<\/p>\n
Again, that doesn\u2019t mean senolytic drugs that target \u201czombie cells\u201d won\u2019t work. But it feels as if many in the field have moved on. These days, the buzz is all about \u2728reprogramming\u2728.<\/p>\n
The idea here is to essentially return cells to a young state. It\u2019s based on the Nobel Prize\u2013winning discovery that four genetic factors can turn an adult cell into a stem cell, which can be encouraged to develop into pretty much any other cell type.<\/p>\n
Some promising studies in mice suggest that this approach might help wind back the clock. It seems to improve tissue healing, restore vision, and even improve learning and memory.<\/p>\n
Running parallel to all this research are repeated injections of hundreds of millions of dollars in funding. In 2021, my colleague Antonio Regalado reported on the founding of the biotech company Altos Labs to pursue reprogramming for rejuvenation.<\/p>\n
Altos was funded by the billionaire Yuri Milner\u2014reportedly along with Jeff Bezos, among others\u2014to the tune of $3 billion, a previously unheard-of figure for a biotech startup. Other well-funded companies have since sprung up in this space.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s Retro Biosciences, for instance, which is pursuing reprogramming (among other approaches) in an effort to add 10 years of healthy life to human lifespans. Retro\u2019s launch was supported by $180 million from OpenAI\u2019s Sam Altman. Last month, the company announced a valuation of $1.8 billion.<\/p>\n
NewLimit, another billionaire-backed biotech exploring reprogramming, says it has promising results from research in mice. It plans to trial a drug designed to rejuvenate the liver in people next year. Last week, the company announced it had raised $435 million toward reaching that goal, among others.<\/p>\n
Life Biosciences, which was founded by the Harvard biologist David Sinclair, most recently secured $80 million to support its research. The eye trial is now officially underway, but Sinclair also has plans for whole-body rejuvenation. Earlier this week, he told my colleague Antonio that he plans to test a \u201chighly, highly confidential\u201d oral reprogramming drug as part of a $101 million competition organized by the XPrize Foundation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Reprogramming has certainly caught the attention of scientists, biotech companies, and investors. Studies in mice are hugely promising. Human trials are launching. And research in the field has billions of dollars\u2019 worth of support.A lot of people in the field are really<\/em> excited about reprogramming. But it comes with risks. And we still don\u2019t know if it will work. The question now is: Do we finally have a rejuvenation drug within reach? And if not, what will the next research trend look like?<\/p>\n This article first appeared in The Checkup,\u00a0<\/em>MIT Technology Review\u2019s\u00a0weekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, and read articles like this first,\u00a0<\/em>sign up here<\/em>.<\/em>