Topic: Health Care
Company developing a promising anti-aging therapy from FDA approved drugs A US corporation is in development of an anti aging or rejuvenation therapy using only FDA approved prescription and non-prescription drugsby Michael McDonnough
(Libertarian)
Thursday, May 22, 2008
I was reading through my aggregated news and under the category of rejuvenation therapy which I watch I found this company claiming that they had begun developing a rejuvenation program therapy that caught my interest. The company called Symmetry Technologies Inc. put out the following in their press release.
The company has licensed and has begun developing a rejuvenation program therapy that features a medley of FDA approved prescription and non prescription drugs that offers an intracellular approach to slowing and possibly reversing the aging process in humans.
"It is well established that the primary biological cause of aging is the increasing proportion of senescent cells in the body. Cell senescence is the result of reduction in the telomere length of the individual cells as they repeatedly divide to replace dead cells," explains Symmetry President Chad Reed. "Our rejuvenation therapy process employs a process of selective chemical pruning of senescence cells and replenishment by stimulating the production and conversion of adult stem cells to cells with full (youthful) telomere length." Telomere length is the most reliable biological age marker, length inversely proportional to age. The Company's research in this area is being pursued in cooperation with Quantum Bit Induction Technology, Inc. and a small group of Ph.D. biologists.
"Another overlooked aging problem," continues Mr. Reed, "is that virtually every human has contracted some strain of the herpes virus, although in most people it is asymptomatic. There are many forms of herpes from simplex to chickenpox and multitudes of others. The herpes virus is introduced, to the general population, almost daily and accelerates cell senescence. We believe that the many forms of the, highly communicable, herpes virus slowly, almost imperceptibly, wreak havoc with the body's immune system and ultimately contribute substantially to the aging process."
Since I had done some contract technology development work in the past for Quantum Bit Induction Technologies Inc This prompted me to contact them and ask them to arrange an interview for me with Symmetry Technologies Inc's company president Chad Reed to ask him some of the questions that their press release had raised in my mind. They graciously complied with my interview request. The result of this Q & A is below answered by one of their chief scientist.
Begin Symmetry Technologies Inc Q & A
Q: In your press release it is stated: "Telomere length is the most reliable biological age marker, length inversely proportional to age."
Q: If short telomeres are harmful with regard to aging and long telomeres represent a cancer risk how does your anti-aging therapy technology balance those risks?
A: Long telomeres do not represent cancer. It is the improper activation of telomerase, a riobonucleoprotein which enables cells to bypass their Hayfllick limit, or lifespan. There is a predefined number of cell replications a cell undergoes. With each replication, the telomeres shorten a predefined length. Once the telomeres are shortened enough, the "Hayflick Limit" is met. Once this limit is achieved, the cell senesces, or dies. if they don't die, the cells have a higher rate of mutations which ultimately lead to cancer and other diseases. We are not proposing to lengthen telomeres by activating telomerase inappropriately, but pruning off the "old" cells, and replacing them with the new.
Q: Has your company completed any animal trials on your proposed anti-aging therapy. If not, do you plan to have conducted animal trials within a certain time frame?
A: We have yet to conduct any animal trials on our therapy as it is in the beginning stages of development. We will conduct animal trials as it is warranted in developing our therapy
Q: When will your company publish the results of any trials you have conducted?
A: The company will publish the results of any completed trials within a reasonable time frame.
Q: You mention briefly in your press release that herpes is major unseen factor in aging. How do you plan to address this problem?
A: Currently, there are many anti-herpetic therapies approved. Theses as well as diet will be used to address this problem.
Q: Does your company have a herpes treatment and have there been any trials conducted on that treatment?
A: the company does not have a fully developed herpes treatment at this time.
End Q & A Symmetry Technologies Inc
Well this initial Q & A raises more questions so I will be working up a follow on session to see if I can learn more details of this offering and what kind of timeline they think the development will take. I am not really an old guy by most people's standards but I am getting on enough to start thinking about anti-aging therapy. I will keep a watch on this little company. If they are able to do what they are attempting I will be very interested to become involved when they get to the point of human trials. It is indeed a brave new world in biotechnology science now days.
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2008 Michael McDonnough, all rights reserved.
Published: Thursday, May 22, 2008
Last modified: Thursday, May 22, 2008
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Posted By: Michael McDonnough
Date: 2008-05-22 21:30:48
David,
What they have is a theoretical model based on published data that is in agreement with their model. That is a theory but it is based on data that is real so it is not like it is pie in the sky here.
I certainly agree they have a lot of work to do but it is interesting and no other organization is doing this so I will be watching it closely.
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2008 Michael McDonnough, all rights reserved.