David Sinclair plans to test whole-body rejuvenation drugs in the XPrize competition

Longevity scientist David Sinclair plans to test an oral "reprogramming" drug in human volunteers as part of a $101 million XPrize competition aimed at age restoration. The XPrize Foundation is offering cash awards to teams that can demonstrate a "restoration" of a person's apparent age, measured by improvements in immune, cognitive, and muscle function. The grand prize will be awarded to any team achieving a 10-year or greater relative improvement in apparent age after one year of treatment. Sinclair, a biologist at Harvard Medical School, confirmed his intention to administer an oral drug mixture to volunteers to seek "evidence for age restoration in humans." This initiative represents a significant advancement in the field of epigenetic reprogramming, a technology that leverages genes capable of converting adult cells into stem cells. The age-reversal effect is thought to be achieved by resetting epigenetic marks, which regulate cellular metabolism and identity. While Sinclair's company, Life Biosciences, recently received approval for a human trial involving gene therapy for eye conditions, his new plan focuses on a systemic, orally administered drug for whole-body rejuvenation.