Good morning. It’s May 31. The naked mole rat is, objectively, one of the ugliest creatures on earth. No fur. Near-translucent skin. Teeth that could keep a dentist in business for a decade.

It also lives for 41 years - ten times longer than any rodent its size - and barely develops cancer.

Scientists just figured out how to steal its secret. Let's talk about that.

The rundown for this week:

Let’s get to it. 👇

Hi, I’m Sebastian, the new owner of Stayin’ Alive - The Longevity Digest. I won’t change much - Ethan has already done an amazing job of growing this community to 24k readers and writing up super interesting editions.

These sections are new though:

LONGEVITY BIZ -> updates on longevity start-ups and significant funding and takeovers in the sector. I believe this business aspect of longevity is important to see how the field is maturing.

BIOHACK BOOKS 📖 -> your ‘‘Book of the Week’’ section. I summarize the latest & greatest longevity/biohacking books for you so you can decide if it’s worth reading.

Expect also more content on blue zones, longevity travel destinations, supplements, wearables, preventative medicine, and practical tips to optimize for longevity in all aspects of your life (even under-the-radar domains like clothing, swimming, building materials, air quality measurements, etc.).

Little bit about me: growing up on a farm it was like our own mini blue zone of longevity. Fresh water from the well, no processed foods, air filtered by the surrounding forests.

Once I moved to the big city I realized I needed to learn more about longevity to keep the same health span among the bad health effects of city life.

Tossing out non-stick pans, avoiding chlorine pools, tracking biomarkers and diving into supplements - it was just the start of the journey…

Looking forward to send this newsletter to the moon and continue giving you the best content on longevity and biohacking!

A topical drug just cleared zombie cells from aging skin - 80% wound closure by day 24 vs. 56% in untreated animals, pointing to a new path for surgical prep and chronic wound treatment. ScienceDaily

Insilico Medicine and Human Longevity Inc. are building an AI model dedicated entirely to longevity science - a partnership that could dramatically accelerate how fast new longevity targets get identified and validated. Longevity.Technology

A protein called TTP puts the brakes on chronic aging-related inflammation - mice with stabilized levels showed stronger bones and lower frailty scores across the board. ScienceDaily

Telomerase has a second job nobody fully mapped until now - new research shows it protects immune cells from chronic inflammation and metabolic disease, not just maintains telomere length. UTHealth Houston

Two weeks of eating grapes daily rewrote how skin genes express themselves - with measurable improvements in UV protection at the genetic level. The grocery store might be your best biohack. ScienceDaily

What do you get when you cross the world's ugliest rodent with the world's most ambitious biologists?

A genuine breakthrough.

Native to East Africa, naked mole rats can live over 41 years - making them the undisputed longevity champions of the rodent world. They rarely develop cancer. They maintain strong health well into old age. And they do it all without a single supplement.

Their secret? Among other things, a molecule called high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HMW-HA).

Researchers at the University of Rochester identified that naked mole rats produce HMW-HA in unusually high quantities, thanks to a variant of a gene called HAS2 (hyaluronan synthase 2). In a landmark study now drawing major renewed attention, the team transferred the naked mole rat version of HAS2 into ordinary mice.

The mice got healthier. And they lived longer.

The science breakdown:

No human drug yet. But the blueprint is now on the table.

Nature spent millions of years running the R&D. We're just finally learning to read the results.

👉 SciTechDaily deep dive

For decades, beauty has focused on quick fixes: what you put on your skin. But the most radiant glow, strongest hair, and healthiest aging begin from within.

Introducing Pique's Carrara Marine Collagen, a true breakthrough in beauty. This first-of-its-kind formula combines Type I marine collagen for visible radiance with rare Type II collagen from wild Hokkaido salmon to support deeper structural resilience. Enhanced with biotin and micronized pearl powder, Carrara helps promote smoother, more luminous skin, stronger hair and nails, and whole-body vitality.

Designed for superior absorption, you'll see results faster than with traditional collagen. Its rich coconut cream base transforms your daily routine into something indulgent. More ritual than supplement, it elevates even your morning coffee or matcha.

This is collagen, completely reimagined. Not just glow but structure. Not just results but longevity. A new foundation for beauty, built from within. 🧜‍♀️✨

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Longevity is getting serious money, and serious results to match.

Retro Biosciences, seeded with $180 million from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, closed a new funding round this week at a $1.8 billion valuation. The company's mission - add 10 healthy years to the human lifespan - is no longer just a pitch deck premise.

Their first human clinical trial, targeting autophagy to combat Alzheimer's disease, is proceeding without safety flags.

Think of autophagy as your cells' built-in housekeeping service - it breaks down the damaged, worn-out junk cluttering up the place and recycles it into fresh building materials, because apparently even your biology figured out that hoarding is bad for you.

CEO Joe Betts-LaCroix told STAT News things are going "super good," with early data expected around August 2026.

If the trial holds, it would be among the most significant early-stage longevity medicine milestones in years.

👉 Full story via STAT News

You know a field has crossed into the mainstream when Harvard Health Publishing dedicates a Special Health Report to it.

This week, Harvard released "Pathways to Longevity" - a doctor-reviewed, consumer-facing guide to healthy aging edited by Dr. David Barzilai, a longevity physician who also lectures at Harvard Medical School. At $29, it's aimed at curious general readers, not lab scientists. And that's exactly the point.

The key takeaways:

For those of us already in the longevity space, it won't break new ground. But as Dr. Barzilai put it: "The field is moving beyond isolated claims and toward a framework that asks better questions."

Think of it as the perfect thing to hand your skeptical relatives. Harvard said it. Argue with them.

👉 Get the Harvard report

Confirmed sponsorships are filling up ad slots fast. To promote your longevity / biohacking product to our niche audience, download the media kit and get in touch with Sebastian at [email protected]

The man who put butter in his coffee is back with a simple argument: you're working too hard for too little biological return. Asprey's T.A.P. framework (Target a system, Assess your baseline, Perform the right inputs) is built around the idea that the body has built-in upgrade pathways - and that hitting the right triggers beats grinding every time. For anyone who's ever burned out trying to be healthy, this one lands.

👉 Get Smarter Not Harder

Bryan Johnson just ‘‘cloned’’ himself. Meet Kate Tolo - the most measured woman on earth.

Why? Most (longevity) medicine is still tested on men.

Do cold plunging, a good ol’ sauna sesh, fasting, fertility, and stress hit women and men the same? Spoiler: it probably doesn't.

Keep reading.👇🏼