Geneticist Nir Barzilai is at the forefront of a scientific paradigm shift, advocating for a move away from treating isolated diseases towards targeting the fundamental biology of aging. His research and leadership in the field of geroscience aim to extend the period of healthy life, often referred to as "health span."
Barzilai, who heads the Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s Institute of Geroscience and leads the Academy of Geroscience, emphasizes that the goal is not necessarily to extend maximum lifespan indefinitely, but to significantly increase the number of years individuals live in good health. He notes that while the current maximum human lifespan is around 115 years, many people experience a decline in health starting in their 80s. The ambition, he states, is to gain "decades more of life and good health."
His work builds upon decades of studying centenarians and individuals who remain healthy past age 95, known as "superagers." This research has identified genetic factors associated with healthy longevity, including variations in genes related to cholesterol and lipid metabolism. Scientists are exploring ways to develop drugs that can mimic the effects of these so-called longevity genes. To further this exploration, Barzilai is co-leading the SuperAgers Initiative, a project designed to recruit 10,000 individuals over 95 years old and their family members to identify more genes that contribute to slower aging and disease resistance.
Barzilai has also been a key proponent of repurposing existing medications for longevity benefits. He designed a clinical trial to investigate whether metformin, a common diabetes drug, could delay the onset of age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. While this trial has not yet launched, Barzilai suggests that the study's framework could be adopted by other researchers testing medications like GLP-1 drugs for their potential to prevent multiple age-related conditions, rather than solely treating a single disease.
Furthermore, Barzilai is involved in a project focused on identifying reliable biomarkers for aging. These biomarkers would be crucial for accurately measuring the effectiveness of drugs and lifestyle interventions, such as exercise and sleep, in slowing the aging process.
To combat what he describes as "junk" and misinformation in the longevity space, Barzilai is actively working to reframe the scientific narrative. He prefers the term "geroscience"—the study of how the biological processes of aging contribute to disease—over "longevity," which he feels has been oversold. He defines longevity as the outcome, and geroscience as the mechanism. This rebranding, reflected in the recent name changes of his institute and the Academy of Geroscience, aims to clarify the scientific rigor of the field and distinguish it from less substantiated claims. He stresses the importance of including the word "science" to emphasize the research-based nature of the work.