The Longevity Reality Radar
46 approaches, rated by evidence.

Yamanaka factor reprogramming

Systemic in-vivo reprogramming (Yamanaka factors). Aging itself. Reviewed Jul 2026.

Mice show reversed aging markers, but the cancer risk is unsolved and no person has received it systemically.

Stage
Preclinical
Rung: Experimental. Animal, lab or theoretical. Years away, if ever.
Evidence grade
D
mouse studies
Animal or lab only, single pilot, or case reports. How grades work.

What it is

Cyclic, partial expression of the four Yamanaka factors throughout the living body to rejuvenate multiple tissues at once, rather than just a single organ.

The evidence

Mouse studies show reversal of aging markers and extended healthspan; the central risk is teratoma/cancer if cells de-differentiate too far. No human systemic trials yet.

What you can do today

Not available for this use, and years away if it arrives at all. Anything sold today with this claim is not backed by human evidence for it.

Sources

Change history

No ladder moves or corrections logged for this entry yet. Changes are dated on the change log.

Related

More in Aging itself

All 17 in Aging itself.

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  • Acarbose for longevityGrade C, strong animal data. Approved drug, off-label use.One of the most reproducible lifespan extenders in mice, mainly in males, but there is no human longevity trial.
  • VO₂max and strength for longevityGrade B, large cohorts. Established.In large observational cohorts the top VO₂max quartile has about 4 to 5 times lower all-cause mortality than the bottom, and nothing pharmacological on this list comes close.
  • RentosertibGrade C, post-hoc biomarker. Phase 3, for lung fibrosis.Six aging clocks moved in 42 lung-fibrosis patients over 12 weeks, a design that cannot separate slowed aging from a treated lung, and no healthy-volunteer or outcome data exist.
  • Senolytics (dasatinib, quercetin, fisetin)Grade C, small human studies. Phase 1/2.Small human studies show the drugs can be given, with off-target side effects, but no durable benefit in people has been shown.
  • Partial epigenetic reprogramming (ER-100)Grade D, animal data only. Phase 1, in the eye.A first-in-human safety trial in the eye has started, but every efficacy result so far comes from animals.

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