While there has never been set number on the amount of years a human can live, most people assume that if there was a limit, it would be the early 100’s. However, scientists are now creating a pill that would allow humans to reach the age of 200.
Dr Andrew Steele, author of Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old, explained to MailOnline that there is no physical or biological reason that humans cannot reach the age of 200.
“The challenge is whether we can develop the biomedical science to make it possible.”
“Studies come out every few years that propose some kind of fundamental limit on human lifespan, but they’re always missing one crucial piece: we’ve never tried treating the ageing process before”
The answers lie in zombie cells
Scientists are studying senescent cells, otherwise known as ‘zombie cells’ which are basically cells in the body that have stopped dividing. They accumulate and then release compounds into the body that accelerate ageing.
Experts believe that younger people with healthy immune systems are able to better clear the damaged cells but as people age, they aren’t removed as effectively which is how they accumulate and cause health problems associated with ageing.
A major breakthrough was made in 2016, scientists found that removing zombie cells from mice with a short lifespan and many age related conditions by injecting them with a synthetic serum called AP20187 extended their life by up to 35%.
“They basically get biologically younger: they live longer, get less cancer and heart disease, are less frail, they can run further and faster on the tiny mouse-sized treadmills used in these experiments. Honestly, they just look great, with plumper skin and thicker fur” says Dr Steele.
“What this shows us is that tackling the hallmarks of ageing can affect the whole ageing process, from disease risk to the cosmetic stuff, and can do so preventatively. This is the holy grail of anti-ageing medicine.”
Life extension is pointless without improving quality of life
Dr Peter Fedichev, a Russian molecular physicist who owns a biomedical AI firm Gero warned that life extension without improving life quality would be pointless as these people who don’t look after their health would be frail and still prone to illness as they age.
“Such life extension would increase their lifespan past the end of their health span and thus reduce their quality of life” states Dr Fedichev.
Scientists are conducting human trials
These senolytic drugs are now being tested safely in humans and billionaires such as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel have begun investing in this research.
Created in pill form, they flush out zombie cells in the body and could be sold on the market in 10 years’ time.
In the last century, medical and scientific advancement, improved nutrition, clean water and better sanitation have allowed humans to live until their 80s which is almost double the average life expectancy at the start of the 20th century.
Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who sold canvases to Vincent Van Gogh was the oldest known person ageing having been born in the late 1800s and lived until 1997 when she was 122 years old.
On her 117th birthday, she was still smoking her daily cigarette and having a glass of red wine. The oldest man was Jiroemon Kimura who lived until 2013 when he was 116 years old.
Reptiles and Amphibians may hold secrets to anti-ageing
Scientists at Michigan State University also believe that the answers to ageing lie within long-living reptiles and amphibians. Such as crocodiles, salamanders and turtles.
“if you put a human cell in a petri dish, it would divide around 50 times before stopping, whereas a Galapagos tortoise, which can live for up to 120 years sees its cells divide more than 100 times” says Dr Steele
The team hope to uncover traits in these species that can also be targeted in humans.
“We might get unlucky and none of this works but, if it does, every development gives us longer to make the next one and the first 150 year old could be someone who’s reading this.” says Dr Steele.