Age-obsessed CEO Bryan Johnson 'edited' his DNA on a remote island to 'live forever'

Bryan Johnson has been investing over $2 million annually in reversing the aging process.

In a quest that seems straight out of a science fiction novel, millionaire biohacker Bryan Johnson has ventured to the secluded island of Roatan off the coast of Honduras, spending $20,000 on an experimental gene therapy he believes could be the key to eternal youth.

"I’m traveling to a remote island for an extreme medical procedure that could change the future of humanity," Johnson, 46, announced in a YouTube video titled "I Edited My DNA On A Secret Island (To Live Forever)." The procedure, aimed at editing his DNA, is part of his ambitious goal to drastically slow down the aging process.

Johnson claims he ages only 19 months for every 12 that pass and has managed to reverse his biological age by five years. And, he spends nearly $2 million annually to keep up with this rigorous lifestyle.

Roatan is home to Minicircle, a biohacking firm at the forefront of gene therapy. Johnson and his Blueprint team have partnered with Minicircle to undergo follistatin gene therapy, which has shown promising results in animal tests. "In a test conducted on mice, the rodent who had undergone the gene therapy lived for 30 percent longer," Johnson explained.

The treatment involves subcutaneous injections of a specially designed plasmid, a loop of DNA that can be loaded with specific genes. The therapy promises significant improvements in muscle strength, slower aging, and other benefits.

Despite its potential, Johnson had initially avoided gene therapy due to its risks. "If a therapy caused, say, cancer in my body, there'd be nothing I could do to reverse the process," he said. However, Minicircle’s therapy includes a safety mechanism: a "kill switch" that can deactivate the injected DNA if adverse effects occur. "If my body reacts badly, I can take the antibiotic tetracycline to instantly kill and deactivate the DNA molecules," Johnson assured.

This procedure is not FDA-approved in the United States, prompting Johnson's journey to Próspera, a city within Roatan.

The procedure began with blood extraction followed by the gene injections. "I am now officially a genetically enhanced human," Johnson declared triumphantly. Three weeks later, his follistatin levels had increased by 160 percent, hitting the target objective of the treatment.

Johnson follows a highly-regimented program known as the Blueprint diet, which he credits for significantly reducing his aging rate. "For every 12 months that pass, I only age 7.6 months now," he said, noting that his meticulous regimen has given him the heart of a 37-year-old, the skin of a 28-year-old, and the fitness of an 18-year-old.