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True immortality may always exist beyond our reach, but research suggests that human biology can at least be optimized for greater longevity. And a growing number of biotech companies are investing in research that could prevent and reverse the aging process in humans, including UK-based company Five Alarm Bio.

The company says it is committed to boosting the bodys defenses against the damage of aging, and its research focuses on how the healthy life of cells can be extended. Though anti-aging research may seem like science fiction, it doesnt mean its impossible. To paraphrase J. B. S. Haldane: The future will not only be stranger than we imagine, it will be stranger than we *can* imagine.

We spoke to Five Alarm Bio CEO Janette Thomas about the companys work.

Five Alarm Bio was founded on William Bains vision to interconnect academic work on the fundamental chemistry of life with practical diseases of aging, and a drug molecule that could test the link between the two. Bains is our Chief Science Officer and has been involved in biology research for over 30 years.

Not exclusively; the two are linked. If people remain healthy and active in old age, the likelihood of a premature death diminishes drastically. However, if longer lifespans are plagued by chronic illness or disability, a lower quality of life in their extra years is to be expected. When approaching increasing human lifespans, there must be equal emphasis on improving the quality of life during those extra years. And that means investing in research and interventions that promote healthy aging that prevent or treat age-related diseases and conditions.

Age-related diseases, such as Alzheimers, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis are major drivers of disability and pose significant public health challenges among older adults. Therefore, investigations into immune-senescence, epigenetic changes, and senescent cells should be a core focus for future research as it impacts all age-related diseases.

Aging affects every system in the body, and current research points to it being a system failure not a failure of one pathway, molecule, or cell. The mechanisms of aging are complex and multifactorial, with several key processes contributing to aging, cellular dysfunction, and disease, including:

Our foundational science has shown that targeting the chemical damage of aging can modulate a range of fundamental aging processes. Using a model probe on primary human skin cells, our results suggest we can reduce cell senescence, the chemical damage that accumulates in aged cells, and the decline in an individual's ability to heal a wound in cell culture.

We have also collaborated with Magnitude Biosciences to test the effect of our probe on aging in the nematode worm C. elegans, which demonstrated that our probe extends the healthspan of C. elegans by ~40 percent.

These initial programs are in chronic wounds, sarcopenia, and an evaluation of whether this has the potential to be a treatment for Alzheimers Disease.

Our future programs will target this core technology to specific organ systems and their diseases.

Though anti-aging science has made significant progress in recent years, there are still limits to how far it can take us and how much we can predict. The average lifespan has risen consistently since the 1840s by approximately 2.5 years per decade. However, the maximum lifespan has not increased by the same degree, and the mortality of centenarians has remained constant in the UK for the last 40 years (even though the mortality for all ages below 90 years has declined hence the longer lifespan).

Increasing healthspan is a more interesting and beneficial possibility than continuously increasing lifespan. By improving overall health and reducing the burden of age-related diseases, anti-aging interventions may help people live well for their whole lives.

There are several realistic possibilities for the future of anti-aging science. As we learn more about the biological mechanisms of aging, it may be possible to develop targeted interventions for specific age-related diseases, or even interventions tailored to an individuals genetics, microbiome, and other factors. These interventions may include small molecules, gene therapies, or other approaches that can slow or reverse the underlying disease processes. Biomarkers of aging may also be a useful tool for identifying people who are at risk of age-related diseases and for monitoring the effectiveness of anti-aging interventions.

Its challenging to predict the future many factors, such as technological advances, social trends, and policy changes, can influence these areas. I would like to see more personalized medicines, tailored to an individual's unique genetics, lifestyle, and other factors, which could lead to more effective treatments with fewer side effects.

Additionally, the diagnostics available today could be hugely valuable if used routinely. Testing panels done every six months could pick up early signs of all sorts of diseases, in time for simple lifestyle modifications to reverse them before needing medication. I think people would make those lifestyle changes because they would see the measurable impact of their choices. The use of AI and machine learning algorithms could also be used to analyze large amounts of data from electronic health records, wearables, and other sources to identify patterns and predict health outcomes. Such big data could enable automated earlier diagnosis and treatment of age-related diseases.

Your question may be alluding to the area of science fiction. Taking a step away from our aim at Five Alarm Bio, try The Long Habit of Living by Joe Haldeman as perhaps a plausible anti-aging medicine story albeit only for the rich and powerful! In reality, the future will be like nothing we imagine now.

As a writer and cultural enthusiast, I have always been fascinated by the power of words to shape our understanding of the world. While I initially pursued a career in the music industry, starting as a classical pianist and later an electronic music producer for record labels worldwide, my true passion has always been with writing.

Now, as an associate editor, I write for the diverse audience of the pharma industry, covering everything from exciting new research coming out of academia, to new facility announcements, and more. I'm particularly interested in cell and gene therapeutics, as well as the societal impact of medicinal drug development.

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