Scientists Can Reverse Aging in Mice, But Can They Do it for Humans?

On Nov. 28, a group of Harvard University researchers published results from a tantalizing study in the online edition of the journal Nature. Their experiment involved mice who were genetically engineered to lack telomerase -- an enzyme that maintains protective DNA caps on the end of chromosomes. People (and mice) with long caps, called telomeres, tend to live longer than those with short caps. Without the protective enzyme, these poor Harvard mice die at around six months of age.

So the Harvard team bred a new batch of prematurely aging mice, and at six months, they used a special drug to flip on the telomerase gene. The result? Magic. The mice became young again, regaining their fertility, sprouting new neurons in their brains and more.

This study will likely fuel the already burgeoning interest in studying telomerase as an anti-aging remedy. Academic scientists and drug companies all over the world are looking for ways to preserve or even lengthen telomeres. "This will no doubt inspire efforts to further understand the telomere gene," predicts the paper's coauthor Ronald DePinho, director of the Belfer Institute at Harvard's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "It's the first time an aged state has been reversed in an animal."

Even though such research is in its infancy, some anti-aging entrepreneurs have already jumped onto the market with products that purport to lengthen telomeres. In 2009, I came across TA Sciences, a New York company that at the time was charging $25,000 a year for an herbal supplement that the founder believed could activate telomerase. It was an extract from astragalus, a plant harvested in Mongolia. The biotechnology company Geron had originally discovered the substance, but decided not to pursue it as a product, and instead licensed it to Patton, who developed it into a nutraceutical called TA-65.

The founder of TA Sciences swore by the supplement. "I don't want to exaggerate or whatever, but I feel younger now and more energetic and quicker than I did when I started all this," he told me in a 2009 interview. He had little data to show the herbal extract actually lengthened telomeres, though.

Such enthusiasm for unproven science worries DePinho. "Our study did not address normal aging in any form," he cautions. To do that, he adds, scientists would need to engineer a different sort of mouse with a telomerase gene that's always on, and then study whether that impacts its healthy lifespan. And it could take years or even decades to translate mouse research into usable therapies for humans.

The evidence that anything currently on the market can lengthen telomeres, DePinho adds, "is close to zero."

Another concern is that boosting telomerase too much may play a role in cancer. In fact, some companies--including Geron--are pursuing the idea that inhibiting the enzyme's activity may actually help treat cancer.

Nevertheless, a Google search for "astragalus" or "telomerase" brings up dozens of companies selling supplements that promise to keep you young. My advice? Wait for the science to catch up to the hype before you waste your money on these unproven products. DePinho's tips: "You can reduce DNA damage by controlling obesity and diabetes, not smoking, exercising. People can control a lot when it comes to enhancing their lives as they age--but it's the basic stuff."

 

 

 

Follow Arlene Weintraub on Twitter: www.twitter.com/awjourn

Comments

[jeffreydachmd]

07:20 AM on 12/08/2010

Arlene, There is really no need for genetic engineering to activate telomerase as was done in the Depinho mouse model. There is about 20 years of research on Telomere activation. There are two receptors for estrogen on the TERT gene which controls this process. Whether you happen to be a human being or a mouse, the best way to increase telomerase activity, lengthen the telomeres and reverse aging is with the human bioidentic­al hormone, 17-Beta-Es­tradiol, also known as estrogen. In 1999, Kyo demonstrat­ed that 17-Beta-Es­tradiol activates telomerase via direct and indirect effects on the hTERT promoter region. This was confirmed in 2000 by Silvia Misiti and again in 2009 by Rodrigo T. Calado from the NIH A recent December 2010 study from Imanishi from Japan showed that 17-Beta-Es­tradiol (estrogen) augments telomerase activity, thereby accelerati­ng recovery after injury and reducing the effects of aging (reducing senescence­). If this isn't a descriptio­n of anti-aging effects, I don't know what is.

For more see:

http://jef­freydach.c­om/2010/12­/03/anti-a­ging-break­through-wi­th-telomer­ase-knocko­ut-mice-by­-jeffrey-d­ach-md.asp­x

regards, jeffrey dach md

[jeffreydachmd]

10:13 AM on 12/10/2010

Here is the working link: AntiAging Breakthrough

http://disc.yourwebapps.com/disc-maint.cgi?id=244067

jeffrey dach md

[jeffreydachmd]

09:31 AM on 12/07/2010

What Activates Telomerase ? Whether you happen to be a human being or a mouse, the most logical and effective way to increase telomerase activity, lengthen the telomeres and reverse aging is with the human bioidentical hormone, 17-Beta-Estradiol, also known as estrogen.

In 1999, Kyo demonstrated that 17-Beta-Estradiol activates telomerase via direct and indirect effects on the hTERT promoter region. This was confirmed in 2000 by Silvia Misiti and again in 2009 by Rodrigo T. Calado from the NIH

A recent December 2010 study from Imanishi from Japan showed that 17-Beta-Estradiol (estrogen) augments telomerase activity, thereby accelerating recovery after injury and reducing the effects of aging (reducing senescence). If this isn't a description of anti-aging effects, I don't know what is.

An important study in Circulation 2006 found that 17-Beta Estradiol enhances recovery after heart attacks by augmenting incorporation of endothelial stem cells and inducing new collateral vessels in the ischemic myocardium. This beneficial effect is related to telomerase activation of the Endothelial Progentior cells.

For more see:
http://jeffreydach.com/2010/12/03/anti-aging-breakthrough-with-telomerase-knockout-mice-by-jeffrey-dach-md.aspx

jeffrey dach md

[jeffreydachmd]

10:37 AM on 12/10/2010

Here is the corrected link:

http://disc.yourwebapps.com/discussion.cgi?disc=244067;article=6

jeffrey dach md

[peterz]

09:38 PM on 12/03/2010

this is misleading...they accelerated aging by supressing a gene which affects the amount ot telemorase production and then turned that gene back on...

supressing and turning many other genes would also have aging and anit-aging effects.

What they need to show is an intervention that reverses aging in a normal middle-aged animal...

[lonewolf333]

04:03 AM on 12/21/2010

This isn't misleading. What you call "normal" aging is really a subjective term and timeframe. Why do dogs and mice age faster than humans, and exhibit the same characteristics as an old human at their "old" age? You could say that they age artificially fast, or us, artificially slow. Regardless of if they sped up the aging process to begin with, they've proven to be able to slow it down or actually reverse it, which is definitely a start.

[emerywood]

11:32 PM on 12/02/2010

Wondered why they didn't do this on monkeys. At least, we are closer to monkeys. There had been too many findings in mice which didn't pan out in other mammals. But, I guess even scientists have to make
a living.

[peterz]

09:39 PM on 12/03/2010

well, certain genes are conserved across species, which means they have the same effect....could be this is a conserved gene...

[Norwegiano]

10:00 AM on 12/02/2010

This is hype for hype's sake. Remember...they scientifically "aged" these mice by restricting telomeres (the regulating ends of DNA strands that control cell replication processes) from their genetic codes. So - of course - when these telomeres are introduced to the mice their vitality was increased and so was their "longevity".

NOT the key to expanding human life.

We are much more likely to see advances in reversing the aging process by studying the enzymes that are produced when a DNA strand is damaged, specifically in how they work to repair damages to the cells themselves.

Telomeres are definitely a part of the aging process and should (and will) be looked at carefully to help us develop therapies for degenerative diseases such as ALS, Parkinsons, and perhaps cancer, so it is definitely a step in the right direction...but longevity? Not even close.

[grm1984]

12:57 AM on 12/02/2010

This seems like wasted time and resources to me. Why can't people just embrace life and accept that death happens?

[LynneSpreen]

07:54 AM on 12/02/2010

Grm1984, I agree. And I wrote a funny, short blog post about it here:
http://anyshinything.com/2010/12/02/old-is-good/
I hope you'll stop by and comment.

[Foodgrade]

09:06 PM on 12/02/2010

Because if we had done that, life expectancy would still be 30, and we'd all be 4 feet tall.

[TaiJi2]

12:17 PM on 12/03/2010

You say that like it's a bad thing!

[jgarma]

05:58 PM on 12/01/2010

You have a sceptical point of view and it's admirable.

There is some solid science out there though that points to, if not age defying, then age mitigating possibilities.

From my reading, calorie restriction is the most proven, but good luck implementing that one. Then there's supplements like resveratrol, alpha lipoic acid and acetyl-l-carnitine, and good old fashion muscle development (strange but true according to a recent study about a protein called “HSP10”).

More info about these...

Resveratrol: http://www.garmaonhealth.com/2009/08/age-slower/
Muscle making: http://www.garmaonhealth.com/2010/05/muscles-longevity/

[fiberoptimist]

03:43 PM on 12/01/2010

Geron (ticker GERN), the discover of telomerase, is conducting FDA trials on numerous cancer treatments and vaccines that inhibit cancer stem cell telomeres. Tumors are cells that don't know when to call it quits.

http://www.geron.com/products/productinformation/cancerdrug.aspx

[Max Shaw]

03:05 PM on 12/01/2010

I am thrilled to hear this..I really hope this leads to somthing promising.

[WorkhelpWorkhelp]

12:32 AM on 12/02/2010

It only will if Big Pharma can make a trillion. Otherwise - keep on dreaming.

[Max Shaw]

10:29 AM on 12/02/2010

I always do :)

[Foodgrade]

09:09 PM on 12/02/2010

Are you kidding? The 2% would trick us into financing it for them in a heartbeat. The treatment would be very expensive and available to only a few. There would be valid biological reasons why it wouldn't work on most. "Neener, you can't catch me in my helicopter".

[Keith DeBoer]

02:17 PM on 12/01/2010

Some studies show that Transcendental Meditation may have some anti-aging effects. Two studies shown here http://www.doctorsontm.com/88-the-transcendental-meditation-technique-and-the-reversal-of-aging indicate younger biological age and increased longevity. It's something to consider.

[Dustin Rudolph]

12:53 PM on 12/01/2010

The topic of telomeres and their effect on aging have been in the published literature for a couple of years now and the evidence shows that the more we include regular exercise in our daily routines the more we tap into the benefits of the anti-aging activity of telomerase.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19948976

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18799354

Stay fit and active and grow younger!

Dustin Rudolph
www.PursueAHealthyYou.com

[Keith DeBoer]

02:17 PM on 12/01/2010

I echo that sentiment!

[montemalone]

12:45 PM on 12/01/2010

This is great news. Now we can raise the retirement age to 95. That should save Social Security.
And we can have 60 year mortgages. That should help the housing market.

[WorkhelpWorkhelp]

12:33 AM on 12/02/2010

Good thoughts all around !