also associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and certain forms of dementia.
Both therapies were administered using a specific type of viral vector called an adeno-associated virus (AAV), which is used to deliver genes to the body’s target tissues.
As Elizabeth Parrish reported, before gene therapy in September 2015, she had a blood test at the Texas laboratory SpectraCell, where the telomeres of her leukocytes were measured. The results showed that they were quite short, meaning that she was aging much faster than other people her age. Her telomeres corresponded to those of a person around 60 years old.
Six months later, in March 2016, she had her telomere length tested at the same laboratory. The results were difficult to predict, but it turned out that her telomeres had increased from the initial 6.71 kb to 7.33 kb (from 6,710 to 7,330 base pairs), meaning that her body’s cells had become approximately 20 years younger in just six months. Gene therapy restored the telomeres of her cells to her chronological age. “I hardly dared hope that there was still room for improvement,” Elizabeth wrote at the time.
In 2018, her telomeres had also increased, from 7.33 thousand base pairs in 2016 to 8.12 thousand base pairs, equivalent to another decade of cellular rejuvenation. Considering that during natural aging, telomeres in lymphocytes shorten at a rate of 33 base pairs per year (study: 1 ), Elizabeth’s reported results are impressive!
“This result exceeded all my expectations. First, because so far there have been no negative consequences from my therapy. That is, there is no cancer, which is the presumed danger when activating the telomerase enzyme. And second, because my telomeres continued to lengthen without any additional treatment,” reported Liz Parrish.
The same improvement was achieved after therapy against muscle degradation. Elizabeth’s muscle mass not only increased, but did not decrease for three years, and her muscles remained toned.
Although it is still unclear whether telomere lengthening occurs only in lymphocytes or also in other cells of the body, this remains to be determined. Elizabeth Parrish also stated that she and her team would continue working to determine the exact dose needed to treat all the cells in the body.
Liz Parrish hopes that gene therapy can postpone old age.
“My goal is to create a treatment for people before they become patients, to create a preventive medical institution for the next generation and for the evolution of healthy people,” Elizabeth wrote.
Gene therapy is one of the most promising fields in the treatment of age-related diseases and rejuvenation of the body. Well, let us await more news about gene therapy for increasing telomere length!
In 2015, one of the most unusual and revolutionary experiments in human rejuvenation began. Volunteer and researcher Elizabeth Parrish agreed to alter her own genome in order to stop the aging process. Now the first results of the experiment have become known.
Elizabeth Parrish, a 44-year-old American researcher, is the first woman on Earth whose genes were artificially altered. The experiment began in 2015, and now the first results are available to us… It sounds like the plot of a science-fiction thriller, no less than “Prometheus” or “Interstellar,” yet this is the reality of 2016.
Research into the aging process is currently among the most sought-after and promising fields. Not only because we all dream of remaining young forever, but also because scientific progress finally allows us to look more deeply into the subject than before.
A new milestone in this progress was laid by the scientists of BioViva, who began their incredible experiment in altering the human genome last year. Genetic material was introduced into volunteer Elizabeth Parrish, who was also one of the executives of the scientific and medical company behind the experiment. After entering the nucleus of every cell in her body, it was supposed to initiate changes that would stop aging and rejuvenate the body. The results of such an intervention could have been the most incredible.
First, no one had previously conducted such experiments on a human being. Second, the drug itself was so innovative that it had not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Therefore, the injection was administered to Parrish in Colombia. Before this, she also had to record a video address confirming that she understood all possible consequences, accepted the fact that anything could happen, and released others from all responsibility for whatever might happen to her and her body. The scientist also noted that even if the consequences proved fatal, she would still not regret taking such a risk, since any results of this experiment would be incredibly valuable to millions of lives.
And so the first stage of the experiment was completed, producing the first positive results—namely, Liz’s body was recorded as having been “rejuvenated” by 20 years. No, the young woman did not begin to look like a university graduate; the main changes occurred, of course, inside her body, which is much more important than supple skin and shiny hair. According to the new data, Parrish’s blood leukocytes had become younger, and her telomeres had “lengthened” by 20 years. This can be considered an incredible scientific breakthrough.
It is known that the aging process is formed at the DNA level. It begins with the shortening of telomeres, the terminal sections of chromosomes. The length of these DNA sections is directly related to a person’s biological age—the older we are, the shorter they become.
Cell division begins with the duplication of its chromosomes thanks to an enzyme called DNA polymerase. Moving along the DNA strand, it synthesizes another identical strand. The problem is that DNA polymerase does not begin its work at the very end of the chromosome, but slightly away from the beginning of the DNA strand. Consequently, with each cell division, part of the DNA simply drops out of the process.
Telomeres are those very ends that are lost during division. They do not contain valuable genetic information, so until a certain point our body does not notice these “losses.” However, sooner or later, a moment arrives when chromosome shortening can no longer occur at the expense of these telomeres. Then DNA polymerase, starting its work once again, notices that shortening is beginning not “from an empty end,” but from a section containing “data.” The enzyme may then begin joining different chromosomes together in order to “restore” the broken connection. When a certain number of such “connections” accumulate, the mechanism of apoptosis—the process of cell death—is triggered in the cell. In simple terms, aging.
So, the new data from the BioViva study indicate that the drug injected into Parrish’s vein makes it possible to “lengthen” telomeres by 20 years, effectively postponing apoptosis by almost a quarter of a century. These are extremely encouraging results that could truly overturn our entire understanding of old age and bring us closer to the dream of eternal youth.
It is also interesting to note that despite the revolutionary nature of the study in which Parrish is participating, this is not the first attempt to lengthen human telomeres. In 2014, scientists at Stanford University developed a technology that also makes it possible to lengthen the ends of DNA. The drug they developed gradually increases the activity of telomerase (the enzyme that adds new sections to the end of DNA) for one to two days, during which the telomeres lengthen rapidly. This technology was used exclusively on cultured cells, which are used to test new drugs and model various diseases. Human trials were, of course, out of the question at that time.
The data from the Stanford University researchers, like those obtained by the BioViva scientists, are incredibly valuable because they demonstrate that humanity is gradually approaching the solution to the mystery of the aging process. It seems that very soon we will learn, if not to program our genes, then at least to understand the processes that for many centuries appeared to be a mystery.
—Hello, Elizabeth smiles warmly at us from the screen when we connect via Skype, and immediately takes us by surprise. She looks nothing like either a deranged scientist detached from reality or an aging woman who, out of desperation, decided to undertake a reckless experiment to regain her youth. Before us is a cheerful, attractive woman, and the Komsomolskaya Pravda camera operators exchange surprised glances: it is impossible to guess that this beauty is 44.
—Liz, history preserves the names of scientists and doctors who exposed themselves to dangerous diseases and tested the first vaccines on themselves, and whose actions subsequently saved millions of lives. But when your predecessors took risks, the public could understand that they were doing it to cure specific serious diseases. How great is the risk you are taking, and how did you explain to your loved ones why you were doing it?
—I am certain that this is the most important step that needs to be taken today. Many people do not think about it, but aging itself has now become the number one killer in most countries. Cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and other life-threatening illnesses begin because the body ages and is no longer able to repair damage. At the same time, laboratory experiments on animals unequivocally confirm that if aging is stopped and the body rejuvenated, people can avoid dangerous diseases and extend healthy life. And this is real.
—We can no longer allow age-related diseases to kill us, — Elizabeth emphasizes emotionally. —The elderly population is growing worldwide, and these are people who could potentially be healthy, strong, and capable of caring for themselves, rather than ending their days in wheelchairs in nursing homes.
—As for the risk, I am perfectly aware that I could suffer serious harm, — the researcher continues. —But at the same time, I understand that if I do not do this, I will still die from the diseases that aging brings with it. If the experiment is successful, it will help save millions of people.
My family, friends, and colleagues supported this step. They know me well, my lifestyle, and understand why I made this choice.
—Had you taken risky actions before?
—No, this is the first truly major risky step in my life. I have always been interested in science and research, but I am not a rock climber, I do not go deep-sea diving, and I do not skydive, — Liz laughs. —I think I took a very calculated and well-founded risk.
—Liz, you are optimistic, but skeptics are concerned that one component of your genetic construct—an adenovirus—is not a particularly precise or safe tool for inserting genes into the right places. Could you explain the procedure in simple terms and how gene therapy works?
—We take a human gene that has a specific beneficial effect and regulates the production of some necessary protein, —Elizabeth demonstrates with her hands (see video). —We also take a virus and, as it were, clean it—remove its ability to spread disease. We insert the gene into the virus and introduce this construct into the body (Liz was given an injection into a vein).
The so-called viral vector spreads through the cells, enters them, and carries the gene, inserting it into the cell nuclei. The gene activates the production of the proteins we need, making us healthier and younger.
Thus, the essence of gene therapy is that we introduce a huge number of viruses into the body that cannot infect you with a disease, but instead distribute and insert useful genes into the cells, — Elizabeth Parrish concludes.
As for the virus itself, we use AAV—an adeno-associated virus that delivers the gene directly into the cell nucleus and inserts it into specific regions of chromosome 19. In other words, this is actually a fairly precise and predictable method.
—How much time has passed since the experiment began, and when will the first follow-up measurement be taken to assess the effect?
—A little over a month has passed (we spoke with Liz on October 20), and in three months there will be the first major examination and the first biological results will be summarized.
—Do you keep a diary of your sensations? Has your mood changed? What thoughts come to you in the morning, for example?
—Yes, I keep a diary in which I record a great deal of information. I have someone who helps me with this, and perhaps in a year we will write a book about our experiment. Of course, I monitor external changes, including looking at my face, because people are always interested in that, and I will have to inform them.
What I have already noticed very clearly, and what surprised me, is that when I get up in the morning, I feel very energetic. I do not need coffee or anyone’s help to wake up; it is astonishing. At the same time, in the evening I feel like a five-year-old child: as soon as I reach my bed, I fall asleep immediately and sleep wonderfully without any sleeping pills.
My muscles also ache a little—apparently because new tissue is beginning to grow in them, although it is not yet very noticeable. Overall, I feel excellent.
—One of the most controversial questions today is what should be considered biomarkers of aging—that is, which indicators reliably reflect a person’s actual biological age. This determines how the effect of anti-aging therapy should be evaluated. What will you use as a guide when summarizing the results of the experiment?
—Soon I will undergo testing to determine DNA methylation markers (over the course of our lives, the distribution of so-called methyl groups in our bodies changes, and a pattern has been discovered that makes it possible to assess biological age). We are also measuring telomere length and various other indicators of cell condition. I am also undergoing visual and physiological examinations to determine, among other things, muscle mass. All of this is being recorded.
—You were given one injection of genetic material. Is that enough, or will something else be required?
—As for the myostatin inhibitor used to stimulate muscle-mass growth, a single administration is generally sufficient for life. There are already patients whose positive response to this therapy has continued for many years.
I may need a repeat injection of the telomerase gene if it turns out that the first one did not reach a sufficient number of cells.
—How reversible are the changes in the body? If something goes wrong, will they be able to “switch off” the introduced genes?
—Since telomerase-gene stimulation had not yet been tested in humans, we could have administered a small amount of material. In that case, the effect of the therapy would have been more short-lived. But we are so confident in the positive effect that we immediately introduced the maximum number of genetic constructs. If undesirable side effects appear, there are, in principle, drugs capable of “switching off” a gene that has previously been activated.
—Could there nevertheless be irreversible effects that cannot be eliminated?
—Yes, I hope they will be youth and health, — Liz laughs.
—Since you are a pioneer, I would like to learn a few more details. It is said that the location where the procedure was performed is being kept secret.
—The thing is, we experienced an information leak before our team was ready to begin the experiment. Therefore, we had to take measures to ensure sufficient confidentiality. To this day, we keep the location where the procedure was performed, the doctor’s name, and everything else strictly secret until we are awarded the Nobel Prize (laughs ). Seriously, we are doing this because we must protect our team and our company from the administrative system established in the United States.
—It is said that the procedure was performed in Colombia. If you had to comply with all the regulations prescribed by the FDA, how much time and money would be required to legalize gene therapy as a treatment for aging in the United States?
—It would take at least another 15–20 years and more than a billion dollars. Moreover, if we spent that much money, even in the event of success the result would be a therapy that very few people could afford—to recoup the investors’ money, it would have to be made extremely expensive.
—When might this therapy become widespread and publicly accessible?
—To make gene therapy for aging publicly accessible, two conditions are necessary. First, we need to find a country where we can work officially (we are working on that now). Second, we need investors to develop this therapy for mass use. All of this could realistically be organized within 3–5 years. As for global forecasts, in about 15 years, I think governments might decide to make such therapy free for their citizens. After all, if it prevents age-related diseases, it could save enormous sums of money currently spent on treating cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, caring for patients, and so on. The United States spends trillions of dollars a year on this today; 85% of healthcare expenditure is devoted to medical care for elderly people during the final years of their lives.
—Liz, as a very busy person, you probably find it difficult to maintain a strict daily routine, yet you look wonderful. Can you tell us what you do for this and what you would advise other people?
—One of the most important rules is to enjoy life.
—You are echoing the words of scientists who study the phenomenon of longevity: everyone who lives to be 100 is a great optimist.
—Rule number two is to find something you would like to change in the world, nearby, and move toward that goal. Anyone can achieve one goal or another if they make sufficient effort and try very hard. Rule number three—leave the house and enjoy the world around you. It is beautiful! Look at the beauty of nature and the things people create. Notice people’s good deeds. Despite the fact that people can also do bad things, focus your attention on the good, and good things will happen to you more often.
Will plastic surgery become a thing of the past?
—Many Hollywood stars and other public figures do not hide the fact that they use advanced medical treatments, including anti-aging plastic surgery. What is your attitude toward this? Have you used such services, and do you plan to?
—I think that as gene therapy becomes widespread, there will be less need to cut away something excessive or add something in response to age-related changes—we will correct these shortcomings through carefully targeted effects on genes. If I do not live to see that, and I develop many wrinkles, I may use something else from the arsenal of anti-aging treatments. But I am more hopeful that the current therapy will work.
In any case, plastic surgery is unlikely to become a thing of the past—it will always be used to improve one’s body. Moreover, if gene therapy enables people to extend their lives substantially, by the age of 120 or 130 they will surely want to change something about themselves (laughs ). Why not?
—When we talk about fighting aging, we must first think about the fact that in this way we are freeing people from serious age-related diseases. You do not want to suffer from heart disease, have a heart attack or stroke, or develop cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. The side effect of eliminating these diseases will be that life continues and becomes longer. I would very much like to live another 100 years and 44 years and remain energetic, able to work, be creative, and see the world. If you are healthy, you can acquire new skills and successfully apply them thanks to a young brain and body. Such a life cannot be boring.
In 2015, one of the most unusual and revolutionary experiments in human rejuvenation began. Volunteer and researcher Elizabeth Parrish agreed to alter her own genome in order to stop the aging process. Now the first results of the experiment have become known.
Elizabeth Parrish, a 44-year-old American researcher, is the first woman on Earth whose genes were artificially altered. The experiment began in 2015, and now the first results are available to us… It sounds like the plot of a science-fiction thriller, no less than “Prometheus” or “Interstellar,” yet this is the reality of 2016.
Research into the aging process is currently among the most sought-after and promising fields. Not only because we all dream of remaining young forever, but also because scientific progress finally allows us to look more deeply into the subject than before.
—Liz, history preserves the names of scientists and doctors who exposed themselves to dangerous diseases and tested the first vaccines on themselves, and whose actions subsequently saved millions of lives. But when your predecessors took risks, the public could understand that they were doing it to cure specific serious diseases. How great is the risk you are taking, and how did you explain to your loved ones why you were doing it?
—I am certain that this is the most important step that needs to be taken today. Many people do not think about it, but aging itself has now become the number one killer in most countries. Cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and other life-threatening illnesses begin because the body ages and is no longer able to repair damage. At the same time, laboratory experiments on animals unequivocally confirm that if aging is stopped and the body rejuvenated, people can avoid dangerous diseases and extend healthy life. And this is real.
—We can no longer allow age-related diseases to kill us, — Elizabeth emphasizes emotionally. —The elderly population is growing worldwide, and these are people who could potentially be healthy, strong, and capable of caring for themselves, rather than ending their days in wheelchairs in nursing homes.
—As for the risk, I am perfectly aware that I could suffer serious harm, — the researcher continues. —But at the same time, I understand that if I do not do this, I will still die from the diseases that aging brings with it. If the experiment is successful, it will help save millions of people.
My family, friends, and colleagues supported this step. They know me well, my lifestyle, and understand why I made this choice.
—Had you taken risky actions before?
—No, this is the first truly major risky step in my life. I have always been interested in science and research, but I am not a rock climber, I do not go deep-sea diving, and I do not skydive, — Liz laughs. —I think I took a very calculated and well-founded risk.
—Liz, you are optimistic, but skeptics are concerned that one component of your genetic construct—an adenovirus—is not a particularly precise or safe tool for inserting genes into the right places. Could you explain the procedure in simple terms and how gene therapy works?
—We take a human gene that has a specific beneficial effect and regulates the production of some necessary protein, —Elizabeth demonstrates with her hands (see video). —We also take a virus and, as it were, clean it—remove its ability to spread disease. We insert the gene into the virus and introduce this construct into the body (Liz was given an injection into a vein).
The so-called viral vector spreads through the cells, enters them, and carries the gene, inserting it into the cell nuclei. The gene activates the production of the proteins we need, making us healthier and younger.
Thus, the essence of gene therapy is that we introduce a huge number of viruses into the body that cannot infect you with a disease, but instead distribute and insert useful genes into the cells, — Elizabeth Parrish concludes.
As for the virus itself, we use AAV—an adeno-associated virus that delivers the gene directly into the cell nucleus and inserts it into specific regions of chromosome 19. In other words, this is actually a fairly precise and predictable method.
—How much time has passed since the experiment began, and when will the first follow-up measurement be taken to assess the effect?
—A little over a month has passed (we spoke with Liz on October 20), and in three months there will be the first major examination and the first biological results will be summarized.
—Do you keep a diary of your sensations? Has your mood changed? What thoughts come to you in the morning, for example?
—Yes, I keep a diary in which I record a great deal of information. I have someone who helps me with this, and perhaps in a year we will write a book about our experiment. Of course, I monitor external changes, including looking at my face, because people are always interested in that, and I will have to inform them.
What I have already noticed very clearly, and what surprised me, is that when I get up in the morning, I feel very energetic. I do not need coffee or anyone’s help to wake up; it is astonishing. At the same time, in the evening I feel like a five-year-old child: as soon as I reach my bed, I fall asleep immediately and sleep wonderfully without any sleeping pills.
My muscles also ache a little—apparently because new tissue is beginning to grow in them, although it is not yet very noticeable. Overall, I feel excellent.
—One of the most controversial questions today is what should be considered biomarkers of aging—that is, which indicators reliably reflect a person’s actual biological age. This determines how the effect of anti-aging therapy should be evaluated. What will you use as a guide when summarizing the results of the experiment?
—Soon I will undergo testing to determine DNA methylation markers (over the course of our lives, the distribution of so-called methyl groups in our bodies changes, and a pattern has been discovered that makes it possible to assess biological age). We are also measuring telomere length and various other indicators of cell condition. I am also undergoing visual and physiological examinations to determine, among other things, muscle mass. All of this is being recorded.
—You were given one injection of genetic material. Is that enough, or will something else be required?
—As for the myostatin inhibitor used to stimulate muscle-mass growth, a single administration is generally sufficient for life. There are already patients whose positive response to this therapy has continued for many years.
I may need a repeat injection of the telomerase gene if it turns out that the first one did not reach a sufficient number of cells.
—How reversible are the changes in the body? If something goes wrong, will they be able to “switch off” the introduced genes?
—Since telomerase-gene stimulation had not yet been tested in humans, we could have administered a small amount of material. In that case, the effect of the therapy would have been more short-lived. But we are so confident in the positive effect that we immediately introduced the maximum number of genetic constructs. If undesirable side effects appear, there are, in principle, drugs capable of “switching off” a gene that has previously been activated.
—Could there nevertheless be irreversible effects that cannot be eliminated?
—Yes, I hope they will be youth and health, — Liz laughs.
—Since you are a pioneer, I would like to learn a few more details. It is said that the location where the procedure was performed is being kept secret.
—The thing is, we experienced an information leak before our team was ready to begin the experiment. Therefore, we had to take measures to ensure sufficient confidentiality. To this day, we keep the location where the procedure was performed, the doctor’s name, and everything else strictly secret until we are awarded the Nobel Prize (laughs ). Seriously, we are doing this because we must protect our team and our company from the administrative system established in the United States.
—It is said that the procedure was performed in Colombia. If you had to comply with all the regulations prescribed by the FDA, how much time and money would be required to legalize gene therapy as a treatment for aging in the United States?
—It would take at least another 15–20 years and more than a billion dollars. Moreover, if we spent that much money, even in the event of success the result would be a therapy that very few people could afford—to recoup the investors’ money, it would have to be made extremely expensive.
—When might this therapy become widespread and publicly accessible?
—To make gene therapy for aging publicly accessible, two conditions are necessary. First, we need to find a country where we can work officially (we are working on that now). Second, we need investors to develop this therapy for mass use. All of this could realistically be organized within 3–5 years. As for global forecasts, in about 15 years, I think governments might decide to make such therapy free for their citizens. After all, if it prevents age-related diseases, it could save enormous sums of money currently spent on treating cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, caring for patients, and so on. The United States spends trillions of dollars a year on this today; 85% of healthcare expenditure is devoted to medical care for elderly people during the final years of their lives.
—Liz, as a very busy person, you probably find it difficult to maintain a strict daily routine, yet you look wonderful. Can you tell us what you do for this and what you would advise other people?
—One of the most important rules is to enjoy life.
—You are echoing the words of scientists who study the phenomenon of longevity: everyone who lives to be 100 is a great optimist.
—Rule number two is to find something you would like to change in the world, nearby, and move toward that goal. Anyone can achieve one goal or another if they make sufficient effort and try very hard. Rule number three—leave the house and enjoy the world around you. It is beautiful! Look at the beauty of nature and the things people create. Notice people’s good deeds. Despite the fact that people can also do bad things, focus your attention on the good, and good things will happen to you more often.
Will plastic surgery become a thing of the past?
—Many Hollywood stars and other public figures do not hide the fact that they use advanced medical treatments, including anti-aging plastic surgery. What is your attitude toward this? Have you used such services, and do you plan to?
—I think that as gene therapy becomes widespread, there will be less need to cut away something excessive or add something in response to age-related changes—we will correct these shortcomings through carefully targeted effects on genes. If I do not live to see that, and I develop many wrinkles, I may use something else from the arsenal of anti-aging treatments. But I am more hopeful that the current therapy will work.
In any case, plastic surgery is unlikely to become a thing of the past—it will always be used to improve one’s body. Moreover, if gene therapy enables people to extend their lives substantially, by the age of 120 or 130 they will surely want to change something about themselves (laughs ). Why not?
—When we talk about fighting aging, we must first think about the fact that in this way we are freeing people from serious age-related diseases. You do not want to suffer from heart disease, have a heart attack or stroke, or develop cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. The side effect of eliminating these diseases will be that life continues and becomes longer. I would very much like to live another 100 years and 44 years and remain energetic, able to work, be creative, and see the world. If you are healthy, you can acquire new skills and successfully apply them thanks to a young brain and body. Such a life cannot be boring.
In 2015, one of the most unusual and revolutionary experiments in human rejuvenation began. Volunteer and researcher Elizabeth Parrish agreed to alter her own genome in order to stop the aging process. Now the first results of the experiment have become known.
Elizabeth Parrish, a 44-year-old American researcher, is the first woman on Earth whose genes were artificially altered. The experiment began in 2015, and now the first results are available to us… It sounds like the plot of a science-fiction thriller, no less than “Prometheus” or “Interstellar,” yet this is the reality of 2016.
Research into the aging process is currently among the most sought-after and promising fields. Not only because we all dream of remaining young forever, but also because scientific progress finally allows us to look more deeply into the subject than before.
(Elizabeth Parrish, a 44-year-old American researcher, the first woman on Earth whose genes were artificially altered)
This article is not included to make us dream about artificially altering genes like this. No. It is about the fact that everything is subject to consciousness. Genes are too. It is possible.
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