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The aging process was biologically reversed for the first time by giving humans oxygen therapy in a pressurized chamber.
Scientists in Israel have shown that they can go back in time in two key areas of the body believed to be responsible for the frailty and ill health that result from aging.
As we age, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, called telomeres, shorten, damaging DNA and disrupting cell replication. At the same time, senescent “zombie” cells accumulate in the body, preventing regeneration.
The increase in telemere length and the elimination of senescent cells are the focus of many anti-aging studies and drugs are being developed to target these areas.
Now, Tel Aviv University scientists have shown that giving pure oxygen to older people while in a hyperbaric chamber increases their telomere length by 20% – a feat that has never been achieved before.
The scientists said the growth could mean that the study participants’ telomeres were now as long as they were 25 years earlier.
The therapy also reduced senescent cells by up to 37%, allowing the regrowth of new healthy cells. Animal studies have shown that the removal of senescent cells prolongs the residual life by more than a third.
“As telomere shortening is considered the ‘Holy Grail’ of the biology of aging, many pharmacological and environmental interventions are being extensively explored in hopes of enabling telomere elongation,” said Professor Shai Efrati of the Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience at Tel Aviv University.
“The significant improvement in telomere length shown during and after these unique protocols provides the scientific community with a new basis for understanding that aging can indeed be targeted and reversed at the basic cellular biological level.”
Many scientists now believe that aging itself is responsible for such important conditions as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, arthritis, cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
It is also known that obesity, smoking, lack of physical activity, vitamin deficiency and inflammation can accelerate the shortening of telomeres, proving that they have a major impact on longevity.
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