The Aging by Signaling Theory
Cells have the ability to fully self-repair, as proven by partial cellular reprogramming, meaning external signaling controls the age-phenotype of the cells of an organism
Is it possible to rejuvenate? I mean, is it possible to reverse aging? The scientific community is working more and more towards being able to answer that question, but in order to undo aging, it would be very helpful to understand how aging happens. Many scientists say that it happens by the accumulation of damage, but it’s possible to go deeper than that; since living organisms have self-repair mechanisms, the accumulation of damage is the result of the damage caused by normal functioning and external insults minus the damage repaired by the self-repair mechanisms.
As partial cellular reprogramming (an external signaling mechanism) has already proven that the self-repair mechanisms can completely undo the damage accumulated in an old cell, cell aging can be understood as a matter of external signaling. So, to rejuvenate, we need to master that signaling, understanding the code this signaling uses to inform our cells which age-phenotype they should present.
But how to decipher the age signaling code?
Several experiments have already shown there is a significant concentration of age-defining signals among the nano-sized extracellular particles of the blood plasma, so, in fact, we wouldn’t need to decipher the age signaling code if our aim were to rejuvenate only one person, as we would just need to use the age signaling present in the blood of young people. In this case, we would only need to isolate the extracellular particles (especially the small extracellular vesicles) of young people’s blood, and inject them into an old person in an amount enough to overcome the amount of old age signaling already present in the old person’s body. However, we can’t use young blood (even from non-human species) to rejuvenate the whole of humanity (and their pets!) for ethical, social and political considerations. We need to decipher the code to synthesize the age signaling.
So, after isolating as precisely as possible from the blood plasma the components that control aging (possibly the nano-sized extracellular particles, or a part of them), it wouldn’t be so hard for current artificial intelligence technology to decipher the aging code the cells use. Once the code is deciphered, this signaling will have to be produced on a massive scale and distributed in an economically sustainable way so it can reach every human being (and their pets!) — like what happened with vaccines and antibiotics.
So let’s focus on the first step…
Proving rejuvenation by signaling
The Rejuvenation Science Institute (ICR) (led by me and my wife Nina Torres Zanvettor) is carrying out the first step in our plan to achieve rejuvenation for humanity: proving that the age signaling present in the blood of young animals can rejuvenate old animals. In June 2026, we will inject extracellular particles from young pigs into old rats to rejuvenate them.
The information about this experiment will be completely and immediately published: methods, materials and results, so that anyone can reproduce it. As the information will be public, the only way to economically guarantee it really is, is if the funding is also public (public, not from the state) through voluntary financial contributions (usually known as donations, although in this case it’s more like a collective funding).
Our institute has already raised 73% of the total cost of US$75,000, which means we raised around US$55,000 (US$35,000 came from two organizations — US$25,000 from DoNotAge.org and US$10,000 from Heales), but we are still lacking US$20,000. To make a financial contribution, click here.
Still has doubts? Come to Brazil!
As everything will be public in our experiment, we are open to receiving anybody in the world who wants to see what we will do. In May 2026 we will collect the blood from the pigs in the farm, so if you want, you can come here (we will do it in the region of the city of Campinas) and go with us to the farm. Then, you can go with us to the university lab, where we will isolate the PPEPs (Pig Plasma Extracellular Particles).
Then, after watching the isolation process, you can see how we will inject the PPEPs into the old rats. And then, you can be with us when we perform the grip strength and memory tests, and when we extract the blood from the rats to perform the blood markers test.
You can also go with us to the shipping company that will send the blood samples to Steve Horvath’s foundation (Clock Foundation), to have their epigenetic age measured. No secrecy here: we want people to be able to do it too in their labs, in their countries.
Towards the future
The Aging by Signaling Theory means a fundamental advance in our comprehension of life. It’s important to emphasize that its bases were established by Harold Katcher in his book The Illusion of Knowledge. If it’s true, most of current medicine will change, as most of current health problems could be cured by reversing aging.
Do you know what that means? It would change almost all aspects of our lives: economy, family structure, politics... Have you imagined the psychological changes derived from the perspective of you and your loved ones living forever young?
Do you want that future? So make it, by participating in this journey to bring rejuvenation for yourself and everybody you love.
Nicolás Cherñavsky is the president of the Rejuvenation Science Institute (ICR)