Elizabeth Parrish - the world's first genetically modified person

The idea of ​​eternal youth, or at least a longer and healthier life, worried mankind at all stages of the development of civilization. Scientists have always been interested in the possibility of increasing the life expectancy of a person, and now, when the achievements in the field of proper nutrition and an active lifestyle were exhausted, they turned their eyes to genetic changes.

When we see stories that geneticists conduct experiments on laboratory animals, change the genome, for example, in order to slow down the aging of cells, it seems to us that all this is from the realm of fantasy and the distant future. But it turns out that fiction has become a reality. A man with artificially modified genes already lives on Earth.

This is American Elizabeth Parrish, who agreed to the intervention of geneticists in order to stop the aging of her body, and, of course, to benefit the world. In fact, she is also one of the leaders of the scientific and medical company BioViva, which conducts this bold experiment.

To understand the essence of artificial changes, it is necessary to highlight the problem of aging from a genetic point of view. The aging process itself is embedded in our DNA, and it begins with the process of reducing the terminal processes of chromosomes, the so-called telomeres. The older a person’s biological age, the shorter his telomeres. In the process of cell growth, DNA division occurs, which is accompanied by the shortening of telomeres and ultimately leads to aging and cell death.

At the end of 2015, Elizabeth Parrish introduced genetic material, which, penetrating the inside of the nucleus of each cell of her body, was to trigger changes, and contribute to an increase in the length of telomeres. Thus, according to scientists, the aging process will be stopped and a general rejuvenation of the body will occur.

Taking into account that the results of such an experiment can be the most unpredictable, even fatal, Elizabeth even wrote down an appeal in which she confirmed her consent to the injection and voiced an understanding of the seriousness of the genetic intervention. To even introduce the genetic material, she even had to travel to Colombia, since such experiments with people in the United States are prohibited by law.

And now scientists have already unveiled the first results of the experiment. So far, everything looks more than optimistic: the biological age of a woman has decreased by about 20 years. This is expressed in the state of the white blood cells of her blood, as well as in the telomeres of the chromosomes, which are elongated, instead of further destroying. The appearance of the 45-year-old woman has also undergone some changes. Her skin became firmer and her hair condition improved.

Of course, it is too early to draw final conclusions, but the results can already be considered a breakthrough in the fight against aging of the human body. Scientists hope that this technology will help the world in the fight against age-related diseases, as well as some genetic abnormalities.