Elsa Logarinho, Scientist at i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde - “Within a decade,antiageing vaccines may well exist”

Elsa Logarinho, a biochemist and research scientist at i3S – Instituto de Investigação e InovaçãoemSaúde (Institute for Health Research and Innovation), is leading an international project in Portugal funded with three million Euros from the European Research Council to study the molecular mechanisms of ageing. She explains to Villas&Golfe how her team’s work might pave the way for new therapies and potential preventive measures, in a conversation about science, longevity and the limits of what can still be achieved.

Tell us a little about your professional and academic background. What attracted you to science?
I have a degree in Biochemistry from the University of Porto and I chose this course because I already had a feeling that I wanted to do research, to study the biomolecules in our bodies. I had a passion for nucleic acids, for DNA, for genetic information. I followed my career path naturally; nothing was planned. At the time of my degree project, I got involved with the former Centre for Experimental Cytology at the University of Porto, and there I got to work with Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly. This was followed by a PhD in the same field, then seven years in academia. I have never truly left science, but a teaching career in Portugal is a full-time commitment, unlike in other countries. Being in teaching was a very good experience, but I wanted to return to full-time research. In the meantime, I held a postdoctoral research position and in 2015 I set up my own research group and decided to devote myself to a completely different field: the study of ageing. I started at the former Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, which later moved to the building that is now home to i3S. I am currently Group Leader and Lead Researcher.

In 2025, you were awarded a €3 million grant from the European Research Council to study ageing as part of the international scientific project CenAGE, which you lead in Portugal. How did this affect you personally, and what does it really mean for Portugal?
European Research Council grants are extremely competitive and prestigious, intended for ground-breaking projects – original ideas and questions that few would ask. This funding supports basic research, in this case on ageing, which people often associate with its aesthetic aspect, but what we are actually studying is the group of molecular processes that determine the rate at which we age. This is a synergy grant, meaning a joint application by researchers whose idea can only be brought to fruition by combining their expertise. In the year we applied, there were more than 700 applications, with several selection stages, so this achievement – shared with two researchers from the Curie Institute in France – was huge and required a great deal of work. For me, this funding is particularly meaningful, given the state of science in Portugal, which is plagued by low investment, low approval rates and small-scale projects. Carrying out competitive research in Portugal is like making an omelette without eggs. This support will enable access to advanced methodologies, expand the team and recruit more specialised staff, capable of developing the project to the highest standard.

«[…] This funding is particularly meaningful, given the state of science in Portugal, which is plagued by low investmento […].»

What is the ultimate goal of this project and this research grant? What has been developed since then?
The focus of this study is our genome, or in other words, our DNA. Today you can already sequence our genome, but there are some small regions that remained unknown, which were never possible to sequence or understand what they were: the centromeres. These are very important areas because they are particularly unstable. They are prone to mutation and changes in the number of repetitive sequences. They also exhibit a high degree of epigenetic regulation, which is linked to how responses to any type of stress are formed. With new sequencing methods, to which we have access thanks to this funding, we have been able to properly map these regions, characterise them and observe how they change with age. To achieve this, we will focus on immune system cells, as we have already gathered some evidence that this DNA is particularly prone to alteration in immune system cells. Viruses are particularly fond of altering these regions, which means that throughout our lives, whenever we become infected, these viruses are leaving scars in different regions of our genome.

That being the case, what is the relationship between the immune system and ageing?
We now know that ageing of the immune system and changes in the DNA of immune cells have a major impact on the rate of ageing. As we age, these cells decline in number and effectiveness. We have observed that centromeres undergo changes over the course of this process, and this may be one of the causes of these changes. At the same time as we lose immune cells that fight infections, a type of pro-inflammatory cell increases, generating a state of chronic inflammation associated with age –inflammaging. An imbalance occurs: defence cell numbers decrease whilst inflammatory cells increase, which is also related to autoimmunity. As these cells circulate throughout the body, they end up sending signals that affect other tissues, leading to organ ageing. To take care of the immune system, calorie restriction, adequate sleep and physical exercise are helpful. Fasting, for example, promotes a cellular ‘reset’, activating autophagy, a process in which the cell recycles waste to generate new components. In recent years, research into ageing has made great strides in the field of the immune system. The development of innovative approaches is now being envisaged, such as vaccines that can delay ageing, many based on the inhibition of inflammatory molecules. Within a decade, anti-ageing vaccines may well exist.

“Ageing can be delayed, but reversing it is another matter.”

What could this mean if the project proves successful?
This project’s approach is ground-breaking, focusing on a specific region of the genome that has been little explored to date. Our aim is to clarify the role of repetitive DNA in cellular ageing, demonstrate its importance in regulating the immune system, and carry out pre-clinical validation to assess whether modulating these regions could delay ageing in animal models. This is the plan for six years of work. First and foremost, it is our intention to generate knowledge that can be converted into new applications, therapies and potential preventive measures.

Is ageing uniform throughout the body?
From what we can tell, no. We are now able to measure biological age using various methods, which allows us to assess life trajectory and the risk of age-related comorbidities. These measurements include epigenetic clocks, based on DNA, and others based on biochemical indicators. Studies show that the organs that contribute most to healthy longevity are the brain and those associated with the immune system. People with a lower biological age in these organs, even if less favourable in others, tend to enjoy healthier longevity.

So, are we able to conclude with certainty that we can delay ageing? And reverse it?
Ageing can be delayed, but reversing it is another matter. It has been difficult to prove such a reversal, even when we manage to slow down the process, biological age tends to stabilise at the point at which treatment begins, without actually decreasing. To delay ageing, we work on epigenetics. To reverse it would involve intervening in genetics, a complex field that raises profound questions about the human species itself. Even so, there are examples of programmed ageing, such as the menopause or the development of the thymus, which could serve as a reference for actual reversal. Today, the focus is on healthy longevity, not maximum longevity. I do not advocate transhumanism; the goal is to live better, not necessarily longer. It is already clear that we have managed to delay ageing, but there is still no anti-ageing medicine as such. It is not standardised, nor is there formal medical specialisation in this area. Ageing should be recognised as a medical condition, subject to diagnosis and monitoring. At present, however, everything is still proceeding without clear guidelines.

“Ageing should be recognised as a medical condition, subject to diagnosis and monitoring.”

How are you trying to delay your own ageing? What are your habits to this end?
I take certain precautions, particularly with regard to what I eat: I avoid processed foods and favour a varied diet based on fresh produce. I don’t restrict my calorie intake much… though I probably should. At this stage, I have to admit that I don’t always manage to get enough sleep. I’m also careful about sun exposure. It’s healthy, but too much can cause DNA mutations, as the skin – ourlargest organ – communicates with the whole body. Half an hour a day is enough to get the vitamin D you need.

As a scientist, what legacy would you like to leave behind? What is your greatest dream?
I don’t dream of Nobel Prizes or things like that, but I would like to leave behind a school. I often tell my team: keep asking new questions – that is the scientific method. I want our discoveries to generate more knowledge and lead to new therapies. I also do a lot of outreach in science, seeking to engage people in these areas. Finally, I would like to see a properly regulated medicine for longevity come into being.

“I want our discoveries to generate more knowledge and lead to new therapies.”

Text: Carla Martins
Photos: Ana Nogueira