Aging continues even as the body repairs damage: biologist Vadim Gladyshev proposes a strategy for radical life extension
Aging continues even as the body repairs damage: biologist Vadim Gladyshev proposes a strategy for radical life extension
On November 6, the Harvard Medical School researcher published a conceptual paper, “Just Aging”, in the scientific journal PNAS. He distinguishes two goals: extending life by supporting the most vulnerable organs and overcoming species-level limits imposed by the way the whole organism is built.
As cells copy DNA and produce the substances they need, they make errors and generate byproducts. The body repairs damage, removes waste, and renews cells, but this maintenance is itself imperfect. Gladyshev calls the collection of harmful changes that remain the deleteriome. It includes damaged molecules, disruptions in the regulation of cellular processes, and protective responses that become harmful over time. Chronic inflammation, for example, contributes to further damage. This builds on his 2016 concept.
In his model, organs struggle increasingly to cope with stress as harm accumulates. Two organisms can accumulate similar levels of harm yet have different lifespans: one can withstand stress for longer and recover better after disruptions. Thus, increasing resilience may extend life even if harm continues to accumulate at the same rate. Reducing the formation of damage, improving its removal, and increasing tolerance of its consequences are distinct treatment goals.
“Aging clocks” estimate biological age from chemical marks on DNA, blood proteins, or other indicators. Their signals may reflect both harmful changes and protective responses to those changes. Gladyshev therefore proposes assessing treatment effects by comparing clock readings with organ function, recovery from stress, and survival.
In an October conversation with cardiologist Eric Topol, Gladyshev suggested tailoring treatment to the organ that ages first: the kidneys in one person, the heart in another. In the new paper, he explains how supporting that organ can bring average lifespan closer to the species maximum. Once one weak link is addressed, others limit life: the maximum itself depends on the organization of the many systems that maintain and renew the body. To move this limit, Gladyshev proposes combining slower accumulation of harm with periodic rejuvenation, regeneration (the restoration of tissues), or replacement of the most vulnerable parts:
“Instead of repairing every component of the deleteriome, we could replace the parts most prone to failure with younger, functional ones.”
In his proposed scenario, external devices could help clean the blood and support breathing and circulation. They could operate alongside the body's own organs as backups. If one component failed, another could sustain life, while a worn device could be repaired or replaced.
Replacing organs in the body allows the brain to keep functioning continuously, but the brain's own aging becomes the next limitation. For the brain, Gladyshev considers the gradual introduction of prosthetic devices: these could support or replace individual functions, such as memory, while the brain itself continues to work. In this scenario, he links the preservation of personal identity to the continuity of the processes that produce a person's sensations and experiences.