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João Pedro de Magalhães Studies Genes, Long-Lived Animals, and Medications Like Rapamycin to Transform Human Longevity with Biotechnology
A Brazilian researcher is attracting attention with a bold idea: to conquer human aging. João Pedro de Magalhães, a molecular biology professor at the University of Birmingham, in the United Kingdom, believes we are close to surpassing the milestone of a thousand years of life with health.
According to him, only one piece is missing from the puzzle. The answer lies in understanding how aging works and, importantly, how to control it.
Study of Longevity in Animals
Magalhães is a specialist in biogerontology. For years, he has researched animals with extremely long lifespans, such as the Greenland whale, which can live over 200 years, and the naked mole rat, known for resisting aging and diseases.
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The goal is to discover what it is about these organisms that makes them so resilient to time. “We need to learn to repair DNA and reprogram cells for a radically different aging process,” he states.
One possible pathway lies in the p53 gene, found on chromosome 17. This gene fights uncontrolled cell growth. In long-lived animals, it functions more efficiently. In humans, however, it fails in half of cancer cases.
Technology as an Ally
The scientist acknowledges that it is not a promise for the short term. But he believes that the combination of scientific advancements and the use of biotechnology can transform this scenario. The future, according to him, may no longer be exclusive to science fiction.
He cites a simple example to illustrate his point: “My great-grandfather died of pneumonia, which was one of the leading causes of death in the 1920s. Today we cure that with a dose of penicillin. I think we can do the same with aging.”
Medications That Promise More Years
Among the bets for this future is rapamycin. This substance has already managed to extend the life of some mammals by up to 15%. It is already being used in humans in organ transplant treatments.
The idea is that, in the future, medications like this will be applied to extend life in general — just as statins today help control heart diseases.
For Magalhães, it is not even necessary to live a thousand years to consider this a revolution. “If we could delay aging by just 5% or 10%, that would already be revolutionary,” concludes the scientist.
With information from IGN Brasil.
Só **** para acreditar nisso. Certamente está sendo preparada a venda de algum produto químico “natural” miraculoso para se ganhar de 5% a 10% a mais de expectativa de vida.
Isso com um detalhe: “com saúde”.
Enquanto isso, drogas, fome, guerras, o trânsito, alzheimer, câncer, diabetes, hipertensão, infarto e agrotóxicos continuam abreviando, com sucesso, a vida humana.
Nem vou mencionar os vírus emergentes…