#32 “Medical malpractice”: Matt Kaeberlein on biological age tests

One idea I’ve had lately is to put together a list of people to trust in geroscience and the longevity field more broadly. (And I might do it - keep an eye on reachlevity.com

- and subscribe while you’re at it!)

Matt Kaeberlein would not only make that list - he’d likely be right at the top. He’s rigorous, precise in his wording, and always puts integrity ahead of hype. But, and this is important, I wouldn’t characterize him as a skeptic. He’s a realist who insists on evidence, yet at the same time he’s visionary and deeply optimistic about what aging science can deliver.

Matt is probably best known for his pioneering work on rapamycin and for co-founding the Dog Aging Project. In this episode, though, we also talk about Optispan - his proactive healthcare company - and Ora Biomedical, where the WormBot platform is screening thousands of interventions for effects on lifespan. We get into therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), how artificial intelligence might accelerate discovery, and even his favorite science fiction books.

And true to form, Matt doesn’t hold back. He calls out irresponsible use of biological age tests - going so far as to label it “medical malpractice” - and criticizes hype-driven actors, sloppy science communication, and the inertia of institutions like the NIH. At the same time, he shows how rigorous, honest work could move the entire field forward.

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Teaser

01:38 Introduction to Dr. Matt Kaeberlein

11:50 mTOR and rapamycin

21:37 The Dog Aging Project

51:08 Personal experiences with rapamycin

01:05:33 The inertia of the NIH

01:08:54 The right to try law and access to experimental therapies

01:13:21 Ora Biomedical and The WormBot Platform

01:21:41 The role of AI in longevity research

01:28:29 Optispan: A new approach to proactive healthcare

01:33:56 Biological age tests

01:39:39 Therapeutic plasma exchange: A personal experience

01:46:39 Book recommendations

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Get all LEVITY DeSci content here: reachlevity.com/t/desci (sorry about the wrong link in the episode)

📕 Check out Patrick's book: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262543163/the-case-against-death/

📗 Check out Peter's book (only available in Swedish): https://www.adlibris.com/sv/bok/evigt-ung-min-och-manniskans-drom-om-ododligheten-9789179652524

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Show notes for this episode will be available soon after this airs. Sign up for the LEVITY newsletter to get them straight to your inbox: reachlevity.com/subscribe

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