The Future of Aging Science: A Conversation with Dr. Ricardo Rossello of RMI Health

Since the turn of the century, the dream of extending human life expectancy—and even halting the aging process itself—has become a major scientific pursuit. While immortality remains in the realm of science fiction, significant strides have been made toward understanding the mechanisms of aging, and the possibility of extending healthy human life spans is becoming more realistic. 

To explore this future, we spoke with Dr. Ricardo Rossello, a pioneering scientist and Chief Visionary Officer of RMI Health, the world's leading longevity center.

A New Era in Longevity Research

RMI Health is at the forefront of a field that has seen an explosion of interest and investment in recent years. Founded by two visionaries on the field, Dr. Vince Giampapa and Dr. Victor Urzola, RMI has assembled a team to tackle the disease of aging.

The science of aging has evolved from studying the natural decline of cells and systems to finding interventions that could slow, halt, or even potentially partially reverse the process.

"Aging is no longer just something we accept as inevitable," says Dr. Rossello. "We're now starting to understand it as a complex biological process—one that can be influenced and perhaps even controlled in the future."

Since 2007, there have been several milestones in our understanding of aging. In that year, Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka identified four genes that could regress a normal cell back to an embryonic state. This discovery brought him a Nobel Prize in 2012.

In 2013, the first epigenetic clock was created to measure precisely how we age at a cellular level. Three years later, at Rutgers University in New Jersey, the first epigenetic reprogramming was done with 12 individuals in a research study.

Then, in 2022, the World Health Organization formally recognized aging as a disease, setting the stage for an industrial effort to 'cure' it. RMI Health is one of the leading players in this newly charged worldwide effort.

Dr. Rossello believes that recent discoveries in cellular biology and biotechnology are opening new avenues for treating age-related diseases, as well as addressing the root causes of aging itself. His team at RMI Health is developing a range of therapies designed to improve both lifespan and healthspan—the period of life spent free from serious disease.

"Aging gets to all of us," says Dr. Rossello. "And that's fine; that's what we have come accustomed to expect. We are born, we live, we die. The natural order of things. But that process comes along with a significant deterioration, and in many ways, a crippling collapse in our outer years. We are spending on average almost 10 years of our lives dying. At the Regenerative Medicine Institute, we are pioneering a world of lifelong wellness."

The Role of Personalized Medicine

One of the primary areas in which longevity research is rapidly advancing is genomics, epigenetics, and a deeper understanding of the gut biome. Dr. Rossello emphasizes the role of personalized medicine in future aging interventions.

"We have ways to understand what is going on in our biology in a very precise way. From the composition of our gut biome to the epigenetic clocks that estimate our pace of aging, we are able to measure progress when implementing lifestyle changes or regenerative medicine approaches."

At RMI Health, Dr. Rossello and a team of scientists are focused on researching the mechanistic and clinical effects of their therapies, which include improving the collateral damages of aging as well. They also have a precision medicine group that follows patients to ensure optimal longevity outcomes.

"If you don't move well or are losing cognitive prowess, your quality of life decreases significantly. Our goal is to stop that deterioration from happening so our patients can live their best lives."

The Ethics of Longevity: How Far Should We Go?

While the scientific possibilities are exciting, the idea of radically extending human life raises ethical questions. Dr. Rossello acknowledges the potential societal implications of increasing human longevity, including overpopulation, resource distribution, and the socioeconomic impacts of a population that lives significantly longer.

"There's no doubt that these advances will need to be carefully managed," he says. "But it's important to remember that our primary goal is to extend healthy life; extending life will be a byproduct of this. If we can help people avoid the debilitating diseases of aging and maintain their quality of life into old age, the benefits for society could be profound. Imagine having those costly, painful, and debilitating last 10 years of your life, being filled with great memories, mobility, and energy."

Dr. Rossello is also mindful of the equity challenges that may arise if longevity treatments are only available to the wealthy. He stresses the importance of ensuring that these advancements are accessible to all, not just a privileged few.

"Everyone deserves the opportunity to live a long and healthy life," he says. "But research is costly, and at the early stages of these novel treatments, they can be expensive. However, at RMI Health, we're committed to developing affordable solutions that can be widely distributed around the world the world."

The Future of Aging Science: A Collaborative Effort

Dr. Rossello is quick to point out that the science of aging is a collaborative field. Breakthroughs in biology, chemistry, medicine, and even artificial intelligence are all converging to push the boundaries of what's possible.

"The future of aging science will depend on interdisciplinary collaboration," he says. "We're working with some of the best minds in data science and AI to accelerate our research and develop new tools for studying and influencing the aging process. We have several ongoing collaborations with prestigious institutions and researchers."

AI, for example, is helping scientists analyze vast datasets from clinical trials and genetic studies to identify patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed. Meanwhile, advances in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine could one day allow for the growth of new organs to replace those damaged by age or disease.

What's Next for RMI Health?

As for the future of RMI Health, Dr. Rossello is optimistic.

"We're at the very beginning of this journey," he says. "We are excited about our new research protocols to tackle cognitive decline, chronic fatigue, and serious musculoskeletal decline. But I believe that within our lifetimes, we'll see a transformation in the way we approach aging. It's no longer about simply treating the symptoms of old age—it's about getting to the root of the problem and fixing it at the cellular level."

The future of aging science holds immense promise. As breakthroughs continue to emerge, we may one day reach a point where age-related diseases are a thing of the past, and the limits of human longevity are expanded in ways we never thought possible.

In the words of Dr. Rossello: "The science of aging is one of the greatest frontiers of modern medicine, and we're just beginning to scratch the surface of what's possible. The next decade promises to be transformative."