The source of eternal life has always been a longing of mankind; today, a pill could be close to fulfilling that dream. Celina Halioua, founder and CEO of Cellular Longevity, is convinced that she has found a drug that extends the life of dogs. Everything seems to indicate that after the dogs could begin to dream of this option for humans.
From the Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, located in San Francisco, Halioua works to advance the goal of making dogs live longer. On the second floor of the building, a dozen elderly dogs frolic and rest on their blankets as the sun shines in through the windows. When Celina kneels down, they all come to lay their heads on the lap of their “salvation”.
A pill for “eternal” life
One of the great tragedies in the relationship between humans and dogs is the short life span of canines. Halioua, at 28 years old, is in the “prime” of life and many dogs are not even half that age. In the canine world, moreover, age is inversely related to the size of the dog. Although many dogs must yearn, we would live for years, it is not so. While a poodle or chihuahua can reach 15 years of life, for a Great Dane or bulldog we are talking about 8 years of maximum survival.
In the animal kingdom, the same logic does not apply to size as in the canine world. Here we meet elephants that outlive mice, and these rodents outlive mosquitoes. There, intermingled, is the human race with an increasing life expectancy, but far from what is desired or what one can read in some books, as is the case of the Bible.
Dreaming of more and better years
Halioua hopes that her startup Loyal, which she often has printed on the T-shirts she wears, will “create a change in today’s genetics.” Specifically, Celina intends to correct a mistake made in the bioengineering project of wolves more than 14,000 years old. Her company founded it in 2019 and she is currently the CEO. His major work is focused on delaying the aging of dogs and extending their healthy lifespan.
So far, Halioua has raised about $58 million and has two drugs in development. His greatest ambition is to have, in a few years, his first commercial drug that can be used for any species. On the label, Celina pretends, the pill should indicate that it generates a delay of aging or prolongation of the pet’s life.
While this would already be a great triumph, for Halioua it is a springboard to greater feats. We are talking about similar drugs for use in humans. The anti-aging elixir dates back to the Epic of Gilgamesh and continues these days with different ideas, such as freezing people before a possible resurrection or digitally reincarnated. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not recognized aging as a treatable condition.
