U.S. Government Allocates $1.5 Billion Towards Promising New Age-Reversal Technology: Epigenetic Reprogramming

Key Points: 

• The senior citizen population is expected to double by 2050 and is predicted to stifle economic growth. 
• Government spending is now being allocated towards research on epigenetic reprogramming. 
• Such government spending may expedite the transition from animal-focused to human-focused age-reversal research.  

By virtue of a government spending bill for 2024, an impressive $1.5 billion will be allocated to the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The ARPA-H is modeled after the renowned Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the military agency that paved the way for the internet and global positioning system (GPS) we use today. However, the ARPA-H has a distinct and ambitious mission:  

“Accelerate better health outcomes by supporting the development of high-impact solutions to society’s most challenging health problems.” 

And when it comes to health, one of society’s most challenging problems will soon be aging. According to the bill, 

“The U.S. population of adults who are 65 and older will nearly double by 2050, with 10,000 people turning 65 every day.” 

This unprecedented increase in older individuals is expected to slow the growth of the U.S. economy. As droves of individuals retire, a reduction in the workforce is anticipated. Furthermore, aging often leads to disability, placing the responsibility of caregiving predominantly on family members. This may lead to reduced participation in the workforce by younger individuals. Overall, such a reduction in the country’s labor input may decelerate economic growth.

The Solution to an Aging Population 

Considering the economic consequences of an aging population, scientists have searched for methods of improving people’s healthspan — the duration of life spent in good health. However, improving healthspan entails the eradication of age-related diseases like heart disease, dementia, and cancer, which is no small feat. 

To tackle this problem, the Senate has recommended funding geroscience research — research into the fundamental biological drivers of aging — via the ARPA-H. The bill states,

“By uncovering new insights into the underlying causes of age-related diseases, geroscience research could lead to treatments and therapies that offer the possibility of improving people’s ‘healthspan,’ so they remain healthier longer, and address the growing burden of age-related diseases on society.”

In the bill, the ARPA-H is urged to prioritize two areas of geroscience research: biomarkers and epigenetic reprogramming.

Biomarkers 

Biological markers are objective measurements used to evaluate an individual’s health status. Biomarkers come in many forms, including genetic markers, protein markers, and imaging markers like X-rays. Examples of routinely used clinical biomarkers include blood pressure, body temperature, and body mass index (BMI). Importantly, biomarkers can also predict and diagnose diseases, among other uses. 

However, when it comes to geroscience, there are no standardized biomarkers for evaluating aging. While many anti-aging interventions have been discovered in the past few decades, due to a lack of biomarkers, it is difficult to assess whether they work in humans. For this reason, the bill states, 

“Discovering and validating biomarkers for aging would significantly improve the efficacy of interventions…”

In other words, if we find reliable biomarkers for aging, we can better determine the effectiveness of various anti-aging interventions. 

Epigenetic Reprogramming 

Epigenetic reprogramming is an emerging technology that appears capable of reversing aging. It is related to the Information Theory of Aging proposed by Harvard professor Dr. David Sinclair, whereby loss of genetic information leads to age-related diseases and death. In turn, epigenetic reprogramming can hypothetically restore lost genetic information and reverse aging and age-related diseases. 

“Epigenetic reprogramming of cellular age could slow down or even reverse the aging process and thereby prevent or delay the entire panoply of age-related diseases,” it says in the bill.

The definition of panoply is “a complete or impressive collection of things.” This could mean that, by preventing or delaying the “entire panoply of age-related diseases,” people’s healthspan could be improved. 

Epigenetic Reprogramming in Humans

It may be a while before we see epigenetic reprogramming turning President Joe Biden 50 years younger, as the technology is still in its infancy. However, with a boost in government spending, progress in the field could be accelerated. Biotech companies like Rejuvenate Bio have already been able to prolong the lifespan of mice with epigenetic reprogramming while research institutions like the Barbraham Institute have epigenetically reprogrammed human cells to be 30 years younger. 

Furthermore, Life Biosciences and Harvard researchers used epigenetic reprogramming to restore the vision of nonhuman primates, our closest evolutionary relatives. One of the Harvard researchers involved in this study was none other than Dr. David Sinclair, who said: 

“What we’ve learned in nonhuman primates has important ramifications for research on reversing aging and is likely to be highly translational to humans.”

Therefore, at least in the eyes of scientists like David Sinclair, we may see epigenetic programming in humans sooner than later. 

Notable Progress in Epigenetic Reprogramming Research 

In a study published in Nature Aging on November 27, 2023, it was found that continuous epigenetic reprogramming of mice resulted in liver and intestinal dysfunction. Moreover, this organ dysfunction led to decreased body weight and premature death. However, if mice were reprogrammed everywhere except the liver and intestines, early death was reduced. These findings suggest that epigenetic reprogramming needs to be thoroughly studied and understood in order to tailor treatments for our diverse and growing population of seniors.