 "Tech tycoon who wants to 'live forever' edits his own DNA on secret island")
Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, renowned for his radical pursuits in extending human longevity, has made headlines yet again by revealing his latest experiment in defying ageing.
Johnson, CEO of Kernel, a leading neurotechnology firm, previously made waves by infusing his son’s plasma to rejuvenate himself. Now, he claims success in slowing down ageing through an unconventional DNA editing procedure on the remote island of Roatan, Honduras, in September 2023.
Known for his extreme health regimen, Johnson adheres strictly to a schedule: he eats only between 4:30 and 11 am, goes to bed by 8:30 pm, and ingests over 100 pills daily.
His latest venture saw him spend $20,000 on a reversible gene therapy developed by Minicircle, a pioneering method development company.
Johnson shared his enthusiasm on X (formerly Twitter), asserting, “Humans currently have a maximum lifespan of roughly 120 years. However, gene therapies have the potential to help break through that barrier.”
He also highlighted that follistatin gene therapy, received via two injections, has shown promise in extending lifespan by over 30 per cent in mice.
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Despite initial safety concerns, particularly regarding Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, Johnson opted for the procedure due to Minicircle’s innovative safety features.
He explained in a video, “If a therapy caused, say, cancer in my body, there would be nothing I could do to reverse the process... What makes Minicircle therapy different is its built-in kill switch. If my body reacts badly, I can take the antibiotic tetracycline, instantly killing and deactivating the DNA molecules I’ve been injected with.”
Attributing his slowed ageing to a combination of gene therapy and disciplined lifestyle choices, Johnson now celebrates his birthdays every 19 months.
“Sleep, diet, and exercise remain foundational,” he affirmed on X. “These next-generation therapies further bolster our chances of being the first generation that has the choice of saying yes to continuous tomorrows.”