Hyperbaric oxygen treatment: Clinical trial reverses two biological processes associated with aging in human cells

The researchers discovered distinctive protocol of therapies with high-pressure oxygen in a stress chamber can reverse two main processes related to getting older and its sicknesses: the shortening of telomeres (protecting areas situated at each ends of each chromosome) and the buildup of previous and malfunctioning cells within the physique. Specializing in immune cells containing DNA obtained from the contributors’ blood, the examine found a lengthening of as much as 38% of the telomeres, in addition to a lower of as much as 37% within the presence of senescent cells.

The examine was led by Professor Shai Efrati of the Sackler College of Medication and the Sagol College of Neuroscience at TAU and Founder and Director of the Sagol Heart of Hyperbaric Medication on the Shamir Medical Heart; and Dr. Amir Hadanny, Chief Medical Analysis Officer of the Sagol Heart for Hyperbaric Medication and Analysis on the Shamir Medical Heart. The medical trial was carried out as a part of a complete Israeli analysis program that targets getting older as a reversible situation.

The paper was printed in Ageing on November 18, 2020.

“For a few years our group has been engaged in hyperbaric analysis and remedy — therapies primarily based on protocols of publicity to high-pressure oxygen at varied concentrations inside a stress chamber,” Professor Efrati explains. “Our achievements over time included the advance of mind capabilities broken by age, stroke or mind damage.

“Within the present examine we wished to look at the impression of HBOT on wholesome and unbiased getting older adults, and to find whether or not such therapies can decelerate, cease and even reverse the conventional getting older course of on the mobile degree.”

The researchers uncovered 35 wholesome people aged 64 or over to a collection of 60 hyperbaric periods over a interval of 90 days. Every participant offered blood samples earlier than, throughout and on the finish of the therapies in addition to a while after the collection of therapies concluded. The researchers then analyzed varied immune cells within the blood and in contrast the outcomes.

The findings indicated that the therapies really reversed the getting older course of in two of its main elements: The telomeres on the ends of the chromosomes grew longer as a substitute of shorter, at a charge of 20%-38% for the totally different cell varieties; and the proportion of senescent cells within the total cell inhabitants was diminished considerably — by 11%-37% relying on cell kind.

“Immediately telomere shortening is taken into account the ‘Holy Grail’ of the biology of getting older,” Professor Efrati says. “Researchers world wide try to develop pharmacological and environmental interventions that allow telomere elongation. Our HBOT protocol was in a position to obtain this, proving that the getting older course of can in truth be reversed on the primary cellular-molecular degree.”

“Till now, interventions corresponding to way of life modifications and intense train have been proven to have some inhibiting impact on telomere shortening,” Dr. Hadanny provides. “However in our examine, solely three months of HBOT have been in a position to elongate telomeres at charges far past any presently out there interventions or way of life modifications. With this pioneering examine, we have now opened a door for additional analysis on the mobile impression of HBOT and its potential for reversing the getting older course of.”

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