[Senior Trend] Reflections on the Anti-Aging Technology Business

“Youthful appearance” has been a topic of interest for a very long time. Cleopatra of ancient Egypt is known to have taken milk baths to maintain smooth and young skin. Park So-hyun, nicknamed “Preservative Beauty,” is famous for eating little and consistently stretching. Additionally, TV programs featuring various professionals who look much younger than their age?such as mothers who look like daughters or sisters, or men who appear at least 15 years younger?have gained popularity by revealing their secrets. These programs typically shared lifestyle tips such as maintaining a positive mindset, regular exercise, and skincare using special packs. Now, advanced science and technology have emerged. Earlier this year, the rejuvenation efforts of an American billionaire were astonishing. After working tirelessly to earn a huge fortune, he planned to buy back his youth with that money. He declared that although he is currently in his mid-40s, he aims to return to the state of his 18-year-old self by investing $2 million (about 2.5 billion KRW) annually. Under the strict care of 30 medical staff, he combines dozens of supplements, diet management, and exercise. This high-profile figure also participates in rejuvenation-related conferences and shares his experiments on SNS (social networking services). As a result of this investment and effort, he revealed that his overall biological age has become 5 years younger.

Rejuvenation (回春) literally means “spring returns.” It is also expressed as “becoming young again.” Since most countries classified as developed nations are not free from aging population issues, the global rejuvenation business is growing rapidly. Biotechnology that restores old cells to a youthful state, new organ transplantation technologies, and health food and beverage technologies are all part of this. Global investment in longevity research is close to 7 trillion KRW, and the entire industry size is said to be more than 100 times that. It is so well-known that big tech companies and billionaires support this business actively. Jeff Bezos of Amazon jointly invested $3 billion with other investors in the anti-aging bio company “Altos Labs.” They are researching ways to reverse the biological clocks of organs and cells. Additionally, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced that he would invest $1 billion annually through the “Hewolution Foundation” in U.S. universities and startups related to anti-aging. Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle, also invested $430 million in scientists researching anti-aging. Sam Altman, developer of ChatGPT, and Bill Gates are also investing large sums in bioscience-related fields.

In Japan, the research on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) by Dr. Shinya Yamanaka, who won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, is famous. It started with retinal cell research primarily conducted on mice to treat incurable diseases. iPS cell differentiation is connected to aging and degenerative diseases because it aims to reverse aged cells. The scope of applied treatments is expanding to Parkinson’s disease, blood, cartilage, and more. In Korea, Cha Hospital has an anti-aging research institute. They advocate for a bio bank that stores various cells, including umbilical cord blood, from birth to address incurable diseases and aging. They say it needs to be generalized like immune management, bone marrow, or blood donation. It is expected to help elderly diseases. Other diverse efforts include artificial organs using 3D printing technology, gene editing research using gene scissors, cartilage experiments injecting stem cells instead of artificial joints, and research on the blood protein “GDF11.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. startup “Ambrosia” began a business in 2018 that transfused blood from young people aged 16 to 25 into applicants over 35 years old. Despite the high cost of about 10 million KRW per session, many people flocked to it. However, in 2019, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) warned that plasma transfusions were not only ineffective but also posed fatal risks such as rejection reactions and infections. Although the exact correlation was not established, some recipients died, leading to the suspension of the business. The aforementioned millionaire Brian Johnson also experimented with transfusing his 17-year-old son’s blood. He underwent this procedure called “plasma exchange” six times but stopped, stating it had no real effect. Among billionaires, Tesla founder Elon Musk is skeptical about the rejuvenation business. While he pours money into space travel, he said, “If people live too long or don’t die, society gets stuck in old ideas and cannot progress.” The Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang famously sought the mystical “elixir of immortality” and strove for eternal life. However, instead of the eternal life he dreamed of, he died at age 50 in 210 BC due to mercury poisoning caused by improper ingestion habits.

Nevertheless, efforts and technological advancements to live youthfully seem likely to intensify. Looking healthier and younger than one’s age is not a bad thing. However, it is hoped that the rejuvenation trend will move beyond overcoming physical aging to serve as a better mental example for younger generations, fostering courage, confidence, and consideration. Isn’t the harmony of body and mind what is needed more as we age?

Lee Boram, CEO of Third Age

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.