--- title: "Scientists Say They Gene Hacked Mice to Double Remaining Lifespan" description: "San Diego-based biotech startup Rejuvenate Bio has claimed that its technology was able to extend the lives of old mice." date: "2023-01-10" modified: "2023-01-10" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/scientists-gene-hacked-mice-lifespan" categories: - "Gene Editing" - "Genetics" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "cell reprogramming" - "gene therapy" - "human longevity" --- # Scientists Say They Gene Hacked Mice to Double Remaining Lifespan ![San Diego-based biotech startup Rejuvenate Bio has claimed that its technology was able to extend the lives of old mice.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* San Diego-based biotech startup Rejuvenate Bio is making a major claim that'll likely draw heated scrutiny from the scientific community: that its technology was able to significantly extend the lives of elderly mice. According to a [yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper](), scientists at the company say an injection that reprograms genes in the bodies of senior mice effectively doubled their remaining life span, [*MIT Technology Review* reports](). In tests, the company found that treated mice lived on for another 18 weeks on average. Those who were not treated in a control group only lived for another nine weeks. Overall, they say, the gene hacked mice lived roughly seven percent longer overall. The treatment works by exposing the mice's cells to various proteins that are usually found in early-stage embryos, altering their genetic properties. Japanese biologist Shinya Yamanaka came up with this technique in 2012, which [earned him a Nobel Prize](). But before we can celebrate Rejuvenate Bio's discoveries as a scientific breakthrough, outside researchers will need to go through the startup's claims with a fine-toothed comb. For one, we still don't fully understand the risks of reprogramming genes in this manner. Some tests have already shown to cause cancer in mice, as *MIT* *Tech* points out. And, at the end of the day, mice are tiny and shortlived compared to humans. The company, though, is psyched. "This is a powerful technology, and here is the proof of concept," Rejuvenate Bio CEO Noah Davidson told *MIT Tech*. "I wanted to show that it’s actually something we can do in our elderly population." Previous experiments by the Salk Institute have shown that mice suffering from a premature aging condition were able to live longer after receiving the treatment. But does it work for healthy mice as well? Despite years of research by various groups, the answer remains hazy. "Different groups have tried this experiment ,and the data have not been positive so far," Alejandro Ocampo, a biologist at the University of Lausanne, in Switzerland, who was involved in the Salk Institute experiments, told *MIT Tech*. Rejuvenate Bio argues that its technique is different. The reprogramming is being done using gene therapy, which, as Davidson claims, makes it more like treatments humans and not just mice could eventually receive. The company is working on similar therapies for both pet dogs and humans suffering from specific medical conditions including heart failure. **READ MORE:** [This biotech startup says mice live longer after genetic reprogramming]() \[*MIT Technology Review*\] **More on rejuvenation:** *[Doctors Impressed by Drugs That Rejuvenate Immune System]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()