American biotechnology company Life Biosciences has announced the start of clinical trials of a gene therapy that could reverse cellular aging processes. According to the developers, the first patient has already received experimental treatment. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Euronews.

The therapy, called ER-100, is designed to treat optic nerve diseases, including open-angle glaucoma and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), which can lead to partial or complete vision loss.

The development is based on the use of three proteins — Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4, known as OSK factors. They allow partial epigenetic reprogramming of cells, returning them to a younger state and restoring lost functions.

Scientists explain that with age, it is not the DNA itself that changes, but the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate gene activity. These changes can accumulate under the influence of aging, disease, and external factors, leading to various pathologies.

The new therapy aims to restore epigenetic information in cells and eliminate age-related changes at the cellular level.

Before moving to clinical trials, the technology was tested on laboratory animals and primates. Now scientists have begun the first phase of human trials, the main goal of which is to assess the safety of the method.

David Sinclair, co-founder of Life Biosciences and professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School, called the launch of the trials an important milestone for the entire science of aging.

According to him, the company's research shows that aging may be associated not only with the accumulation of damage but also with the loss of epigenetic information, which can potentially be restored.

The first phase of the study will involve patients with open-angle glaucoma and NAION — severe eye diseases associated with optic nerve damage.

Open-angle glaucoma develops gradually and leads to slow vision loss due to increased intraocular pressure. NAION, sometimes called a "micro-stroke" of the optic nerve, occurs suddenly due to impaired blood supply to the eye and can cause a sharp deterioration in vision.

Life Biosciences says it is considering the possibility of using epigenetic reprogramming technology not only for treating eye diseases but also for combating liver and other organ diseases.

Other biotech companies are also working on similar developments. In particular, the American company Retro Biosciences, backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is working on technologies that could add up to ten healthy years to a person's life. Similar research is being conducted by British company Shift Bioscience.

Despite growing interest from investors and scientists in anti-aging technologies, none of these therapies have yet received approval for widespread medical use.