Which Anti-Aging Ideas Actually Work? XPrize Healthspan Is Testing The Best Longevity Innovations
The seven-year competition just named its top 10 finalists.
XPrize Healthspan, a philanthropic and corporate-sponsored competition, is testing innovative ideas for slowing aging and promoting healthier, longer lives. Launched in 2023, the contest has attracted nearly 200 applicants from around the world. A panel of judges selected 10 winning teams to continue in the seven-year competition, which has a total prize pool of $101 million.
The winning projects cover a wide range of approaches to aging, from repurposed drugs to plant-derived extracellular vesicles. Two teams from Japan and one from South Korea are investigating novel longevity drugs, while four projects focus on supplements and five rely on biologic compounds like extracellular vesicles, peptides, and antibodies. Two teams from Japan are working with extracellular vesicles, which carry various molecules in the body that could potentially improve health.
One of the Japanese teams, Time Traveler Corp., aims to develop plant-derived exosomes as a safer and more scalable alternative to animal-derived materials currently used in anti-aging beauty products. The team, led by Rieko Akiyama and Tomoatsu Hayashi, screened over 140 plant species to find the most suitable source for exosomes. They found that parsley-derived exosomes had the strongest effects in mice, lowering inflammatory factors responsible for many aging processes.
Written by urgent.news from Time's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
