Putin‘s Pursuit of Immortality Through Transplants Faces Scientific Realities
MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir putin recently suggested organ transplantation could be a pathway to extending human life, sparking debate within the scientific community. While the concept aligns with emerging ”replacement therapy” approaches to aging, experts caution that achieving immortality through this method remains highly improbable, and fundamental understanding of aging processes is still decades away.
Researchers are actively exploring various avenues to combat aging. One approach involves testing potential longevity drugs on model organisms like the nematode worm C. elegans, which has a lifespan of just 15 to 40 days, allowing for rapid experimentation. According to a scientist presenting at a recent conference, approximately 40% of drugs extending lifespan in C. elegans also show promise in mice. However, the translation to human efficacy is uncertain, possibly decreasing to less than 40% of that initial 40%.
Other research focuses on the complex chemical reactions occurring at the cellular level, revealing meaningful gaps in our understanding of aging’s fundamental mechanisms. Scientists acknowledge that a complete molecular understanding of aging will require years, if not decades, to achieve.
This lengthy timeline is driving increased interest in “replacement therapies” – essentially replacing aging tissues and organs – as a potentially faster route to extending lifespan. Sierra Lore, a researcher at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and the Buck Institute for research on Aging in Novato, California, explains, “Replacement is a really exciting avenue because you don’t have to understand the biology of aging as much.”
Lore, who initially focused on molecular-level aging research, has shifted her attention to replacement therapies, stating, “I vrey quickly realized we’re decades away [from understanding the molecular processes that underlie aging]. Why don’t we just take what we already know-replacement-and try to understand and apply it better?”
While Putin’s emphasis on organ transplantation reflects this growing interest in replacement, the scientific community emphasizes the substantial challenges that remain before such procedures could significantly extend human lifespan, let alone achieve immortality.
