Biotech Tests Aim to Push Human Lifespan Past 120

Life Biosciences, founded by researcher David Sinclair, is preparing the first human trial of partial cellular reprogramming. The study will enroll 12 patients with glaucoma and six with nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). The company intends to assess safety and whether the therapy can restore function in damaged retinal cells.

In March, Rubedo Life Sciences reported early results from a four-week human trial of RLS‑1496 in people with eczema, psoriasis and sun‑damaged skin. The company said the treatment produced skin changes consistent with rejuvenation and described the outcomes as “even better than should be expected” in this initial test.

The Longevity Escape Velocity Foundation, led by researcher Aubrey de Grey, has partnered with Human Longevity, Inc. to study people aged 100 to 110 and older. The project will examine genetic, biological and lifestyle differences in centenarians to identify factors that may be associated with slower biological aging.

The concept of “longevity escape velocity” holds that successive medical advances could extend maximum human lifespan if people live long enough to benefit from new technologies. Longevity analyst Siim Land wrote on social media that the idea is that people who survive to future breakthroughs may see lifespan limits pushed past 120 or 130 years.

Average life expectancy has risen sharply over the past century. Global life expectancy was about 73.3 years in 2024 after a decline to roughly 70.9 years in 2020–21 tied to the COVID‑19 pandemic. Several places, including Japan and Hong Kong, report average life expectancies around 85 years. The oldest verified person on record, Jeanne Calment of France, died at 122 years and 164 days.

Statistical models place the plausible upper range of human lifespan at roughly 120 to 130 years under current scientific understanding. A 2018 modeling study forecast an additional 4.4 years of global life expectancy by 2040 and projected the share of the world population over 60 would rise from about 12% to 22% by that year. Some researchers caution that extending human life into multiple centuries is unlikely within this century given present technology.

Researchers describe the current trials as small, short‑term tests focused on safety and measurable biological effects rather than on lifespan outcomes. Regulators, clinicians and ethicists will need to consider trial design, acceptable risks for older participants and what constitutes meaningful change in aging. Results from these initial studies will inform whether larger, longer trials move forward and will influence near‑term research and investment decisions in applied longevity science.