Defy the laws of nature. Jeff Bezos is said to have invested heavily in the development of a start-up specializing in “reversing aging”, using genetic reprogramming of cells to extend life expectancy.
The man who tops the world’s largest fortunes is said to have teamed up with Russian billionaire Yuri Milner to invest in the company called Altos Labs. The latter has already managed to raise more than 268 million euros in funds to develop a technology capable of revitalizing cells, reports the American site. Dazed.
Japanese-born researcher Shinya Yamanaka – winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine (with John Gurdon) for his work on induced pluripotent stem cells – who has worked on genetic reprogramming of cells, was reportedly appointed to head of the company’s team of scientists. As well as at the head of its scientific council. Spanish scientist Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, for whom genetic reprogramming of cells could extend the life of a 50-year-old human, has also been hired.
The work carried out by Carlos Izpisua Belmonte on mice has already shown encouraging signs, some of them showing a revitalization of their tissues. But others have developed embryonic tumors that could turn out to be cancerous. Today, a team of scientists from Altos Labs will work on this project, but it will certainly be several years before tests on human beings are possible.