Longevity genes

Source: TW

I’m sure there is a similar itch in the American “tech bro” community and the chIna-s to do the same with IL11 or IL11RA1, given that the cat is now out of the bag in this regard: not for better cognitive performance but for a longer life. However, in both these cases, we must ask a key question: why have these genes not been selected out if they were truly bad? In both these cases, the studies do not assess the total tradeoffs in costs and benefits of having them in the wild. We suspect that if one is subject to the complete pathogen load a large primate like us typically encounters, it might not be a bad idea to lose it.

In this regard, it is rather interesting that so many cell types express IL11. But perhaps, given their lifestyles and pathogen exposures, the super-rich tech bros have already stocked up on anti- IL11 or IL11RA1 monoclonals.