Live for a thousand years—seriously?
3 Questions for John De Vos, a cell therapy specialist and professor atUM the occasion of the “Assises du corps transformé” conference, which opens on October 9 in Montpellier.
What is transhumanism, the concept at the heart of this conference dedicated to the “cyber-body”?
It is a school of thought that seeks to improve the human species, particularly by extending lifespan and/or through genetic modifications. This obviously provokes very strong opposition, and the subject has long been taboo because it opens a Pandora’s box. While these techniques can be used to treat genetic diseases, they can also be used to enhance intelligence, height, lifespan, and more… The key question is: for what purpose should we seek to improve the human species? Furthermore, there is significant potential for abuse, including the risk of discrimination based on the genetic modifications performed…
What are the most promising approaches for extending lifespan?
These include medications—which are the subject of intensive research—as well as cell therapy. The idea is to offer regenerative medicine by injecting cells to repair organs damaged by aging. We’re still in the early stages, but very promising results have been observed in animal studies for repairing the heart, muscles, or the brain (Parkinson’s disease)
So, is it possible to live a thousand years?
We’ve gained 40 years in life expectancy over the past 300 years thanks to advances in hygiene and medicine, but we’re about to hit barriers that are harder to overcome. That said, there are promising avenues: in cell therapy, for example, a technique allows a patient’s cells to be reprogrammed to an embryonic stage—that is, to revert them to a state equivalent to just a few days old! This is the technology known as iPS (induced pluripotent stem) cells. We know how to rejuvenate a cell in vitro, but we cannot yet apply this to an organ, and it is currently difficult to provide a timeline. With the exponential growth of research and the emergence of new players such as China, it is certain, in any case, that life expectancy will be extended beyond 80 years.
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The Conference on the Transformed Body,6th Edition: The Cyberbody.
Lectures – Debates
October 9 and 10, Centre Rabelais, 29 Sarrail Blvd.
Featuring Jean-Claude Ameisen, Jacques Attali, Nicolas Bouzou, Jacques Mateu, François Vialla…
Phone: 0467 29 83 32
Registration (required) and program
The University of Montpellier is involved in organizing the “Assises du corps transformé” conference through the European Center for Studies and Research in Law and Health (UMR Dynamiques du Droit – UM, CNRS)