Introduction
A November, 2020 article published on the Al Jazeera website ignited a new wave of attention on the matter of anti-aging research. The article was entitled “‘
Backward in Time’: Israeli Scientists Claim to Reverse Ageing,” and appeared in the midst of our fight against Covid-19.
Some who commented on the piece took the report seriously; others looked upon it as the equivalent of pseudo-science.
The newsworthy piece explained the concept in its subtitle:
Administering pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber could reverse ageing and illness, research finds.
Let us explore further.
Truth, or Con?
The Al Jazeera article states:
Israeli scientists say they have managed to not only successfully stop the biological ageing process but to reverse it, using only oxygen. The study, a collaboration between Tel Aviv University and the Shamir Medical Center, administered high-pressure oxygen in a pressurised chamber and said it reversed two processes relating to ageing and illness.
Further information about the study can be found on Eurekalert.com, hyperlinked above.
The results of the study were widely reported on scientific websites, such as
Aging-US.com and
ScienceAlert.com, the latter which emphasizes the “partial” nature of the age reversal, and shared in academic papers.
These results were very real by all indications. More work needs to be done, but this study was considered a prime mover of the process, which in recent years has included similar research in Japan and other countries.
Work continued in Israel and elsewhere when the pandemic hit, though as expected it slowed during the scourge.
The related work of Australian biologist David Sinclair, who has not so much attempted to reverse aging than prevent it, was covered in an extensive 2017 piece in HarvardMagazine.com. In her piece entitled “
Anti-Aging Approaches,” writer Marina N. Bolotnilova writes:
Sinclair’s approach is based on a broad view that links diseases of age such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and heart failure to common cellular processes. His lab aims to understand these processes and then use that understanding to develop medical therapies.
See Wikipedia page on David Sinclair
here.
On March 7, 2022, Salk.edu shared a recent finding from yet another study. Its article, “
Cellular Rejuvenation Therapy Safely Reverses Signs of Aging in Mice,” states:
Salk researchers treated mice with anti-aging regimen beginning in middle age and found no increase in cancer or other health problems later on.
The Salk study derived similar conclusions to other studies such as one funded by MIT. In that study, as discussed in an MIT News article titled “
Study Finds That Aging Neurons Accumulate DNA Damage,” writer Anne Trafton explained:
Reactivating an enzyme that promotes DNA repair can help to reverse age-related cognitive decline in mice.
Delving deeper, the article elaborated:
In a study of mice, the researchers showed that when HDAC1 is lost, a specific type of DNA damage builds up as the mice age. They also showed that they could reverse this damage and improve cognitive function with a drug that activates HDAC1. The study suggests that restoring HDAC1 could have positive benefits for both Alzheimer’s patients and people who suffer from age-related cognitive decline, the researchers say.
Finally, morality issues have crept into this continuing research. See
here for a 2018 Nuffield Council on Bioethics piece, which explains:
An important question for geroscience research is whether potential interventions should be tested in younger people, before biological ageing has started, or in older adults already experiencing symptoms of ageing. In the past, involving older adults in research was thought to be difficult and of no benefit to them. This view has broadly changed. The challenges of research have been found to be much the same whatever the age of the participant, and medical interventions in people aged over 80 can have Benicia effects on their health.
Other issues such as a religious perception of interfering with “God’s work” are likely to remain at the forefront of controversies related to anti-aging, or age-reversal, research.
Conclusion
For scientists, research into these matters holds vast promise. For the public, issues such as over-population and religious-based conflicts will be continually addressed in this spectrum.
See original article
here.
