Harold Katcher, inventor of the world's oldest lab rat

Who we're talking about: Harold Katcher, the chief scientific officer of Yuvan Research, a longevity startup. Katcher is also a professor of biology at the University of Maryland, and seems to have had a very varied academic history, having taught astronomy, physical science, and mathematics.

And the news is: Katcher's lab is behind last month's announcement that old mice can be rejuvenated by young pig blood. The same paper actually explained what it was in the blood that caused rejuvenation — extracellular vesicles, which I've written about here.

Why this is a big deal: Experts in the field of longevity say that Katcher's E5 is the most promising line of research in the longevity field. Previously, Katcher had used this same treatment to reverse epigenetic age in rats by 50%. The world's oldest lab rat, Sima, achieved her record longevity by being treated with E5 in Katcher's lab.

What's next? Katcher has had several milestone results over the past year, plus his lab has been more forthcoming about the proprietary contents of E5. Yuvan Research announced recently that they have received funding to test E5 in dogs. This research is expected to start immediately. If everything goes well, trials of E5 in humans will start next year.