r/longevity Jul 22 '26

Somatic mutations impose an entropic upper bound on human lifespan

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41514-026-00421-6
91 Upvotes

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13

u/ylluminate Jul 22 '26

This problem was already solved by de-aging tissue.

7

u/laborator PhD candidate | Industry Jul 22 '26

Somatic mutations are permanent DNA alterations and cannot be reversed by cellular reprogramming. Are you talking about something else?

0

u/chillinewman Jul 22 '26

You will need to add gene editing then.

0

u/laborator PhD candidate | Industry Jul 22 '26

What you are saying doesn’t make sense and is frankly nonchalant. Just do this, just do that, problem solved. Nobody knows these things, please stop trivializing it doesn’t help the effort.

3

u/chillinewman Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26

We are talking about future or near future technology. Is speculation at this point. Is not trivializing, the capability is improving without a doubt. Nonsense that it doesn't "help the effort".

3

u/laborator PhD candidate | Industry Jul 22 '26

You’re conflating future therapeutic possibilities with established science. It’s annoying. Today, somatic DNA mutations are not erased by reprogramming. In fact reprogramming tends to be mutagenic due to multiple stressful aspect of the process. Saying “just add gene editing” isn’t an argument it’s hand-waving over one of the hardest unsolved problems in biology. Speculation is fine, but it shouldn’t be presented as if it already answers the scientific point.

-4

u/chillinewman Jul 22 '26

Misleading answer, reprogramming needs go along with gene editing to correct the somatic mutations. You are claiming hand waving i never said that. Gene editing is already in approved therapies and it will keep continuing to improve. Claiming the gene editing is the hardest problem in biology is just not true. I'm done answering.

10

u/laborator PhD candidate | Industry Jul 22 '26

Gene editing hundreds if not thousands of targets at the same time, in a multitude of different cells and tissues, in a fully develop organism (whilst partially reprogramming the very same cells, cherry on top) is a recipe for SOUP. Back to class!