Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his scientists to develop the "world's first" anti-aging vaccine. The project is part of a budget of over 2 trillion rubles ($26 billion) for a national health project that includes the development of an anti-age vaccine for a country facing population decline. Deputy Minister of Science Denis Sekirinsky revealed that researchers have developed a gene therapy targeting the RAGE or Aegon, the cellular trigger linked to biological aging. The goal is to create "the world's first gene therapy drug" specifically designed to block the receptor. The announcement has generated significant global attention, while the US has also been involved in similar anti-aged research.