The Resilience Project seeks people with superhuman genes to study disease-resistant subjects

Because many seniors want to live not only longer but also a disease-free life in their 70s, 80s or 90s, it was not surprising that the Targeting Aging with Metformin study is attracting applicants ahead of the recruitment process.

Another study is seeking volunteers, but like other clinical trials, it is expected to have difficulty enlisting participants. The reason behind the difficulty is that The Resilience Project is in search of disease-resistant volunteers. These are people with who survived even if they have the genes that say they should have some diseases or conditions.

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York initially studied the genetic make-ups of almost 600,000 people in search of resistance to any of about 600 Mendelian disorders. Among the 600,000, they found only 13 such people who were resistant to the disorders, reports the American Council on Science and Health.

People with Mendelian disorders, due to the presence of one of more muted genes, are expected to have grotesque and often fatal conditions. An example would be Pfeiffer syndrome in which the skull bone fuses too early, or epidermolysis bullosa simplex when the skin is as fragile as a butterfly’s wings.

However, while the 13 had the gene mutations, they did not acquire the condition. But since the study, published in Nature Biotechnology journal, did not have the proper consent forms on file for the 13, Dr Stephen Friend, author of the research, is seeking superhumans who could volunteer for the project.

The project targets to find and study resilient people who are protected by undiscovered genetic or environmental factors that explain their resiliency. The findings could pave the way to prevent diseases and develop new treatments.