Immortality is getting closer. Billions invested in rejuvenation startups. They started with the eyes

Early signs of vision benefits have emerged in the first human study of cellular reprogramming. Three patients received experimental therapy from Life Biosciences, and two showed substantial improvement during standard vision tests. The drug is being tested against glaucoma, an eye disease that can lead to vision loss. However, these results are not yet enough to claim that the treatment truly restores the eyes to a youthful state.

On Thursday, the company released its first safety data. The treatment combines an injection into the eye with daily antibiotics for eight weeks. The antibiotics activate rejuvenation factors inside cells. None of the participants reported serious side effects, and the company describes the therapy as well tolerated.

Following the positive initial results, an independent safety monitoring board approved a threefold increase in the dose for the next group of participants. This could potentially make the treatment more effective.

The idea behind the method is to return old cells to a younger state by giving them genetic instructions similar to those that rejuvenate stem cells and embryos. Before human trials, cellular reprogramming had already produced rejuvenating effects in many mice and monkeys. It was first tested in people this year, and the study is still ongoing.

James Tsai, president of the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai and a glaucoma specialist who is not involved in the study, calls the news exciting but the results very preliminary. He suggests that the therapy may not have fully restored the eyeball, but instead improved existing electrical signals in patients who still retained some vision.

“I need a lot more information before I can say, ‘Hey, we’ve really found the Holy Grail — a genuine restoration of lost vision.’ It’s exciting that this has been done in people,” said James Tsai.

If Life Biosciences’ initial study proves successful, the technology could later be used to treat other diseases. The company’s chief operating officer, Michael Ringel, points to successful trials of cellular reprogramming in animals with various age-related conditions:

• arthritis;
• high blood pressure;
• fatty liver disease;
• brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s.

“We believe this could potentially become a universal key to tackling a wide range of age-related diseases. But, of course, this still needs to be demonstrated clinically. We have to prove it, not just believe it,” emphasized Michael Ringel.

Returning cells to a younger state has become one of the most popular fields in longevity science. Its proponents aim to prevent age-related declines in health that can involve pain, joint problems, clogged arteries, or vision loss. Tech billionaires have already invested in startups developing these rejuvenation approaches:

• Jeff Bezos;
• Peter Thiel;
• Yuri Milner;
• Sam Altman.

While Life Biosciences is testing the technology in people, other Silicon Valley biotech startups are also developing this field and preparing for the next stages:

• Altos Labs, backed by Jeff Bezos, last year hired clinical trials expert Joan Mannick and appointed her head of product development. The longevity researcher and director of XPRIZE Healthspan sees this as a sign that trials may be approaching.
  

  “Joan is brought in only when there’s something getting ready for a trial,” noted Jamie Justice.

• New Limit recently raised $435 million in a Series C funding round led by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. The company has confidently announced its intention to begin the first human trials of a liver-cell reprogramming therapy in 2027.
• Retro Biosciences, backed by Sam Altman, is also exploring the idea of cellular reprogramming.

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