Bryan Johnson Plans to Study His Own Autoimmune Gastritis in Search of a Cure

Bryan Johnson has found his next biohacking challenge, and this time, the subject is his own immune system. Fresh from drawing attention for researching his girlfriend's vaginal microbiome, the tech entrepreneur has announced that he is turning his recently diagnosed autoimmune gastritis into his latest experimental health project.

The 48-year-old founder of the 'Don't Die' movement revealed that his immune system is attacking the lining of his stomach, a rare autoimmune condition known as autoimmune gastritis (AIG). Rather than accepting the diagnosis as a lifelong illness to manage, Johnson says he plans to study the disease using advanced testing, repeat biopsies and extensive biological monitoring in hopes of finding new ways to treat or even cure it.

After Johnson reportedly spent millions of dollars on medical tests, dietary programmes, and experimental treatments, all designed to slow the ageing process, he had become one of the most recognisable advocates in longevity over the years. Despite extensive health monitoring and still developing a chronic autoimmune disorder, Johnson's recent announcement presented a notable contrast, but he reportedly intends to use his diagnosis for another research project.

Years of Hidden Warning Signs

According to Johnson, his AIG diagnosis followed years of health issues that hadn't made much sense. He shared that he was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at 21 and later experienced low ferritin levels, but with the absence of anaemia despite 'taking iron orally, trialling every formulation, and using every timing trick,' adding that 'none of the iron would stick.'

Earlier this year, he proceeded to put together a new healthcare team due to the number of 'stones my previous providers had left unturned,' adding that his low ferritin levels 'kept getting explained away but not fixed.'

At 48, Johnson said his doctors ordered a colonoscopy, which, when it came back clean, was followed by an upper endoscopy. He later revealed his tissue samples confirmed early AIG, a condition he believes had been developing silently for years, linking it to both his thyroid disease and chronic iron deficiency before finally getting diagnosed this year.

Autoimmune Gastritis: What Is It?

According to the Autoimmune Institute, autoimmune gastritis or AIG is a rare disorder affecting only 0.5% to 4.5% of adults worldwide that can stay undetected for years because its early stages don't produce noticeable symptoms.

The condition causes antibodies to attack acid-producing cells in the stomach lining and can lead to iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies, anaemia, and an increased risk of certain stomach cancers and neuroendocrine tumours if not properly monitored.

Johnson noted that he and his medical team will be trying to solve the autoimmune disorder with routine monitoring of his ferritin, iron, and B12 levels and with 'advanced characterisation of the disease' through a repeat biopsy. According to Johnson, for many conditions, modern medicine focuses on management rather than a cure.

'In the age of AI, multiomics, and custom-built DNA, proteins, and cells, no condition should be presumed incurable simply because no one has yet tried to cure it with today's stack,' Johson stated in his lengthy post on X.

For Johnson, whose public identity was built around his ideals to extend human lifespan, the diagnosis reflects how even with some of the world's most intensive health monitoring and medical oversight, he is now facing a lifelong condition. Still, Johnson insists the diagnosis reinforces his philosophy that understanding one's health requires persistent investigation.