NIH Funds Brain Surgery to Reverse Aging

Dr. Jean Hébert, a geneticist, has received a substantial $110 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance a groundbreaking surgical procedure aimed at replacing damaged or aging brain cells with tissue derived from human embryos. While some experts, like Mark Hamalainen of the Longevity Biotech Fellowship, argue that the procedure does not necessitate a deep understanding of aging, others in the scientific community express concerns about its severity and ethical implications, with some members of the public labeling it as "diabolical." The funding follows promising results from preliminary trials where lab mice with brain lesions were treated by injecting stem cells into their aging brains. These stem cells, cultivated from embryos, demonstrated remarkable integration, becoming "electrophysiologically active" and responding to visual stimuli within a month post-transplant. This rapid maturation of the grafted cells has garnered significant attention, leading to the NIH's investment in further research, including upcoming tests on primates. Dr. Hébert views this project as a pivotal step toward his lifelong ambition of combating aging and mortality. He reflects on his childhood realization of human mortality, expressing a desire to challenge the natural decline that biology dictates. Despite the enthusiasm surrounding the research, Matthew Scholz, CEO of Oisín Biotechnologies, cautions that the surgical nature of the procedure will likely prevent it from becoming a common practice or ushering in an era of human immortality.