Inside the World’s First Age Reversal Trial | Lifespan with Dr. David Sinclair - S2, Ep. 4

David Sinclair (0:00)

I mean, curing blindness is no small thing.

Matthew LaPlante (0:01)

Your eyes aren't just a separate sensory organ, they are part of your brain.

David Sinclair (0:08)

But people ask the question, well, gosh, if you're reversing aging in cells, won't they just turn into cancers? We believe and have shown that there must be a backup copy of the software of youth in every cell that we've looked at. And why not talk about it, let the world know what's happening. So reversal of aging isn't just for the eye, seems to work across the entire body of animals too.

Welcome to Lifespan, a show where we discuss the cutting edge science of aging and how to live healthier at any stage of life.

I'm David Sinclair, a scientist and professor working on understanding why we age and discovering new ways to slow and even reverse the aging process.

On this show, I share an insider's look at the latest from my lab, the field, and what's just around the corner.

Hey everyone, welcome back. Before we dive into today's episode on eyes and vision, I wanted to share some important background. If you saw episode one or have been following the news, you probably know that the world of vision science is moving really fast right now, and there's been some exciting developments recently. First, you're going to hear a familiar voice today. I'm excited to welcome back my co-host from season one, Matthew LaPlante. Matt is a professor of journalism at Utah State University and recently earned a PhD in climate science as well. He's also, as you probably know, my co-author on our book Lifespan. It's great to have him back. Now today's conversation focuses on the eye. Matt and I break down the science of vision, how the retina and optic nose function, and how problems like glaucoma, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration develop. Importantly, we also look at the daily choices, lifestyle habits, and preventative strategies you can use right now to protect your sight in the long run. This episode is actually for everyone. Many of us will experience vision problems sooner or later. I can speak as a 57-year-old. For some people, it starts in childhood with nearsightedness. For others, and most of us, it begins around the age of 40, when reading starts to get harder, screens get blurrier, or night driving becomes more difficult. Wherever you are on that path, this episode is for you. When Matt and I first sat down to map out the foundational biology of vision for this particular episode, we knew the field was on the verge of something really historic, and those exact theories have now crossed the line into reality. I recently co-authored a review on oculomics and AI, looking at how artificial intelligence can now scan the microarchitecture of the back of the eye. We aren't just talking about checking your prescription here. By using advanced AI to read subtle hidden patterns in your retina, we're getting closer to a future where a simple non-invasive eye scan cannot just tell you about your vision, but also can estimate your true biological age, track your brain health, and even predict your risk for future diseases. It's wild stuff and I've put the paper in the show notes if you want to check it out.

The second massive development of course, is on epigenetic reprogramming. If you remember episode 1 of this season, I talked about life biosciences and the cellular rejuvenation technology that originally spun out of my lab. If aging is in part a loss of biological information, then restoring that information could help cells remember how to function like they're young again.

This is the idea behind ER100, the first cellular rejuvenation therapy using epigenetic reprogramming to receive FDA clearance to enter human clinical trials.

ER100 or epigenetic reprogramming 100 uses controlled expression of OSK, three of the Yamanaka genes, to try and help damaged retinal nerve cells to recover more youthful function. The Life Biosciences Trial is testing the safety and tolerability of ER100 in people with blindness caused either by glaucoma, which is due to eye pressure, and by nion, N-A-I-O-N, which is basically a stroke in the back of the eye. Earlier this year, the first participant actually received their first dose of ER100, and it was a special moment that I witnessed firsthand. It was really emotional after 30 years of research to finally see it entering human trials. And I'm happy to report that the trial is going well, and I'll continue to report how the trial is going, so remember to hit that subscribe button, and also join us as a member at lifespan.com to receive updates. To see a concept that we pioneered in mice and monkeys finally being put into human beings made me extremely proud of the work my teams and my colleagues have done over the past 25 years. I want to give a special shout out to Wan Cheng Lu or Ryan, and to Xiao Chan, both who pioneered the work in my lab. And also I want to mention Dr. Sharon Rosenzweig-Lipson, who's running the ER100 trial at Life Biosciences. If you want the breakdown on OSK and how reprogramming works, definitely go back and listen to episode 1 of this season. Today's episode is about what matters right now in your day-to-day life. Understanding how your eyes age, how to catch problems before they cause permanent damage, and how to have the best chance of slowing age-related decline in vision for decades. And with that, let's go.