From mice to men, research in the next few decades may lead to
therapies that will dramatically extend our lifespans. 
Biologist Aubrey de Grey is developing therapies designed to
postpone aging. His test subjects may still be mice, but he argues
“there are no absolutely fundamental breakthroughs that we still
need” in order to make the jump to humans.
So how long can you and I expect to live?
“At this point I think it’s fair to say there’s a good chance
that people who are alive today, and are still young, children
today, there’s a good chance that they have no upper limit on their
lifespan,” asserts de Grey in a recent MemeBox interview
His roadmap to longevity starts in the mind:
“I think in the next 5 years we have a very good chance of
seeing a complete phase change in people’s attitude to what aging
is. In other words, to the distinction, or lack of it, between
aging and age-related diseases.”
“I think that within about 10 years from now, we have a very
good chance of having developed all of the seven major components
of aging, developed therapies that repair them, in mice, in such a
manner that they actually work well.”
“But if you ask me for a 50/50 estimate, an estimate of how long
I think it would take us to have a 50/50 chance of getting from the
mouse results, from that proof of concept, to get it to work in
humans, then I would say 15 – 20 years starting from the mice, so
in other words, 25 – 30 years starting from now.” 
It may sound like a bold timeframe, especially considering the
opposition such research might provoke. There are plenty of groups
out there that might not appreciate us tinkering with nature. But
de Grey is confident that the promise of a long and healthy life
will be enough to keep his work moving forward.
“There won’t be an ethical outcry. We’re seeing an ethical
debate about these things at the moment, but when these therapies
become available, the reservations that people might have and
concerns that people might have will be forgotten – not in the
sense of being ignored, but in the sense of being seen not to
outweigh the benefits.”
Are you as convinced as de Grey that we’ll discover the mythical
Fountain of Youth in the coming decades? And if so, will we choose
to drink from it?
For the full transcript of MemeBox’s fascinating interview w/
Aubrey de Grey click here
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