The quest for immortality has been told in stories for centuries, probably millennia. In reality it is gene therapy that holds the most hope for extending the human lifespan. One of those at the forefront of this research is Brian Hanley.
Brian Hanley is the founder of Butterfly Sciences, a company developing gene therapies for aging. He says that while humans are designed by evolution to age, longer lifespans could be on the way thanks to new gene therapies. If scientists can reset mitochondria genes and restart the thymus then humans will be able to live much longer than they already do. But there are serious barriers both in theory and practice.
Kathryn Ryan asks Brian Hanley to what extent human beings are designed to die.
Photo: CC BY 2.0
