For millennia, humankind has thought of ageing as an inevitable process. After, what could be more observably apparent than that everyone who survives past a certain age slowly deteriorates and ends up decrepit and dies? 

However, the latest scientific studies tell us that raging is essentially a disease, and like any other disease, it can be cured. Recently, several studies and research have been carried out in this arena. 

In this context, a UTC professor used AI to crack the longevity code. Prof. Hong Qin, a computer science professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, is the man behind the project. He works in the field of computational biology, which is so intricate that it helps to have an appreciation for the limits of the human brain. 

Qin’s work involves solving the mysteries of ageing by searching for patterns in human genes work. He does that by using modern tools to examine human genome data from the national institutes of health. In simple words, Prof. Qin is trying to peek inside our biological clock to see how it works.  

Cause of ageing 

According to Dr Kris Verburgh, the author of the book the Longevity Code, the average lifespan of an animal species, or the rate at which its ages, is determined by the average time that this animal species can survive in the wild. For instance, if a mouse frequently dies of external causes, it will age faster and have a shorter lifespan.  

If an animal species can survive longer in the wild, it will age slower and have a longer lifespan, as is the case with turtles. This explains why a mouse is cold at age three while a bat can live to be 30 years old. 

What is true for mice is also true for people. Human lifespan is determined by the length of time our ancestors could overcome dangers and survived in the wild. In prehistoric times humans perished by approximately 30 years of age from disease, hunger, accidents or violence.  

Healthy Longevity Global Grand 

Qin recently advanced in a worldwide competition called the Healthy longevity Global Grand Challenge, which seeks to prepare us for a world top-heavy with older citizens. To advance to the second round of the challenge, Qin’s team received $50,000 in seed money to go along with the government grants they already had. 

Qin is looking for patterns in human genes to help extend life expectancy and develop better medicine for seniors. Each human has about 20,000 genes. Some are called “driver genes”. If driver genes can be isolated and redirected chemically, the course of human life could ultimately be altered.  

Trusting AI 

The biggest roadblock to breakthroughs might be resistance in the medical community to trust something new and complex as AI. In addition, regulatory agencies, such as the federal Food and Drug Administration, haven’t evolved into posting that they accept AI research as fact.  

According to Qin, some say that healthcare is the last industry in the US that AI has not impacted. But on the other hand, vast sums of money are being made on breakthroughs to extend human life, so venture capital firms worldwide are funding research to look for biomedical solutions to ageing.  

Qin believes that the world of medicine could develop as people begin to trust AI models to solve complex problems for the human brain alone. But unfortunately, humans are sometimes stuck and can’t look outside the box to look for alternatives. And suddenly, Confucianism and the emerging field of AI-driven computational biology seem aligned. 

 

Want to publish your content?

Publish an article and share your insights to the world.

ALSO EXPLORE

DISCLAIMER

The information provided on this page has been procured through secondary sources. In case you would like to suggest any update, please write to us at support.ai@mail.nasscom.in