Harvard Expert David Sinclair: Delaying the Biological Clock Can Eliminate Diseases

David Sinclair, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School, is pioneering research into aging and longevity, suggesting a radical shift in how we understand the aging process. His work posits that aging is not merely the body wearing down over time but rather a disruption in the information cells use to function.

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We know that if we delay the clock, diseases disappear.

Sinclair's 'Information Theory of Aging' proposes that many age-related diseases, including Alzheimer's, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions, share a common root in biological aging. He argues that by targeting this fundamental process, it may be possible to combat multiple diseases simultaneously, rather than treating each one individually after onset. Sinclair likens the issue to a software problem within the cells, where the epigenome, the system that tells DNA which genes to switch on or off, loses its integrity over time, even though the DNA itself remains intact.

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Aging is malleable; we can control it. 20% of our health in old age is due to genetic factors, and the rest is our lifestyle.

His laboratory is actively exploring cellular reprogramming as a key strategy. In animal studies, Sinclair's team has demonstrated the ability to restore cellular functions by using a specific set of genes. Notably, they discovered that a combination of genes, excluding 'Myc,' could reset the epigenetic clock in human cells by up to 75% without inducing cancerous growth. This breakthrough suggests that aging is malleable and potentially controllable, with Sinclair emphasizing that lifestyle factors play a significant role, accounting for the majority of health outcomes in old age.

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The use of only OSK was able to rewind the epigenetic age in human cells up to 75% and then stop.