World News – AU – Study of the « Holy Grail » shows that aging can be reversed with oxygen therapy in a hyperbaric chamber

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Scientists in Israel have shown that they can turn back the clock in two major areas of the body believed to be responsible for the weakness and ill health that accompanies aging..

Sarah Knapton

The biologically speaking process of aging was first reversed by administering oxygen therapy in a pressurized room.

Scientists in Israel have shown that they can turn back the clock in two major areas of the body believed to be responsible for the weakness and ill health that accompanies aging..

As people age, the protective covers at the ends of chromosomes – called telomeres – shorten, causing DNA damage and stopping cells from reproducing. At the same time, senescent cells « zombies » accumulate in the body, which prevents regeneration. Increasing telomere length and eliminating senescent cells are the focus of many anti-aging studies.

Now, scientists have shown that giving elderly people pure oxygen while in a hyperbaric room increases telomere length by 20 percent, a feat never before achieved..

The researchers said the growth could mean that the participants’ telomeres were as long as they were 25 years ago.

The treatment also reduced senescent cells by up to 37 percent, making room for regrowth of healthy cells.. Animal studies have shown that removing senescent cells prolongs remaining life by more than a third.

“Since telomere shortening is considered the » holy grail « of aging biology, several pharmacological and environmental interventions are being explored on a large scale with the hope of enabling telomere elongation, says Professor Shai Efrati, of Tel Aviv University.

“The remarkable improvement in telomere length that emerges 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 biological cellular level..

Many scientists believe that aging itself is responsible for conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, cancer, heart disease and diabetes..

It is also known that obesity, smoking, lack of physical activity, vitamin deficiency and inflammation can accelerate telomeres shortening, which indicates that they have a significant effect on longevity..

During the experiments, 35 healthy adults aged 64 and over were placed in a hyperbaric chamber for 90 minutes for five days a week over a period of three months while breathing 100% oxygen through a mask..

Dr. Amir Haddani, chief medical research officer at the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research in Israel, said: “So far, interventions such as lifestyle modifications and intense exercise have been shown to have an inhibitory effect on shortening the expected telomere length..

“However, what is remarkable in our study, is that within just three months of treatment, we were able to achieve significant telomere elongation – at rates far exceeding any of the current available interventions or lifestyle modifications..

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Aging, Hyperbaric Medicine, Oxygen Therapy, Research, Telomere