History of Telomerase Activation from Astragalus Root Extract
The telomerase activating property of astragalus root extract was first revealed by Geron
Corporation in two 2005 patents from a team captained by bioscientist
Calvin B. Harley.
See
Geron
and the on-line patent documents
Compositions and Methods for Increasing Telomerase Activity
(
A,
A',
A''), and the Hong Kong & Geron patent
B,
Formulations Containing Astragalus Extracts and Uses Thereof.
TA Sciences announced that astragalus was the basis
for the astragalus-extract derived TA-65 in March of 2007, which was when I was
first alerted to astragalus extract as a telomerase activator
[
86s/6c]. I was researching telomerase activation at the time, and had
been pursuing anti-aging medicine part-time since June, 2000. Note firms other than Geron
such as
Solaray,
GAIA Herbs,
and
Herbal Remedies (with an astragaloside-specific
product under a Nature's Way brand name), already manufactured astragalus root extracts.
However, they were being marketed primarily for their ability to activate interferon via
Interleukin 2 activation in cold virus prevention, rather than for their property of activating
telomerase, which also strengthens the immune system.
Telomerase Activation for Rejuvenation
Telomerase activation can change senescent
cell types back to a youthful cell types by lengthing chromosomal telomeres in mitotic, dividing cells
such as adult stem cells. The longer telomeres can then close t-loops at the end of the chromosome,
removing a double-strand DNA break signal source that stops the cell cycle and puts the cell
into the senescent state. In dermal fibroblasts, entry into the senescent state causes the cell to
emit matrix metalloproteinases such as collagenase and stromelysin that attack
the extracellular matrix, producing wrinkles and age-degraded
skin. Matrix metalloproteinases that inhibit the destruction of the extracellular matrix, such as
TIMP1 and TIMP2, are not produced by the senescent dermal fibroblasts, which can no longer perform
many of the usual repair functions of these cells. After suitable treatment with telomerase
activators including the astragalosides in astragalus root extract, however, the dermal fibroblasts
can recover their youthful characteristics, producing collagen and other molecules such as elastin
to restore skin quality from the gene out.
A New Generation of Aging Problems
Next we shall have a time locating any residual medical problems in the new synthetic youth
produced by telomerase activation. For instance,
it may be absolutely required to apply reagent-grade astragaloside IV or some other telomerase activator
to the surface of the eye to prevent blindness at age 110 or more. Other missing spots include the teeth,
which have attrition that must be corrected to maintain oral health. It may be necessary to continue
to be cautious about many health factors that are somewhat alleviated by telomerase activation.
- James A. Green, May 15-May 16, 2009.
Other Medicine Taken During this Experiment
The first two weeks or 15 days of each month included 1200 mg of
Solaray Astragalus Root Extract at 5 mg of astragalosides per day for telomerase activation,
plus a multivitamin pill like Centrum or equate, plus a homocysteine blocker
including vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folic acid to prevent atherosclerosis and telomeric DNA damage
from this source. I also took 3000 to 4000 mg of vitamin C per day to support collagen synthesis and as
an antioxidant and antiglycation agent opposing the the formation of AGEs.
I took Acetyl L-Carnitine 400 mg - 500 mg,
with Alpha Lipoic Acid 200 mg - 400 mg, typically 4 times a day
to oppose mitochondrial aging factors, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder in
a tumbler of water 3 to 5 times per day for antioxidant antiaging effect and to combat atherosclerosis
and to improve circulation in the brain. I addition, I took 400 mg of chelated magnesium per day,
vitamin D3 (1000 IU/day),
3 to 5 grams of arginine per day, 500 mg to 1 gram of
L-citrulline per day, and sometimes pomegranate juice, and a Super B-vitamin supplement (a Spring Valley Brand
from Wal-Mart) that often
doubled as the homocysteine blocker. It had enough additional vitamin B1 to prevent carbonylation of proteins.
I frequently
took DHEA (dihydroepiandrosterone, a testosterone precursor also leading to the formation of
neurotransmitters) and sometimes DMAE (KAL brand, 100 mg x 3 dimethylaminoethanol for membrane permeability aging).
Sometimes I also took CoQ10 (ubiquinone) or the more bioavailable ubiquinol CoQ10. Once in a great while I took
carnosine (500 mg/capsule x 4), which was a bit too expensive for me,
although very desirable, like ubiquinol CoQ10, which helps clear lipofuscin deposits from the heart.
Telomerase Inhibitors Taken in Quadrature with Telomerase Activators
During the 2nd two weeks I substituted known telomerase inhibitors that have favorable
anti-aging effects in the place of the telomerase-activating astragalus root extract,
including resveratrol (< 22.5 mg x 4) with grape seed complex (50 mg x 4), garlic extract,
melatonin (300 mcg, just before bedtime),
omega-3 fish oil (1000 mg x 4/day), curcumin (from standard spice turmeric) and green tea extract (in 4 daily doses).
My theoretical model had my use of telomerase inhibitors druing the 2nd two weeks
of treatment in quadrature with
the telomerase activators used during the 1st two weeks, so that they would not interfere with each other.
However,
I was for using L-arginine (3 to 5 grams/day) with L-citrulline (500 mg/day to 1 gram/day)
together with exercise for telomerase activation every day, and tried to eat foods rich in arginine
such as spanish peanuts and chunk light tuna. I also tried to get apples and grapefruit quite a bit, and
made a determined effort to avoid consuming land animals, whose fat stores tend to clog and
stop your heart with high triglycerides and high LDL fats, poison your brain with
Fenton reaction free-radical-induced inflammation and inducing dementia
with excess iron, and rot out your colon with cancer caused by carcinogen-emitting bacteria
feeding on animal fat in a kind of Revenge of the Pets that
bites you in the rear with
"Eat your heart out, daredevil killer critter." Whey
protein generates HGH, which has favorable anti-aging effects, so I took cottage cheese and skim milk
quite a bit. When I ate bread, I tried to eat whole grain breads. Sometimes I took hardboiled eggs,
although they are high in cholesterol. I used olive oil with Italian seasoning for salad oil, and green
lettuce with olives and tuna for the main course much of the time. Grapefruit and apples were my favorite
source of fiber, along with canned chunk pineapple for anti-inflammatory bromelain. I would have taken more blueberries than I did, but had to economize somewhat.
I sometimes mixed skim milk with whey protein powder. I frequently took lycopene from tomato soup, being
careful not to mix it then with chocolate or cocoa powder, which can cause nausea.
I sometimes used shark liver oil ( < 600 mg/day) to boost
my immune system. Most months I had at least one load of broccoli sprouts for anti-cancer sulphoraphane.
Sometimes I got bilberry extract at Wal-Mart. Much more rarely I took Ashwaganda (470 mg x 4/day) to
help with SOD and endogenous anti-oxidants that oppose free radicals and lipid peroxidation. High-gamma vitamin E,
a telomerase inhibitor that is good for treating peroxynitrite effects, was sometimes available. I also
tried Saw Palmetto (450 mg x 2/day), and if things had heated up, might have added African Pygeum and Boswellia extracts.
I tried adding Aura Cacia brand Essential
Oil of Rosemary for a whiff of favorable neuroactive aroma therapy from time to time, too.
Following aging world record holder
Madame Jean-Louise Calment (122 1/3 years),
I not only used dark chocolate extensively
for antioxidant effect, but also rubbed extra virgin olive oil into my skin daily to get the benefits
of its antioxidant hydroxytyrosol and the proteasome function-enhancing oleuropein from topical application.
Instead of
of using Jean Calment's port wine for the French paradox effect characteristic of Mediterranean diets,
however, I substituted resveratrol with grape
seed extract, probably picking up some quercetin in the process about like she did with her wine.
Most of my medicine came from Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, and Dillons, with excursions to Green Acres.
Reducing Cancer Probablility with Telomerase Activation
Since many cancers up-regulate telomerase as a part of their program for cellular proliferation,
there is some concern that telomerase activation may promote cancer. However, if one does not
have cancer in the first place, long telomeres make the patient more immune to cancer,
especially in the case of cancers directly related to telomere shortening to the point of M2 crisis,
as in epithelial carcinomas such as breast cancer and a subset of the epithelial cancers, the adenocarcinomas. That is, activating
telomerase if you do not have cancer definitely reduces the probability that you will get cancer.
In general, avoid dietary fat from beef that feeds bacteria that create carcinogens responsible
for colon cancer, and avoid burned meat or burned chicken, which may contain carcinogenic benzopyrenes and polycyclic
hydrocarbons. If one protects one's DNA with antioxidants and antiglycating drugs, such cocoa powder (antioxidant),
vitamin C (antioxidant and antiglycating), vitamin B1 (antiglycating), and vitamin B6 (antiglycating), one
can reduce reactive oxygen free radicals (ROS) to avoid damaging DNA and inducing cancer. Brocolli sprouts
containing sulforaphane are also antioxidant and cancer-preventing. Following an anti-cancer diet
and avoiding carcinogens should make it safe to use telomerase activation half of the time. Furthermore,
telomerase activation from astragalus extract is quite gradual, and probably should not be confused with
pouring gasoline on a fire when a cancer does exist. Cellular targeting techniques involving pathways other than the telomerase pathways
can probably used to treat most cancers, so that one could use telomerase activation to treat aging while
using alternative methods to treat cancer. In any case, it seems safe enough to use cancer-preventing
strategies while using telomerase activation, since hTERT is not an oncogene.
