Study: Human lifespans may cap around 150–190 years due to somatic mutations

A computational study from the Skolkovo Institute suggests that, even if other aging processes were eliminated, random somatic DNA mutations could impose a hard ceiling on human lifespan around 146–194 years. The researchers built a mathematical model to quantify how mutation accumulation affects major organs, noting that tissues capable of continual cell replacement (like skin and liver) fare better than long‑lived cells in the heart and brain, which drive the limits. The work doesn’t predict future lifespans but provides a framework to measure the contribution of different aging processes and prioritize research toward a mechanistic theory of aging.