What Is Minicircle? Bryan Johnson's Honduras Gene Therapy Company From Netflix's Don't Die Explained

Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever is Netflix's new documentary film about Bryan Johnson's anti-aging attempts, and here's what the Minicircle gene therapy company actually is. The Netflix documentary film presents the lengths that Bryan Johnson is willing to go in order to reverse his aging and extend his lifespan, with the film delving into all kinds of odd and unique medications and treatments. However, one of the most notable treatments involves the Honduras-based Minicircle company, and here is everything that Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever says about it.

Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever is all about Bryan Johnson, the wealthy tech entrepreneur who has now become more focused on anti-aging and life-expansion technologies. Johnson has gone viral on social media since launching his health organization Project Blueprint in 2021, with his interesting and sometimes controversial methods putting him in the spotlight. Bryan Johson notably gets plasma transfusions with his son and father, which has gotten him a fair bit of criticism online, although that is not the most mysterious subject of the new Netflix documentary film.

Minicircle Is A Gene Therapy Company That Claims To Provide Reversible Gene Therapy

Bryan Johnson Uses It In Don't Die

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In Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever, the documentary crew follows Bryan Johnson to Honduras where he undergoes treatments at a company called Minicircle. Minicircle is a biotechnology research company that claims to provide reversible gene therapy, with Bryan Johnson being one of their customers. According to the documentary, most gene therapy implants into the DNA, meaning that it is irreversible. Minicircle claims that its gene therapy does not implant into the DNA, allowing the process to be reversed through the use of a kill switch and some other complicated techniques.

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According to the Minicircle website, the company offers two main types of gene therapy: klotho gene therapy and follistatin gene therapy. According to the website, klotho gene therapy has been shown to "have potential in slowing or reversing age-related cognitive decline, chronic kidney disease, and pancreatic cancer, while follistatin gene therapy "is widely cited as a good candidate for an investigational therapy of sarcopenia, ALS, and FSHMD." Follistatin gene therapy is what the Netflix documentary focuses on when exploring Minicircle, as this is the treatment that Bryan Johnson undergoes.

Why Minicircle Is Based In Honduras (& Not The United States)

It Has To Do With The Law

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Bryan Johnson has to go to Honduras in order to undergo treatment from Minicircle, which may be strange to some viewers, as most of the Minicircle employees seen in the documentary seem to be American. However, Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever explains why the company is based in Honduras. Minicircle can be found in the city of Próspera, a special economic zone that is ran by venture capitalists. This means that Minicircle isn't subject to the regulations seen in many other parts of the world, with them only having to operate under an ethics review board.

Since much of Minicircle's technology is experimental, the documentary implies that it is not legal to use some of it in places like the United States. However, a Minicircle representative who is featured in the documentary explains that Minicircle would eventually like to do trials in the United States. Despite this, legal and bureaucratic issues will have to be taken care of first, with the company instead putting its focus on what it can do while based in Honduras.

Don't Die Claims That Bryan Johnson's Gene Therapy Increased His Muscle Mass By 7%

Showing That It Has Had An Effect On Johnson

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Bryan Johnson undergoes follistatin gene therapy throughout Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever, and the film touches on the results of this therapy. According to the documentary, follistatin gene therapy has the potential to be used on bodybuilders thanks to its effects on muscle mass, with Bryan Johnson hoping to benefit in this way.

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Just before the credits of the Netflix documentary, text reads "six months after receiving follistatin gene therapy, Bryan's muscle mass increased by 7%." So, at least according to the documentary, the treatment has had a positive effect on Bryan Johnson. However, there are still a lot of questions surrounding the efficacy of Bryan Johnson's treatments and his anti-aging project as a whole. Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever raises and answers a lot of questions, with the Minicircle company being one of the documentary's biggest mysteries.