Silicon Valley billionaires are turning to biohacking methods such as drugs, supplements and plasma transfusions to extend their lifespans, but scientists warn that approaches lacking clinical validation in humans are spreading indiscriminately to the public via social media. Provided by Getty Images Bank
A “biohacking” boom is spreading among billionaire tech entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, who are seeking to slow aging and extend life using drugs, supplements and plasma transfusions. Scientists are voicing concern that methods whose safety and efficacy have not been verified are being disseminated indiscriminately to the public through social media.
On the 16th (local time), the international journal Nature ran an in-depth feature on the biohacking craze. It also presented experts’ views that there are currently no therapies that directly target aging itself to extend lifespan.
The most high-profile biohacker is U.S. tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson. He sold the mobile payments company Braintree to PayPal in 2013 and in 2019 began experimenting with self-injections of the immunosuppressant rapamycin.
Rapamycin is originally a drug used to prevent rejection after organ transplants. After animal studies reported that inhibiting the mTOR pathway, which regulates cell growth, could extend the lifespans of mice by up to 60%, it began attracting attention as a potential longevity drug.
However, Johnson stopped taking it last September. He experienced side effects such as skin infections, elevated blood sugar, abnormal blood lipid levels and increased resting heart rate, and adjusting the dosage did not improve his symptoms
Billionaire Peter Thiel said in a 2014 interview that he was taking human growth hormone with the goal of living to 120, but the U.S. nonprofit academic medical center Mayo Clinic has warned that its benefits have not been demonstrated in healthy adults and that it can carry substantial risks.
An increasing number of businesspeople are also turning to methylene blue or nicotine pouches, claiming they boost cognitive function and concentration. Methylene blue was originally developed as a textile dye and is now used in a limited way to treat rare blood disorders. Nicotine pouches are products that raise concerns about addiction.
Ketone supplements, which had been in the spotlight for years, have recently become embroiled in controversy as well. Ketones are substances naturally produced in the liver when fat rather than carbohydrates is used as an energy y raise blood ketone levels without changing one’s diet.
In Silicon Valley they were hailed for lowering blood sugar and enhancing brain function, but warnings have emerged that the compound 1,3-butanediol contained in the supplements can induce fatty liver–like symptoms in animal experiments.
Scientists note that while some approaches are not devoid of biological rationale, there is a lack of clinical trial data in humans. Nir Barzilai, a professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the United States, said, “The things Johnson is taking have biological plausibility, but no clinical evidence,” stressing, “Science does not draw conclusions from a single person’s case.”
Science writer Andrew Steele said, “There is currently no proven medical intervention that targets aging itself to extend lifespan.”
Experts are particularly worried about how quickly unvalidated methods are spreading among the general public. Faye Maden, founder of the UK preventive medicine clinic Re:Vamp Longevity, said, “Without clinical trials involving thousands of people, the results of personal experiments are instantly becoming benchmarks for the public.” In fact, among clients visiting Maden’s clinic, there is a growing number who have not had even a single biomarker measured yet ask for prescriptions based on Johnson’s published health protocols or on specific molecules he mentions.
Science writer Andrew Steele said, “The biohacking boom may fade as just another health fad, but it could also turn into a revolution that changes the history of medicine,” adding, “It is frustrating that the enormous capital pouring into the longevity industry is not being channeled into rigorous clinical research.”
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