The World’s Most Genetically Modified Person

Science is where curiosity, ambition, and innovation meet.

Liz Parrish, founder and CEO of BioViva Science, is spearheading a campaign against the greatest killer on the planet. She stands, unvexed by criticism and convention, in the vanguard of bringing tomorrow’s treatments to those who need them today.

Her journey began when her son was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes.

She recounts, “I was not a longevity person. I wasn’t trying to live forever. I was trying to translate cures to kids. And by pounding the pavement, and looking and seeing what was happening in research, I realized we can help these kids live longer and find cures while helping billions of people live longer.”

This culminated in BioViva, its patent-pending gene therapies, and its CMV gene delivery technology.

Joining a long list of illustrious mavericks in medicine, Liz took matters into her own hands when she became the first person to take gene therapy to treat biological aging.

In fact, she took two gene therapies in 2015: follistatin and telomerase. The former to address sarcopenia (age-related muscular atrophy) and the latter to lengthen her telomeres.

Parrish states, “Today, we are living longer than ever–which is great. But the caveat is that this means we are also in ill-health longer than ever…Biological aging is the biggest killer on the planet.”

Not only does this impact individuals, but the effects of chronic illness ripple: from family members who have to watch their loved ones struggle to already strained healthcare agencies buckling under the burden of aging populations.

Parrish also took Klotho and PGC-1α gene therapies in 2020.

Klotho, the queen of anti-aging proteins, is pivotal to maintaining mineral balance, warding off vascular calcification, and protecting our hearts. Reduced levels contribute to accelerated aging and kidney disease. It also shows tremendous promise in neuroprotection and cognitive enhancement.

“Like telomerase, Klotho is an amazingly versatile protein. Of any single gene to date, it is mostly closely associated with IQ; my IQ increased by 10 points after taking Klotho.” Parrish said, “…what we’re aiming for are therapeutics that work on many systems simultaneously.”

PGC-1α is the master of mitochondrial biogenesis–it tells our cells to make more mitochondria.

As the powerhouses of our cells, mitochondria are paramount. Dysfunction and degeneration are linked to fatigue, mood swings, aging skin, and cardiovascular diseases.

By stimulating the creation of new mitochondria, PGC-1α spreads the workload: enhancing cellular efficiency, reducing oxidative stress, and promoting healthier aging.

This is vital for weight management, regulating inflammation, and staving off neurodegenerative disorders.

Liz’s results speak for themselves.

Her C-reactive protein levels are extremely low, an excellent indicator of reduced inflammation. Her post-treatment blood glucose control is exemplary.

This is partially due to the follistatin gene therapy and an increase in muscle mass. The MRI below shows this has occurred alongside a reduction in marbling (fat) in her thighs. This enhancement is more than cosmetic; it has lastingly uplifted her metabolic health.

Before treatment her age — as measured by her telomere length — was 62. She was 45.

Now nearly nine years later, according to independent tests from multiple labs, her telomeres are longer than a healthy 25-year-old’s. No adverse side-effects have been observed (Sewell, 2022).

In animal models, telomere restoration consistently improves healthspans. More recently, telomerase delivered with BioViva’s proprietary CMV platform extended the median lifespans of mice by 41.4% (de Jesus, 2011; Jaijyan, 2022).

In a 2022 presentation, Parrish put BioViva’s mission into perspective, “[BioViva’s] job is to take the big risk, to get out there, because the most important thing is that this technology gets to you. I am fighting for the future…your genetic rights.”

Parrish wrote in a recent journal article, “My goal is to streamline the regulatory approval process of gene therapies with early patient access and subsequent data analysis. I founded BioViva in 2015 to make better therapeutics and analyze data from clinics around the world.”

Despite pushback, Liz Parrish continues to fight for our brilliant future. She does this through BioViva and initiatives like Best Choice Medicine.

Best Choice Medicine may be instrumental in delivering better therapeutics to those who need them. Proposed by William Andrews and Liz Parrish, BCM is a model for expanding patient access.

Best Choice Medicine is designed to improve safety standards while reducing red tape to get new therapeutics to those who need them when they need them.

BCM is a compassionate and patient-centered approach. These terms are bandied about, but what is more compassionate than giving someone a chance at life, or a chance to truly live again?

Liz’s inspiring ethos is reminiscent of the words of Renaissance Humanist, Pico della Mirandola, “Let a holy ambition enter our souls; let us not be content with mediocrity, but rather strive after the highest and expend all our strength in achieving it…”

And BioViva continues to strive for a better tomorrow.

Authored by Adam Alonzi and Ryan Hall

Adam is a writer, independent researcher, award-winning author, and video maker. He is the Marketing Director for BioViva Science. Visit adamalonzi.com for more.

Ryan is an independent writer, and an avid enthusiast of emerging technologies.

He received his University education at Northern Michigan University, as a history major, where he was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society for academic excellence. While in Michigan, he also trained as an athlete at the United States Olympic Education Center, where he achieved the status of a multiple-time University All-American in Greco-Roman wrestling.

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