A global competition aimed at finding ways to help people live healthier for longer has selected 10 research teams to advance their projects into the next stage of testing.
The XPrize Healthspan competition, launched in 2023, attracted almost 200 applicants from academic institutions, biotechnology companies and startups. The seven-year contest has a total prize fund of $101 million and focuses on approaches that could improve muscle, brain and immune function.
The 10 finalists, announced on Aug. 11, each received $1 million to test their ideas in larger groups of people over the coming year.
Jamie Justice, executive director of XPrize Healthspan, said the competition was designed to bring greater scientific discipline to a field crowded with claims about extending human life.
The projects range from experimental biological treatments to exercise and existing drugs. Two teams are from Japan, while others come from South Korea, China and the United States. Several are studying supplements, while others are testing biologic compounds such as peptides, antibodies and extracellular vesicles.
Two Japanese teams are investigating extracellular vesicles, tiny structures released by cells that carry molecules including proteins, fats and genetic material.
A team linked to the University of Tokyo is studying vesicles derived from plants. Researchers screened more than 140 plant and algae species before identifying parsley as a particularly promising source. Tests in mice found that parsley-derived vesicles reduced inflammatory markers and helped preserve muscle strength.
A small human study involving 40 people also reported improvements in sleep and daytime energy, although larger trials will be needed to establish whether the treatment has meaningful health benefits.
Another University of Tokyo team is developing what it calls “super exosomes” made from stem cells. The researchers have designed the vesicles to target aging cells and deliver biological material that could help restore their function. The team plans to test the treatment in more than 100 people.
A US team from Mount Sinai is taking a more familiar approach, combining exercise with spermidine and rapamycin. Researchers are examining whether reducing chronic inflammation, which becomes more common with age, can improve immune and physical function.
Rapamycin is already used in medicine for transplant patients and certain cancers, but its potential to slow human aging remains unproven. The new study will monitor participants through blood tests, strength assessments, respiratory evaluations, brain tests and MRI scans.
The finalists will be judged using common measurements of muscle, brain and immune health. Researchers hope the work can move promising longevity ideas away from speculation and toward stronger human evidence.
Justice said she expects some projects to fail, but believes those results could help scientists understand which approaches are worth pursuing.
The competition’s broader goal is to improve healthspan, rather than simply extend lifespan, reflecting growing interest in keeping people healthier and more independent as they age.
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