In what may be one of the most profound scientific discoveries of all time, a group of Israeli scientists believe they have successfully reversed the ageing process in a number of older adults. The team from Tel Aviv University and the Shamir Medical Centre have used a unique form of oxygen therapy that has resulted in two key markers of ageing and life expectancy to be reversed.
The two key markers of ageing, telomere length and senescent cell accumulation, were profoundly reversed using the new technique which scientists believe could result in a vastly higher life expectancy. As humans age, telomeres reduce in length and there is a build-up of senescent cells in the body, as a rough rule of thumb the longer your telomeres and the fewer senescent cells your body has the longer you will have left to live.
The trial involved 35 people over the age of 64 who were given Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for 90 minutes a day, 5 days a week, for 3 months. During this process, the subjects were given pure oxygen within a pressurised chamber. On average, telomeres increased by 20% in length and the number of senescent cells decreased by 37%. Scientists believe it is therefore likely that life will be extended at least to a degree in these subjects.
Shai Efrati, the co-author of the study, said of the findings:
"Since telomere shortening is considered the 'Holy Grail' of the biology of ageing, many pharmacological and environmental interventions are being extensively explored in the hopes of enabling telomere elongation. The significant improvement of telomere length shown during and after these unique HBOT protocols provides the scientific community with a new foundation of understanding that ageing can, indeed, be targeted and reversed at the basic cellular-biological level."
While another co-author of the study, Dr. Amir Hadanny, added:
"Until now, interventions such as lifestyle modifications and intense exercise were shown to have some inhibition effect on the expected telomere length shortening. However, what is remarkable to note in our study, is that in just three months of therapy, we were able to achieve such significant telomere elongation – at rates far beyond any of the current available interventions or lifestyle modifications."
This isn't the first group of scientists to claim that they can lengthen telomeres. A company called BioViva claimed in 2015 that the use of their experimental drugs could lengthen telomeres over the space of 5 years. The chief executive of the company went as far to then claim that death was now optional.
If longevity can really be extended, it will have profound effects on our society and our economy, and there will no doubt be a huge debate over who has access to these treatments.
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