Scientists have clearly been able to reverse some of the effects of growth over 25 years in a groundbreaking study.
Using oxygen therapy, the researchers returned the bodies of a group of 35 adults aged 4 years or older back to the cellular level, the last time they were seen a quarter of a century ago.
The study, published in the journal Aging, found that the volunteers were placed in a pressurized oxygen chamber in Israel and given pure oxygen to breathe through a mask.
Sessions last for 90 minutes each and are held five days a week for three months.
Scientists have shown that this treatment was able to reverse two key indicators of biological growth – shortening of telomeres and defective synthesis of nerve cells.
As humans age, their bodies experience shortening of telomeres – the protective caps of chromosomes – that lead to diseases including cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Sensitive cells, also known as ‘zombie cells’, prevent regeneration as they grow in the body over time.
The pressure chamber works by mimicking a state of ‘hypoxia’ or oxygen deficiency. This helps the tissues to dissolve more oxygen, resulting in regenerative effects.
The test results showed that telomeres returned more than 20%, while the voluntary sentient cells decreased by 37%.
The equivalent of how their bodies were at the cellular level 25 years ago, scientists said.
Professor Shy Ifrati, a professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tel Aviv and co-author of the research, said:
‘Significant improvements in the length of telomeres displayed during and after this unique protocol provide a new basis for the scientific community to understand that age can actually be targeted and reversed at the basic cellular-biological level.’
Some scientists believe that aging can be cured as a disease and that the latest research study on ways to understand the aging process and ways to increase life and make people feel younger is the latest.
Earlier it was established that lifestyle changes such as healthy eating and regular exercise can protect the length of telomeres but the same effect was first observed in the case of external interventions.
Study researcher Dr. Amir Hadani says: ‘So far, interventions such as lifestyle changes and intense practice have had some obstacles in shortening the expected telomere length.
‘However, what is remarkable in our research is that, in just three months of therapy, we have been able to achieve a significant increase in the prevalence of this type of telomere – much higher than any current intervention or lifestyle change.’
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