Molecular biologist Bill Andrews says broad telomerase activation could yield a pill to slow or reverse biological aging, but that remains speculative. His candidate compound produces only a fraction of the activity he seeks; he says research costs $2 million a month.
In many cells, telomeres shorten as cells divide, and this is associated with cellular aging; aging also involves multiple biological systems. Popular Mechanics noted that raising telomerase activity could increase the risk of uncontrolled cell growth. A 2017 JAMA Oncology study found longer telomeres appeared linked to higher risks of melanoma, ovarian and lung cancers.
A 2018 study found telomeres lengthen over time in one sea urchin species; Myotis bats showed no age-related shortening despite not producing telomerase, examples that complicate a simple telomere-aging model. Promising lab research is not the same as a safe, effective therapy rigorously tested in humans.
