The absolute longest humans could live — even if we beat aging: study - New York Post

What the report says

The New York Post reported on a new study from researchers at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in Russia that attempts to estimate an upper boundary for human life, even under a hypothetical future in which many drivers of aging could be reversed or controlled. The study focused on somatic mutations — random DNA changes that build up in cells over time and can contribute to malfunction and age-related disease, including cancer.

According to the Post, the researchers modeled a scenario in which reversible hallmarks of aging were switched off, while somatic mutations remained. Under that framework, they estimated that the median human lifespan would still be limited to roughly 146 to 194 years. The article noted that the current verified longevity record is far lower: Jeanne Calment of France lived to 122 years and 164 days before her death in 1997.

The study’s model suggested that tissues such as skin and liver, which regularly renew cells, might be less constrained by these mutations. By contrast, the brain and heart were highlighted as more vulnerable because many of their key cells do not routinely divide and replace themselves. The Post cited the researchers as saying that neuron damage alone produced a median lifespan estimate of 194 years, while heart muscle cell damage produced an estimate of 208 years.

The findings matter because they suggest that even major anti-aging breakthroughs may face biological limits. The Post also reported that the researchers do not see somatic mutations as the only explanation for current mortality patterns, pointing to other aging mechanisms such as mitochondrial dysfunction, epigenetic changes and loss of proteostasis as likely contributors.