The Healthy Skeptic on Telomerase Supplements

Posted By elissa on Dec 22, 2010 | 4 comments

You may have heard something in the news about a recent experiment in mice…

Scientists have partially reversed age-related degeneration in mice, an achievement that suggests a new approach for tackling similar disorders in people.

By tweaking a gene, the researchers reversed brain disease and restored the sense of smell and fertility in prematurely aged mice.

…The experiment focused on telomerase, an enzyme that makes small units of DNA that seal the tips of chromosomes. These DNA units, known as telomeres, act like the plastic caps at the ends of a shoelace, preventing the chromosomes from fraying and the genes inside them from unraveling. In 2009, three U.S. scientists won the Nobel Prize in medicine for illuminating the mysteries of telomerase.

…The team made genetically engineered mice that aged prematurely. The animals had short, dysfunctional telomeres and suffered a range of age-related problems. Their spleens were atrophied, their intestines were damaged, and the sense of smell was impaired.

The brains were also shrunken, and the animals were incapable of growing new brain cells. Male mice had smaller-than-normal testes and produced depleted amounts of sperm.

“We stacked the deck against us and asked: Is there a point of no return?” said Dr. DePinho.

The researchers had devised an estrogen-based drug that would switch on the animals’ dormant telomerase gene, known as TERT. The drug, in the form of a time-release pellet, was inserted under the skin of some mice. A similar pellet without the active drug was given to a separate group of control mice.

A month later, the treated mice showed surprising signs of rejuvenation. Overall, their telomeres had lengthened and the levels of telomerase had increased. This woke up the dormant brain stem cells, producing new neurons. The spleen, testes and brain grew in size.

So is telomerase activation the fountain of youth? Wellllll, let’s just say that this conclusion is a little… premature, to say the least. This study is just the tip of the iceberg of the research on telomerase and its role in aging and disease, yet much, much more work – beyond cell cultures and genetically-engineered mice – needs to be done.

This, however, has not stopped supplement manufacturers from producing anti-aging products based on this premise… which is what Chris Woolston’s latest “Healthy Skeptic” column is about:

At a time when people are willing to spend big bucks to look and feel younger, it’s not surprising that telomeres have become a buzzword in the supplement industry. One expensive option, TA-65, supposedly works by stimulating telomerase, a natural enzyme that helps restore telomeres after a cell divides. (The TA stands for “telomerase activator.”)

…Reneuve, a supplement sold online, supposedly lengthens telomeres by giving users an extra-large dose of telomerase. You won’t see telomerase in the list of ingredients, but Reneuve does offer “select proprietary glandular extracts” from pig thymuses that provide “enough telomerase enzyme for the cellular infrastructure of one adult.”

…Dr. Richard Cawthon, who studies the link between telomeres and disease at the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, says he would love to take an anti-aging supplement, but he’s not willing to part with several thousand dollars for TA-65. “Even if I could afford it, it’s still too early in the research,” he says. The benefits for now are unclear, he adds, and there’s still the possibility of undesirable side effects.

As for Reneuve, “that’s nonsense,” says Peter Hornsby, professor of physiology at the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Any enzyme in the supplement would be quickly broken down in the digestive system, he says.

I wouldn’t be surprised if telomerase supps became the next big thing. Nuthin’ wrong with experimenting, of course, but since big bucks are involved, some skepticism is in order. As Chris Woolston points out, the science just isn’t there, just yet.