IF what he is saying in this interview is true, this is a ground braking discovery and a world record for a longevity intervention. Even if exactly this compound doesn’t work in humans the fact that this mechanism of T cell rejuvenation exists makes me super optimist for our future:
I believe this is the Nature article referenced in the interview:
and this article is a synopsis of that work:
from the video (with slight edits for clarity) at 0:26:
[the transfers of telomeres] rejuvenate each single senescent cell in your body and this is responsible for extension of the lifespan in the animals that we are treating with DOS compound. We’re treating with this rivers [?] of telomeres from 2.5 up to five years in the in the black six Mouse model, which is amazing. So we believe that this is the key which is responsible for maintaining healthspan and lifespan.
DOS (Disruptors of sestrin-MAPK interactions) is a compound that rejuvenates T cells by disrupting sestrin-MAPK complexes (sMACs), which leads to telomere elongation in T cells.
He also says (at 19:45) that the rejuvenated T-cells are reprogrammed in the thymus to be much more immuno-tolerogenic. This potentially has huge implications for autoimmune diseases.
Mice in labs live in pretty sterile environments, this is probably a main reason why mildly immunosuppressive interventions can work so well on extending longevity by reducing inflammatory process.
When you start messing with T-cell in actual humans and then they get exposure to EBV, CMV, HPV, Parvovirus, COVID, etc. it may not end well.
In the interview he said this intervention helps fight infections much better than actual technology. He claims HIV, senescence, vaccines and even some cancers could be a thing of the past thanks to this platform.
Also what is even wilder is that mice get a life extension of 2.5 even 5 years. Mice usually live 3 years, we are talking about doubling the lifespan!
All of these are wild claims and they may be all false or exagerations. Only time will tell.
It seems too good to be true. He provides some plausible metabolic explanations, quotes a pre-print, and references unpublished data. He also seems optimistic that the small molecule will solve the problems of susceptibility to a number of diseases (including HIV!), senescence, telomere shortening, and aging itself. It might be world-changing, but I’ll wait for reproducible results.