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A relatively unknown island in the Caribbean has quickly become a destination for the wealthy seeking to "live forever", thanks to the lack of laws regulating experimental gene therapies.
Roatan Island is located 40 miles off the northern coast of Honduras. The island is home to a private city called Prospera, which is characterized by the absence of laws or regulations governing advanced, unapproved medical practices.
Therefore, companies or clinics in this area can offer modern and innovative medical treatments or technologies without the need to obtain approval from regulatory bodies (such as the US Food and Drug Administration). This means that these practices may not be fully scientifically proven or have not undergone rigorous testing to confirm their safety and effectiveness.
One of Prospera's clinics, Minicircle, offers gene therapy based on the protein follistatin, which has been tested by applied biologist Brian Johnson. This treatment, which has not been approved by the FDA and is illegal in the United States, currently costs $25,000.
The treatment involves a simple injection of DNA molecules that stimulate the body to repair itself, and its effects are said to last from one to two years.
Minicircle, a biotech startup registered in Delaware, boasts that it is one of the pioneers in the field of human genetic enhancement.
Although the company has only completed Phase 1 clinical trials for follistatin, it claims the treatment has shown "promising results."
Follistatin, also known as activin-binding protein, is a protein that helps regulate metabolism and plays a role in various bodily functions, including muscle growth, bone health, and the reproductive system.
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In animal studies, follistatin gene therapy was found to increase the lifespan of mice by 32.5%.
Minicircle describes the treatment as "well-studied, safe, and exceptionally effective."
Brian Johnson, who has spent millions of dollars trying to slow aging and has frequently appeared in promotional videos on social media as the man trying to fight death, underwent follistatin treatment in early 2024 and expressed his delight at the results.
In a video filmed during his visit to the Minicircle clinic, Johnson is seen receiving injections of a follistatin-producing gene into his stomach and buttocks. Six months after the treatment, tests showed his aging rate had decreased to 0.64.
According to Minicircle, follistatin gene therapy increases muscle mass, reduces fat, reduces inflammation, lengthens telomeres (parts of DNA associated with aging), and significantly reverses genetic aging. However, gene therapy carries potential risks, such as causing cancer due to mutations in blood stem cells. Johnson emphasizes that Minicircle's treatment is unique because it is reversible if problems occur. The injected genes can be deactivated using an antibiotic called tetracycline.
In addition to gene therapy, the clinic at Prospera offers stem cell treatments, the latest in regenerative medicine.
These treatments, which are used to repair damaged tissue, are revolutionizing the treatment of cancer, autoimmune diseases, and neurological disorders. However, the cost of stem cell therapy is very high, reaching $20,000 per session, limiting most people's ability to undergo it more than two or three times a year.
Source: Daily Mail - Published on March 10-2025 - https://ar.rt.com/zg0p
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