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Kyriazis. J Transl Genet Genom 2018;2:7 Journal of Translational
DOI: 10.20517/jtgg.2018.04 Genetics and Genomics

Review Open Access

The failure of “engineered rejuvenation”: laboratory
genomics do not translate into precision anti-aging

therapies

Marios Kyriazis

ELPIs Foundation for Indefinite Lifespans, Larnaca 6021, Cyprus.

Correspondence to: Dr. Marios Kyriazis, ELPIs Foundation for Indefinite Lifespans, Larnaca 6021, Cyprus. E-mail: drmarios@live.it
How to cite this article: Kyriazis M. The failure of “engineered rejuvenation”: laboratory genomics do not translate into precision anti-
aging therapies. J Transl Genet Genom 2018;2:7. https://doi.org/10.20517/jtgg.2018.04

Received: 2 Apr 2018 First Decision: 7 May 2018 Revised: 21 May 2018 Accepted: 22 May 2018 Published: 15 Jun 2018
Science Editor: Sheng-Ying Qin Copy Editor: Jun-Yao Li Production Editor: Huan-Liang Wu

Abstract
There is a general failure of reductionist and mechanistic approaches to rejuvenation biomedical technologies which aim
at providing treatments against aging (defined as “time-dependent dysfunction”). Importantly, it is becoming increasingly
recognised that genomic research findings in animals may not adequately be translated into effective human anti-aging
therapies. There exist translational impediments, which although individually formidable, can theoretically be overcome.
However, the combined effects of these obstacles render this reductionist avenue of quest unattainable, at least for
the foreseeable future. Some of the clinical problems of physical and genomic-based therapies against aging include
side effects, interactions, inter-subject variability, compliance, patient self-reporting of data, motivation, administrative
issues, infrastructure, etc. A systematic review spanning over the past 5 years, describes these problems and identifies
novel approaches. New and emerging disciplines and concepts such as molecular pathological epidemiology, social
genomics and other “systems-thinking” methods provide a more comprehensive view of the entire subject of aging, and
study its indivisible bonds with the environment, society and culture. The so-called “fountain of youth” cannot be found
in a physical item.

Keywords: Reductionism, rejuvenation biotechnologies, genomic research, translation, systems-thinking, molecular
pathological epidemiology

INTRODUCTION
Research into the aging process has flourished over the past several decades, and has provided a generally
[1,2]
informative glimpse into the intricacies of aging mechanisms . Reductionist approaches (i.e., analyzing
the mechanisms of aging in terms of its simple constituents) have assisted in this respect, by providing

© The Author(s) 2018. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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