Supporting Research for Healthy Longevity Dreams
"Strengthening Position and Image Cleansing" Also Criticized
Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has decided to support longevity research with an annual investment of $1 billion (approximately 1.3 trillion KRW).
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 31st (local time), Saudi Arabia's Hevolution Foundation plans to invest $1 billion annually in aging treatment research within the next 2 to 4 years. The funding will not be used for the foundation's own research but will be allocated to researchers and startups around the world to achieve scientific results and develop pharmaceuticals.
The Hevolution Foundation’s name combines "health" and "evolution," reflecting Crown Prince Mohammed’s vision to extend quality of life. The foundation was established as a nonprofit organization by royal decree in 2018 and began operations in July 2022.
Mahmood Khan, CEO of the Hevolution Foundation, stated that they are approaching aging treatment with a "pioneering spirit" and an unconventional approach. He expressed confidence in bringing together scientists entering aging research as well as those from adjacent fields who may lack specific data but possess problem-solving skills to create synergy.
Khan said the foundation will focus equally on three pillars without prioritization: epigenetic reprogramming to restore aged cells to their former state, autophagy to eliminate damaged organelles within cells, and aging as a biological function that degenerates irreversibly.
He also expressed a desire to quickly invest in identifying biomarkers of aging and conducting large-scale clinical trials for aging treatment using existing pharmaceuticals. These two tasks require enormous resources but are known to be areas where global investment is lacking due to the absence of immediate profits.
Crown Prince bin Salman’s support for the Hevolution Foundation’s activities is interpreted as an effort to expand Saudi Arabia’s international influence under his rule. It also appears to strengthen his position domestically by proposing new industries that improve quality of life and reduce oil dependency, appealing to Saudi Arabia’s youthful population.
However, some opinions suggest that international stereotypes about Saudi Arabia could pose obstacles to the Hevolution Foundation’s activities.
Recently, Saudi Arabia’s investment of $100 million (approximately 132.3 billion KRW) in mixed martial arts as part of its economic structural transformation and its massive funding of global sports have been criticized as attempts to whitewash its image as a country with human rights abuses and backwardness.
In fact, some researchers hesitate to engage with the absolute monarchy that ruthlessly suppresses dissenting voices within the royal family.
Nevertheless, even scientists who were previously wary of relations with Saudi Arabia seem to be opening their minds in light of Saudi funding.
The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) received funding for 18 research projects last year after repeated discussions and has since renewed its financial support.
Stephanie Lederman, Executive Director of AFAR, said, "People (scientists) were initially skeptical, but as they saw us distributing the money (from the Hevolution Foundation), much of that skepticism seemed to disappear."
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