Scientists have calculated the maximum limit of human lifespan

Even if the main causes of human aging were eliminated, a person could not live for thousands of years. Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology according to a new study by scientists, the main obstacles to this are organs whose cells hardly regenerate, primarily the brain and the heart.

To estimate the maximum theoretical human lifespan, researchers analyzed somatic mutations — changes that accumulate in cells during DNA replication after birth. The calculations Swiss were carried out using a model based on mortality rates among a healthy 30-year-old population.

According to the results, if there were no aging-related factors at all, the average human life expectancy could exceed 1,759 years, and the maximum lifespan could exceed 29,000 years. However, when somatic mutations are taken into account, this figure drops sharply.

Scientists found that somatic mutations most affect brain neurons and heart muscle cells, whose cells do not regenerate. Therefore, even if other causes of aging were eliminated, the theoretical average human lifespan would be approximately 156 years, and the maximum lifespan 470 years could be around.

The authors of the study note that, in practice, people do not reach this age. This is because aging is caused not only by somatic mutations but also by several biological mechanisms such as protein imbalance, mitochondrial dysfunction, and epigenetic changes.

According to the scientists' calculations, even if the main causes of aging are eliminated in the future, the real average human life expectancy 146–194 years could be around. In their opinion, to further extend life, it is first necessary to develop technologies for regenerating nerve tissue and the brain.