Aging: telomere length and telomerase activation therapy

Objective

Investigate the efficacy of TA-65 telomerase activation therapy

Description

As we age, our telomeres shrink by about 100 base pairs per year. Research from Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn and former Geron CSO Cal Harley has been used to develop a potential remedy in the form of the TA-65 telomerase activation therapy (Harley et al, Rej Res, 2011). A few thousand individuals are currently taking this therapy.

This study seeks to establish quantitative and qualitative measures of the efficacy of TA-65 or astragalus supplements, and whether personal genome profile makes a difference. Do people with genetic polymorphisms in their telomere genes like TERC have shorter telomeres to start with and are they therefore more likely to benefit from therapies?

Seeking self-funded healthy participants, healthy participants for a randomized, controlled, double-blinded study cohort possibly starting in 2012, and breast and prostate cancer chemotherapy patients in remission in the San Francisco Bay area for a randomized, controlled, double-blinded study cohort starting in late 2011. More details.

Next: Requirements

Inclusion Criteria

1) Age 25+ 2) Interest in exploring anti-aging therapies

Next: Tasks

  1. Get your telomere length measured (vendors: SpectraCell, RepeatDiagnostics)
  2. Take TA-65 telomerase activation therapy (available from TA Sciences doctors worldwide or study doctor (discount available) Dr. Ed Park at Recharge Biomedical for 6 mos - 1 yr OR over-the-counter astragalus supplements (More info)
  3. Journal your experience on a weekly basis and take a weekly photo of yourself
  4. Re-measure telomere length at 6 mos or 1 yr

Discussion

melanie

melanie If you are local to the San Francisco Bay area, you can sign up for the free Telome Health study to find out your telomere length: http://telomehealth.com/research-study/index.php

EriGentry

EriGentry That's incredible! I just signed up. Thanks for sharing, Melanie!

akrupa

akrupa joined as a data participant.

melanie

melanie Welcome to the study! are you taking TA-65?

nikolay

nikolay joined as a data participant.

melanie

melanie Welcome to the study! are you taking TA-65?

nikolay

nikolay @melanie No, I am not.

EriGentry

EriGentry I just saw Cal Harley, from TelomeHealth, speak at TEDMED. He talked about the TA-65 therapy briefly. Seemed to really catch the audience's attention. Perhaps we can bring in some TEDMED participants

grog10000

grog10000 joined as a data participant.

Sgoel

Sgoel joined as a data participant.

Sgoel

Sgoel I having been using TA-65 for the past 18 months. I recommend testing through either lifelength.com or telome health as the precision is greater

melanie

melanie thanks, you're right, the new tests from lifelength and telome health (hopefully to be available later this year) measure critically-short telomere length, not just mean telomere length as the tests from SpectraCell and RepeatDiagnostics currently measure

janet

janet is now a study organizer.

janet

janet Thanks for adding me Melanie!

sluehs

sluehs I would like to report on any changes or improvements in my health. Sharon from Pacifica

melanie

melanie Hi Sharon - Have you had specific changes/improvements in your health that you would like to report on? How long have you been taking TA-65?

janet

janet Maybe we can have a tracking tool. What are some metrics we can keep that are expected to change during TA 65 treatment? Energy levels? Weight? Muscle mass? Aerobic capacity? Frequency of catching the cold? Wrinkles on face/skin?

gbiggers

gbiggers @janet, @melanie, or @wreinhardt-- would you please add the tag, "genetics" to this study? That way it will show as a related study in the new genetics group <http://genomera.com/groups/genetics>

sluehs

sluehs joined as a data participant.

jstephenson

jstephenson joined as a discussion participant.

EriGentry

EriGentry Hi new members :) Haven't heard from the organizers in a while. How are things going?

see all 6 comments
janet

janet As I was helping Melanie promote the study at the Smart Life Forum, I sensed a good level of interest, though I can't know how many individuals will come forward and commit due to having to self-fund the study.

EriGentry

EriGentry Didn't realize you were helping promote the study. Awesome. I heard from a few people who attended - all people who had battled cancer - that they were interested. I can see cost being an issue. Any idea whether TA-65 will get cheaper anytime soon?

janet

janet The medication will be funded for people with cancer (breast or prostate), hence more interest. Haven't heard much about cost reductions yet. It is currently $200/month for 250IU, which is considered a "low dose protocol": http://www.tasciences.com/ta-65/ta-65-dosing-guideline/

EriGentry

EriGentry Great that it's being funded for people with cancer. Who is sponsoring?

janet

janet TA Sciences, the company that has the license for TA-65 treatment. http://www.tasciences.com

EriGentry

EriGentry If I meet someone who qualifies for the free treatment, who should I have them contact?

mjkelly

mjkelly I just received the TA-65 today (Dr. Ed Park is incredibly nice), and I'm looking for a place to get the testing done. Is there an instrument for recording the journaling or photos?

melanie

melanie Either SpectraCell or RepeatDiagnostics (links in the right panel) can do the mean telomere-length measuring test. There isn't a specific instrument for the weekly photos or journaling your reactions (as Dr. Park may have mentioned, there may be a variety of skin, sleep, energy, and other benefits).

EriGentry

EriGentry @mjkelly - Do you want an instrument? You can actually request one at http://genomera.com/instruments (click on "request instrument" button at top right)

EriGentry

EriGentry Melanie, I heard you talked about this at the Smart Life Forum. How was the study received?

melanie

melanie several people took a flyer http://www.diygenomics.org/files/TA65_flyer.pdf and indicated interest in the study

aglisi

aglisi joined as a data participant.

mjkelly

mjkelly joined as a data participant.

SydneyBennet

SydneyBennet joined as a discussion participant.

dfylstra

dfylstra joined as a discussion participant

bpo

bpo joined as a discussion participant

CPeterson

CPeterson joined as a discussion participant

derekja

derekja changed to the role of discussion participant.

derekja

derekja joined as a data participant

EriGentry

EriGentry Hi Melanie and Will - I'm getting a 404 for your repeat diagnostics link (even when I take out the extra ")]" that is at the end of it). http://repeatdiagnostics.com/ works

melanie

melanie thanks i changed it. btw, did you guys change the hyperlink formatting? all the links look weird in the side panel now

janet

janet joined as a discussion participant

jpabello

jpabello joined as a data participant.

jpabello

jpabello Not using TA-65 yet, but thinking about it (once the price comes down enough)

EriGentry

EriGentry Melanie and I have been discussing the synthetic production of TA-65 as a possible DIY project. Then we got into discussion about how to find people capable of doing this and various other DIY health/medical projects!

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