Key points from article :
Lord Lebedev addressed Parliament, highlighting the potential benefits of longevity research for the UK, particularly in the context of an ageing population. He noted that while life expectancy has increased, the proportion of time spent in good health has decreased, necessitating a new approach to medicine that treats ageing as a medical condition.
This new strategy aims to address the root causes of age-related diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and heart conditions by focusing on the 12 hallmarks of ageing, such as the loss of stem cells and metabolic dysregulation.
Lord Lebedev mentioned a new theory suggesting that ageing is driven by the loss of vital regulatory information within our cells, which could potentially be reset through epigenetic reprogramming. He cited scientific studies that have reversed vision loss in mice, with human trials set to begin next year.
The demographic shift towards an ageing population is increasing pressure on the NHS, social care systems, and public finances, with dementia alone costing the UK economy £34.7 billion annually.
During the King’s Speech debate, he highlighted that a 20 percent reduction in six major diseases could boost the UK’s GDP by nearly £20 billion annually, according to Andrew Scott at The Global Institute. He also pointed out that drugs being developed to reverse aspects of ageing are being informed by cutting-edge breakthroughs from UK labs.
Lord Lebedev concluded by emphasizing the rapid advancement of longevity science, comparing its potential impact to that of the AI revolution, and positioning Britain as a potential global leader in this field.
