←back to thread

New research reveals longevity gains slowing, life expectancy of 100 unlikely

(lafollette.wisc.edu)
216 points XzetaU8 | 1 comments | 30 Aug 25 16:15 UTC | HN request time: 0.398s | source
Show context
adastra22 ◴[30 Aug 25 17:42 UTC] No.45076538[source]▶
There is no physical/chemical/biological reason you can’t live indefinitely with the health and vitality of a 25-35 year old. Aging isn’t a law of nature.
replies(14): >>45076585 #>>45076593 #>>45076608 #>>45076634 #>>45076639 #>>45076658 #>>45076692 #>>45076745 #>>45076755 #>>45076774 #>>45076898 #>>45076977 #>>45082241 #>>45088125 #
VincentEvans ◴[30 Aug 25 17:51 UTC] No.45076634[source]▶
You haven’t quite come to grips with mortality, I think.
replies(4): >>45076899 #>>45076980 #>>45080203 #>>45080451 #
lossolo ◴[30 Aug 25 18:38 UTC] No.45076980[source]▶
I think OP is not entirely incorrect. Reproductive cells undergo processes like epigenetic reprogramming, which basically strips away many of the chemical marks (like DNA methylation patterns) that accumulate with age. That’s one of the reasons babies don’t start with the cellular age of their parents. Researchers can take adult cells, reprogram them back to an embryonic like state using Yamanaka factors (a set of four genes) effectively erasing their biological age.

I think scientists currently are testing ways to "partially" reprogram cells to make them younger while keeping their function. Early studies in mice have shown some reversal of aging signs.

Seems like an engineering problem more than an absolute limitation.

replies(3): >>45077178 #>>45078007 #>>45082776 #
1. XorNot ◴[31 Aug 25 12:49 UTC] No.45082776[source]▶
More over, babies can clearly grow from limited cells to "young" versions of fully differentiated human tissues. Which means from some initial stock, you can replace the vast majority of the bodies cells with younger versions - i.e. with plausible, attainable technology we would generally expect to be able to grow immunologically identical replacement organs and major tissues. That definitely is an engineering problem, more then anything else.

The only truly troubling one is the brain, and we're very much not sure if it actually is one or for example, suffers degradation from the degradation of the body its attached to - likely both - but we also know that the brain is not a static structure, and so replacement or rejuvenation of key systems would definitely be possible (certainly finding any way to protect the small blood vessels in the brain would greatly help with dementia).