2021 was a Great Year for Longevity Research
/A new report surveys all the progress – and confirms that longevity is a booming field
After years of being regarded as a red-headed stepchild of science, longevity is where the research and investment action is. A new report by Longevity Technology shows the anti-aging industry achieved impressive milestones last year, including:
1. The Mayo Clinic showed that removing senescent cells in the hippocampus of mice leads to improved cognitive responses.
2. CARMAT, maker of what it describes as the world’s most advanced total artificial heart, announced that its first U.S. implantation took place at Duke University Hospital.
3. The first billion-dollar longevity startup, Altos, was launched with institutes in the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan.
The report is a great roundup of highlights from throughout the year, including top scientific breakthroughs, big investments, and research about consumer attitudes.
What clearly stands out is the fact that momentum continues to increase for longevity science.
Consider the maturity of investments. The days of longevity science being the purview of startups are over. While the Altos launch got a lot of the financial media’s attention, the report shows that many of last year’s longevity investments involve big dollars poured into mature companies. These mature organizations, including some publicly traded ones, got the support that comes from having respected track records of accomplishment.
Or, look at the anti-aging research that is underway. The report shows that 3,991 longevity papers were published in 2021, nearly twice the number published in 2011. It also shows a 21% increase in longevity-related clinical trials. Plus, the analysis shows that many of those trials are phase 2 and 3 studies.
What is particularly striking is research completed last year that shows consumers expect to live longer. Over 60% of those surveyed said they expect to live more than 80 years, nearly 20% expect to live up to 100 years, and 13% expect to live over 100 years.
Real progress is being made in anti-aging research.And the Longevity Technology report makes it clear that people feel a stake in that success. To become part of the transformation, become a donor in Methuselah Foundation.