Thanks to Jeff Bezos, the quest for immortality has begun.
The founder and former chief executive of Amazon invested a portion of his fortune in an anti-aging startup that recently assembled a team of world-renowned scientists.
Bezos reportedly invested a sizable sum in Altos Labs, a biotech startup focused on cellular rejuvenation programming.
According to a January 19 press release, Altos Labs' mission is to "reverse disease" and "transform medicine."
Altos Labs is surrounded by high expectations because of its goal of "cheating mortality" through its research in anti-aging technology, the Financial Times reported.
Altos Labs stressed that their primary goal is to improve healthspan, and that longevity is simply an "accidental consequence."
The company has benefited from what may be the single largest funding round for a biotech company, FT added.
Based on reports, Hal Barron, 59, will leave Glaxosmithkline as chief scientific officer to become chief executive and co-chairman of Altos Labs.
Altos maintains offices in San Diego and Silicon Valley, as well as the United Kingdom.
Their research focuses on cells that have been altered genetically, have sustained injuries, or have aged. The researchers hypothesized that by "reprogramming" cells, they could develop a treatment capable of curing all known human diseases.
The entire concept appears to be straight out of a science fiction novel. However, numerous prominent figures are also investing in this mammoth endeavor.
Yuri Milner, a Russian-Israeli billionaire who is interested in anti-aging technologies, as well as the Russian email service Mail.ru and the Russian social network VK, were all listed as investors.
Altos Labs boasts an impressive executive team that includes former executives from GlaxoSmithKline, a UK-based healthcare company focused on pharmaceuticals and vaccines; Genentech, a San Francisco-based biotech company that pioneered the use of targeted antibodies in cancer treatment; and the National Cancer Institute.
Altos will also establish a laboratory in Cambridge, England, and team up with leading Japanese medical experts and scientists.
Bezos also invested in Unity Biotechnology, which aimed to develop drugs and treatments for aging-related diseases.
Meanwhile, research indicates that the number of older adults in the United States will surpass that of 18-year-olds by 2035.
Larry Page, founder of Google, and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, have also invested in anti-aging research to slow and delay the onset of old age.
Of course, no one knows if Bezos's company will be able to help people live longer. But one thing is certain: new and fascinating information will be gleaned from studying the aging process.
