Most people will do just about anything to avoid getting a virus.
And yet. . .there is a microbe that just about everyone will want to invade their bodies.
It's a new "bug" that can actually make you young again.
Think about that for a moment. Because I want to make sure you know why this is such a stunning breakthrough.
You see, throughout our history viruses have all too often wreaked havoc on the human race.
In fact, as disasters go, it's hard to beat the Spanish Flu of 1918. It killed at least 20 million around the world.
But here's the thing. Today, scientists have tweaked a benign virus so that it can extend the lifespan of mammals by up to 24%.
And if taken at the right time, this modified virus could extend the average life expectancy for an American to roughly 98 years from the current 78.5.
I don't know about you but I would love to live 20 years longer just by having my doctor give me a shot or two.
Now you know why I say that we are living in the Era of Radical Change.
The next few years will be like nothing we've ever seen before in all of human history.
Biotechnology Pushes the Boundaries of Life
With biotech breakthroughs like these, we can in fact live healthy lives well past 100.
It's like having a "fountain of youth" in a bottle. . .
I predict a biotech field known as gene therapy will play a big role in that.
You may recall that our very lives depend on genes. They hold the data that tells our bodies how to form. Genes also pass our traits along to our offspring and their children as well.
As it turns out, problems in our genetic codes often give us diseases later in life. Or they may skip a generation or two and pass them on to distant relations.
It is no wonder the biotech sector invests so much time and effort into gene therapy. These experts see this emerging field as a way to cure all manner of ailments long before they show up and make you sick.
That's one of the great things about investing in biotech stocks.
You get to help find cures for killers like cancer and Alzheimer's. And make some money in the process.
In the latest breakthrough, scientists used gene therapy in a novel way to combat aging. They changed the DNA, or genetic code, of the virus using an enzyme that slows down the body's biological clock.
Of course, they still have a long way to go. The researchers tested the gene therapy on mice and haven't yet said when human trials might begin.
But the results so far are nothing short of amazing. . .
When they injected mice at the age of two they found the creatures lived an average of 13% longer. The results nearly doubled for younger mice—those treated at age one gained a 24% increase.
Not only did the mice live longer, they also avoided getting cancer.
This also is big news. Simply stated: What's the point of living longer if your chances of getting cancer go way up?
Many would clearly rather live in good health to, say age 80, than struggle along for another decade with a serious disease.
Creating the Virus You Want to Catch
So, it seems only fitting that this new anti-aging study itself comes from a cancer center. The team at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre published their findings in the scientific journal EMBO Molecular Medicine.
The team used a virus that is not harmful to humans. They got the virus to express the enzyme telomerase, which plays a big role in aging.
Turns out the enzyme repairs chromosomes in animal cells and slows the aging process. But it loses its power over time, and the cells eventually die.
Researchers also found the altered virus slowed the onset of age-related diseases like osteoporosis. It also improved coordination between the brain and the muscles, which slows down as animals age.
Of course, the team warned this type of gene therapy may not find use in humans any time soon.
That's the reality of drug testing today—it takes years to show the compound is safe enough to test on people.
But don't let that trouble you. It's just a matter of time before this process or something else comes along that extends our lives while keeping us healthy.
And to help you stay abreast of all this cutting-edge high tech, I recently launched the Era of Radical Change.
It is a unique advisory service that will show you how to profit from the most important trends reshaping the world around us.
I'm referring to things like:
- Tiny robots that can actually climb inside your body and "eat" cancerous tumors. . .
- The micro device that amounts to putting a human stomach on a chip. The device is actually lined with cells from the intestine and is designed to go inside the body to detect disease.
- An exotic new material that's the thickness of a single atom and will result in TV screens slimmer than a sheet of paper. . .
So, if you want to find a way to profit from the next generation of tech breakthroughs, the Era of Radical Change is a great place to start.
Michael A. Robinson
Money Morning
