Russian President Vladimir Putin intensified support for a $26 billion anti-aging research programme aimed at extending human lifespan and if possible, achieving immortality.
The research leans on unorthodox methods like growing human organs inside pigs, organ printing and limited exposure to ultra-low temperatures, a report by the Wall Street Journal stated.
Mr Putin, 73, has long been fascinated with the idea of immortality and is willing to pour billions of dollars into slowing the health decline that comes with old age.
To that end, he appointed brilliant scientists who are engaging two strategies to achieve human organ replacement by 2030: growing human organs in mini-pigs tested and found genetically compatible with humans and 3D-printing of human tissue also known as bioprinting.
The initiative “represents one of the most promising avenues in the fight against aging,” The Journal cited Denis Sekirinsky, Russia’s deputy science minister, as saying on April 23.
At the epicentre of the $26 billion longevity initiative are Mr Putin’s endocrinologist daughter, Maria Vorontsova and top physicist Mikhail Kovalchuk.
Mr Kovalchuk was keen to increase the body’s capacity for self-repair, saying that while immortality might seem far-fetched, enhancing the body’s ability to heal was a realistic goal.
“It is difficult to discuss immortality but the ability to repair man will undoubtedly increase,” said Mr Kovalchuk.
In September 2025, leaders of Russia, China, and North Korea were caught in a brief hot-mic session discussing the possibility of immortality.
“Human organs can be constantly transplanted, to the extent that people can get younger, perhaps even immortal,” Mr Putin was overheard saying in a private conversation with his Chinese and North Korean counterparts.
Mr Putin’s anti-aging ambition appeared to be no mere bluff as the Russian federation last month announced a new gene-therapy treatment designed to slow anti-aging.
The project was part of Mr Putin’s $26 billion “New Health Preservation Technologies,” an initiative aimed at improving the quality of human life and reducing untimely deaths.
The initiative includes the creation of human organs for transplantation.
