Harvard Scientist Claims "Fountain of Youth" Chemical Reverses Aging
Researchers believe that a single pill could reverse aging sometime in the future.
For thousands of years, the myth of the Fountain of Youth has been taunting the entire world. People are always searching for a magic potion to restore the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Now, some Harvard researchers claim they have discovered the equivalent in a chemical cocktail, which they say is capable of reversing cellular aging in just days. Here is what you need to know about the new study.
David Sinclair, a Harvard Medical School anti-aging researcher, led a team of scientists in the potentially ground-breaking study. They claim that a mix of chemicals can reverse cellular aging – in a lab at least.
On July 12, 2023, researchers Jae-Hyun Yang, Christopher A. Petty, Thomas Dixon-McDougall, Maria Vina Lopez, Alexander Tyshkovskiy, Sun Maybury-Lewis, Xiao Tian, Nabilah Ibrahim, Zhili Chen, Patrick T. Griffin, Matthew Arnold, Jien Li, Oswaldo A. Martinez, Alexander Behn, Ryan Rogers-Hammond, Suzanne Angeli, Vadim N. Gladyshev, and David A. Sinclair from Harvard Medical School, University of Maine and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) published a new priority research paper in Aging, titled, "Chemically induced reprogramming to reverse cellular aging."
"We identify six chemical cocktails, which, in less than a week and without compromising cellular identity, restore a youthful genome-wide transcript profile and reverse transcriptomic age," Sinclair writes in the medical journal Aging. Previously, this was only achievable using powerful gene therapy. "Thus, rejuvenation by age reversal can be achieved, not only by genetic, but also chemical means."
"Until recently, the best we could do was slow aging. New discoveries suggest we can now reverse it," Sinclair added in an accompanying press release.
Sinclair adds that the dream of whole-body rejuvenation becomes a reality. "This new discovery offers the potential to reverse aging with a single pill, with applications ranging from improving eyesight to effectively treating numerous age-related diseases," Sinclair said.
Not everyone believes that this new research is as miraculous as it seems. "Sad sign of the times this even needs to be said, but headlines claiming @Harvard researchers developed a chemical approach to reverse aging are not true. Nobody has a drug to reverse aging. @elonmusk and everyone else, please don't start taking anything based on this nonsense," tweeted scientist Matt Kaeberlein.