Adding years to life and life to those years
Several recent activities highlight the significance of telomere maintenance and its impact on aging. Telomeres are sequences of DNA, located at the ends of all chromosomes, which serve as cellular clocks of aging. Every time a cell divides, telomeres shorten until they become critically short, and the cell either stops functioning properly or dies, ultimately leading to death of the body.
By activating a gene that is normally turned off, TA-65, a nutritional supplement produced by TA Sciences, has been shown to activate the enzyme telomerase. Telomerase has the unique ability to restore telomere length and is so important that its discovery won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2009.
On December 13, 2011, the NBC Today Show interviewed scientist Bill Andrews,PhD, regarding the significance of telomere maintenance and extending life span. Dr. Andrews has dedicated most of his career to curing aging, and believes in the importance of telomere health and maintenance to telomere activation. Dr. Andrews notes that both he and his father take TA-65. Dr. Andrews was the cover story for the August 2011 issue of Popular Science. There have been many other publications including Elle magazine and Harper's Bazaar magazine that have also discussed telomerase activation and telomere health.
In this office, we have seen a surging interest in telomerase activation, not only in extending lifespan, but also to improve the effects of aging on health. People who are immuno-compromised and those who have gone through chemotherapy or radiation therapy to treat cancer (which harms telomeres) are interested in repairing the telomeres for health maintenance. Additionally, individuals looking to optimize overall health, including athletes, have looked at telomerase activation and TA-65 with a fervent interest.
A study from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., focused on senescent cells and mice. Senescent cells are old cells that can no longer divide and do not function properly, and accumulate in aging tissues, like arthritic knees, cataracts and the plaque that may line elderly arteries. The cells secrete agents that stimulate the immune system and cause low-level inflammation.
The Mayo study demonstrated that getting rid of senescent cells improves genotypes (physical traits) and improves the quality of life associated with aging. Rid of the senescent cells, mice tissues showed a major improvement in the usual burden of age-related disorders. They did not develop cataracts, avoided the usual wasting of muscle with age, and could exercise much longer on a mouse treadmill. They retained the fat layers in the skin that usually thin out with age and, in people, cause wrinkling. The Mayo Clinic study was published in the May 2011 issue of the journal Nature. The supplement TA-65 has been shown to reduce senescent cells by telomerase activation.
People concerned, not only with their health span, but also that of their pets, are beginning to turn towards TA-65 as a means of improving health and longevity in their pets. As cells continue to divide and telomerase shorten, overall health and longevity diminishes. Pet owners are also turning to other regenerative medicine technologies to improve the overall quality of their pet’s health as well.
The regenerative medicine field is not just for humans. Regenerative medicine technologies such as TA-65 for telomere maintenance, and platelet-rich plasma and stem cell therapy for musculoskeletal conditions, help to increase health span, the proportion of people’s natural lives that they live in good health.
Information contained in this blog is intended for educational purposes only and not for medical diagnosis or treatment. If you have a medical concern or issue, please consult with your physician.