Episode 15150:10:33
Longevity Music, Anti-Aging Nasal Spray, How To Look 20, and more... : 1515
The Human Upgrade: Biohacking for Longevity & Performance
Show notes
Subtitle: A Nasal Spray Longevity Screen, Why Less Protein May Age You Better, Cadaver Skin Injectables, Art's Effect on Biological Age, and Which Anti-Aging Interventions Actually Move the Needle
Nasal Spray Ingredient Emerges As Unexpected Longevity Candidate In Massive Drug Screen
Researchers mapped 2,358 longevity-associated genes across the body's broader protein and signaling networks, then screened 6,442 approved drugs to see which ones nudged those aging pathways in a healthier direction. Oxymetazoline, the active ingredient in nasal sprays like Afrin, was among 21 standout candidates, with a predicted pathway running through the ACKR3 receptor and connecting to major aging proteins including NF-kB, TP53, and AKT1. Host Dave Asprey explains why this computational screen is a promising research lead rather than a protocol, and why chronic use of a vasoconstricting nasal spray carries real risks regardless of what a network analysis suggests.
Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12425021/
~~
New Review Of 350+ Studies Asks Whether Less Protein Means Longer Life
A review spanning more than 350 studies found that protein restriction consistently extended lifespan and improved metabolic health across mice, rats, flies, and fish, with smaller human studies showing improvements in body fat and fasting glucose even when total calorie intake rose. Researchers point to FGF21, a liver hormone that rises under protein or amino acid scarcity and boosts energy expenditure and glucose regulation, as a key mechanism. Host Dave Asprey breaks down why blanket protein advice fails older adults preserving muscle and highly active people just as badly as it fails everyone else, and why matching intake to actual biology beats maximizing protein at every meal.
Sources:
https://time.com/article/2026/08/03/eat-less-protein-age-better-live-longer/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260801042811.htm
https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-blue/fulltext/S2949-8821(26)00079-9
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8991228/
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1137190
~~
Processed Cadaver Skin Injectable Enters The Anti-Aging Market As Elravie Re2O
A new injectable called Elravie Re2O, short for "return to your 20s," is made from donated human skin processed to remove living cells and most genetic material, leaving a collagen-rich extracellular matrix that gets injected into the face and neck as a biological scaffold rather than a simple filler. Human-derived tissue matrices already have a track record in burn and wound care, but this specific product is not yet FDA-approved and lacks comparative trial data against existing fillers. Host Dave Asprey separates legitimate regenerative medicine from a novel cosmetic product still waiting on long-term safety and consistency data.
Sources:
https://nypost.com/2026/07/21/health/the-hottest-new-anti-aging-treatment-cadaver-skin/
https://www.newsobserver.com/living/article316698211.html
https://www.miamiherald.com/living/article316698295.html
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12985180/
https://laboderm-skin.com/elravie-re2o-application/
~~
UCL Study Finds Weekly Arts Engagement Tracks With Slower Epigenetic Aging
A University College London study of more than 3,500 adults found that people who engaged weekly with arts and culture, including painting, music, museums, and theater, showed a roughly four percent slower pace of aging on the DunedinPACE clock and appeared about one biological year younger on PhenoAge, with the effect holding after adjusting for income, education, smoking, and physical activity. Benefits appeared whether people were actively creating art or simply attending performances and exhibits. Host Dave Asprey argues this expands what counts as a health input beyond molecules and devices, since novelty, meaning, and social connection influence the nervous system too.
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2026/05/12/nx-s1-5818172/study-arts-slow-biological-aging
https://studyfinds.com/arts-culture-may-slow-aging/
~~
Review Of 41 Human Studies Ranks Which Interventions Actually Shift Epigenetic Clocks
A review of 41 human studies testing interventions against newer-generation epigenetic clocks found favorable changes for exercise, caloric restriction, omega-3s, plant-rich diets, multivitamins, semaglutide, pitavastatin, and ketamine, while nicotinamide riboside, rapamycin, and senolytics showed no detected clock improvement in the studies reviewed. Semaglutide produced the strongest single result, slowing DunedinPACE by about nine percent in a trial of adults with HIV-associated fat redistribution, though a separate fatty liver study produced mixed outcomes. Host Dave Asprey explains why a strong mechanistic story does not guarantee a moved biomarker, and why clinical outcomes, functional measures, and safety data all matter alongside any single clock reading.
Sources:
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1836446/full
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42294499/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41514-026-00383-9
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12338914/
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-popular-glp-drug-biological-aging.html
https://www.creativebiomart.net/blog/semaglutide-may-slow-epigenetic-aging-in-humans
https://www.aging-us.com/article/202913/text
https://superpower.com/guides/can-you-reverse-epigenetic-age
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01836-7
https://www.businessinsider.com/first-ever-reverse-aging-drug-was-just-injected-into-a-human-2026-6
~~
This episode is designed for biohackers, longevity enthusiasts, and high-performance listeners who want mechanism-level insights into a computational drug-repurposing screen, the case for eating less protein, a new regenerative injectable made from human tissue, the biological effect of creative engagement, and a data-driven ranking of which longevity interventions actually move epigenetic clocks. Host Dave Asprey connects computational biology, nutrition science, regenerative medicine, and biomarker research into practical frameworks for evaluating what belongs in a real longevity protocol versus what belongs on a watch list.
New episodes every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.
Keywords: oxymetazoline longevity, drug repurposing screen aging, ACKR3 receptor aging pathway, protein restriction longevity, FGF21 hormone aging, low protein diet healthspan, cadaver skin injectable, Elravie Re2O, extracellular matrix regenerative medicine, anti-aging injectable 2026, arts engagement biological age, DunedinPACE epigenetic clock, PhenoAge biological age, epigenetic clock interventions, semaglutide epigenetic aging, rapamycin epigenetic clock, senolytics human trials, biological age testing, biohacking news 2026, Dave Asprey, The Human Upgrade
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Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
00:19 – Anti-Aging Drug Screening
01:43 – Protein Restriction & Aging
03:36 – New Skin Injectable
05:23 – Arts & Longevity
07:30 – Biohacking Interventions Reviewed
08:51 – Semaglutide & Aging Clocks
09:29 – Closing Thoughts
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