Researchers identify ultimate biological human lifespan while finding we will never live forever

You might one day live to 190 — but scientists say you’ll never live forever.

Researchers have identified what they believe is the ultimate biological limit of the human lifespan, revealing that even if every known cause of ageing was cured, our bodies would eventually run out of time.

The study found people could one day live an average of between 146 and 194 years — more than double today’s life expectancy — before an unavoidable process finally catches up with them.

The culprit isn’t wrinkles, failing organs or even cancer.

Instead, it’s the slow and relentless buildup of tiny DNA mistakes known as somatic mutations.

These random mutations happen every time cells divide.

While the body repairs most of them, some slip through the cracks, accumulating over decades until they eventually stop cells, tissues and organs from functioning properly.

Scientists from Russia’s Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology built a model to find out what would happen if medicine conquered every other hallmark of ageing.

Their answer was sobering.

Even a perfect anti-ageing treatment couldn’t stop the gradual accumulation of DNA damage, placing what researchers describe as a “hard limit” on human life.

Lead researcher Dmitrii Kriukov said the team wanted to understand how ageing would progress if somatic mutations were the only remaining obstacle.

Their model estimated that, under those conditions, people could expect to live somewhere between 146 and 194 years.

While it’s a dramatic leap from today’s average life expectancy of about 80 years, it still falls well short of immortality.

The researchers said a theoretical maximum lifespan of about 627 years was mathematically possible under extremely unlikely circumstances.

However, they stressed that no human could realistically expect to reach anything close to that age.

The findings also revealed some parts of the body cope with ageing far better than others.

Skin and liver cells continually replace themselves, allowing the organs to recover from damage for decades.

But brain and heart cells are largely irreplaceable, meaning DNA mutations continue building up throughout life.

The research pours cold water on ambitious efforts to defeat ageing altogether.

US biotechnology company Life Biosciences recently received approval to begin human trials aimed at partially reversing ageing in damaged eye cells.

Anti-ageing entrepreneur Bryan Johnson has famously claimed humans may become the first generation that doesn’t die, reportedly spending about $2 million a year on his longevity regime.

But according to the researchers, even revolutionary breakthroughs may only delay the inevitable.

Their findings suggest that while dramatically extending human life may one day be possible, true immortality is likely to remain forever out of reach.