Research into living to 150 has reportedly long fascinated Vladimir Putin, with anti-ageing science now treated in Russia as a state priority.
The programme, known as “New Health-Preservation Technologies”, includes experiments such as 3D tissue printing, growing organs in animals, exposure to extremely low temperatures and gene-based anti-ageing therapies, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Scientists and critics, however, have raised doubts over whether the work represents credible scientific progress or ambitious promises of healthy longevity without sufficient evidence.
Gene therapy and state investment
According to the report, the Russian state has placed emphasis, on Putin’s instructions, on gene therapy medicines aimed at slowing cellular ageing.
“It is one of the most promising areas in the fight against ageing,” Russia’s Deputy Minister of Science Denis Sekirinsky said in April.
The programme is not recent. It is reportedly part of a long-standing interest by Putin in youthful vigour and longevity, which is said to date back to his teenage years.
3D-printed organs and living implants
State-funded Russian scientists claim they have already managed to print laboratory-grown tissues, including human cartilage and a mouse thyroid gland.
Their aim, according to the same sources, is to be able to create full human organs for transplantation by the end of the decade.
Work is also being carried out on bioprinting and xenotransplantation, the growing of human organs inside genetically modified pigs.
Putin’s inner circle
Reports suggest that two figures close to the Russian president have a key role in the programme.
Putin’s daughter, endocrinologist Maria Vorontsova, is reported to be involved in state genetics programmes, while physicist Mikhail Kovalchuk, head of the Kurchatov Institute, also holds a central position.
“It is difficult to talk about immortality, but the ability to ‘repair’ the human being will undoubtedly increase,” Kovalchuk has said. He has argued that unlimited organ replacement could become possible in the future.
Scientific scepticism
Many scientists dispute the progress claimed by the programme, pointing to the lack of peer-reviewed scientific publications.
Russian bioprinting specialist Alexander Ostrovsky, who left the country after 2022, said that without publications there are no real results. He described the claims as closer to wishful thinking than science.
He added that science cannot be conducted in isolation and suggested that Putin may be told what he wants to hear in order to secure funding.
The ambition of 120 years and the political dimension
Russian doctor Vladimir Khavinson, shortly before his death in 2024, was reportedly working towards extending human life to 120 years and considered prolonging Putin’s life one of his main goals.
According to international reports, Putin has at times discussed the idea of “immortality” through technology, both publicly and privately, including in conversations with foreign leaders such as Chinese President Xi Jinping.
From experiments to conspiracy theories
Putin’s public image has for years been associated with physical fitness and endurance, from horse riding and hunting to winter activities.
At the same time, conspiracy theories about the Russian president’s health have circulated, including claims about changes in his appearance or behaviour. None has been officially confirmed, but they continue to fuel public discussion about his condition.
An ambitious project with an uncertain future
Whether it proves to be a realistic scientific breakthrough or an overambitious state narrative, Russia’s longevity programme remains one of the most controversial research projects internationally, carrying significant financial and political weight.
Critics say the key issue remains the same: the scientific community continues to demand more transparency, more data and independent verification of the results.
Source: iefimerida
