01/09/2026
An engineered enzyme has successfully reversed decades of chemical aging in human tissue, offering a way for true molecular rejuvenation.
For decades, scientists believed that certain chemical markers of aging—specifically the build-up of sugar-damaged proteins known as advanced glycation end-products (AGEs)—were completely permanent.
However, a groundbreaking study published in Nature Communications has shattered this scientific dogma. Researchers from Revel Pharmaceuticals and Calico Life Sciences bioengineered a novel enzyme named 'CMLase' that acts like a microscopic lawnmower, slicing away decades of accumulated glycation damage.
This spontaneous 'browning' process, similar to how bread toasts, stiffens vital human tissues like skin, arteries, and the lenses of our eyes. By screening over 500 million enzyme variants, the team successfully developed a 'new-to-nature' tool capable of restoring damaged proteins to their original, healthy states.
The implications of this proof-of-concept are staggering, particularly for age-reversal science and therapeutics. When applied to donated human tissue in laboratory settings, CMLase reduced aging damage in a 75-year-old donor's arteries by over 70% overnight and restored skin tissues to chemical levels typical of a 31-year-old. While the treatment has not yet been tested on living organisms, it marks a paradigm shift from merely slowing down aging to actively repairing molecular damage that has already occurred. This breakthrough lays the foundation for future therapies targeting not only cosmetic aging, but also severe age-related diseases and chronic diabetic complications.
source: Trabosh, N., Smith, J., Hsu, M. Y. H., Panja, S., Nagaraj, R., Olsson, N., McAllister, F. E., & Cravens, A. (2026). Reversal of protein chemical aging by enzymatic deglycation. Nature Communications, 17(1), 5926.