Anti-Aging and Anti-Viral Effects of Herbal "Youth" Compound
By Jim English
In a new study published in the Nov. 2008 Journal of Immunology, researchers are shedding light on the anti-viral and anti-aging benefits of Astragalus, a primary active ingredient and mainstay of traditional Chinese medicine. In their paper, a team of researchers from the UCLA AIDS Institute describe how their work with a new drug derived from astragalus root not only reduces the aging process of immune cells, but also enhances how these cells respond to viral infections. The compound works by boosting production of telomerase, an enzyme that allows for the replacement of short bits of DNA, known as telomeres, that play a key role in cell replication, cancer and human aging.
Telomeres and Cell Division
Telomeres are short, repetitive pieces of DNA that act as unique molecular "caps" to protect the ends of chromosomes, much like the plastic tips that keep shoelaces from unraveling. Telomeres protect chromosomes from degradation by holding them together and preventing damage during normal cell division. Every time a cell divides the length of its telomeres shortens slightly. Over time, after a set number of cell division cycles (or "population doublings"), the telomeres are steadily 'chipped away,' until they reach a critical length known as the Hayflick limit. This so-called "end replication problem" limits the number of times a cell can correctly duplicate itself, and marks the cessation of normal cell division.
Animal studies suggest that this mechanism is responsible for accelerated cellular aging – each time the cell divides, errors in duplication accumulate, eventually resulting in cellular dysfunction and aging. Put another way, telomeres are believed to act as a cellular clock to regulate human lifespan.
Telomerase: Key to Healthy
Cell Division
A key element in the maintenance of telomeres is an enzyme called telomerase. Telomerase plays a vital role in maintaining the length of telomeres and aids in stabilizing chromosomes during cell division. In the presence of telomerase, dividing cells can replace lost bits of DNA and even repair the cells to allow the process of healthy cell division to continue. Dr. Michael Fossel, a professor of clinical medicine at Michigan State University and a leading researcher on human aging, has predicted that the development of an effective telomerase therapy could help to extend human life indefinitely by resetting the genetic clock in healthy cells to relengthen telomeres and turn off runaway cell division in cancer cells. Dr. Fossel believes telomerase-based therapies for extending lifespan have the potential of allowing people to live far longer than the current limit of approximately 100 years, and with a body that looks and functions like that of a twenty-year-old.
Astragalus Compound Reverses
Telomere Loss in Immune Cells
Like other kinds of cells, immune cells
(Fig. 1) lose their ability to divide over
time as the telomeres on their chromosomes
become progressively shorter with
each cell division. As a result, the disease-fighting
ability of immune cells becomes
compromised with age.
In the new study the team at UCLA
found that the compound, cycloastragenol,
derived from Chinese
Astragalus root, can prevent or slow the
progressive loss of telomeres in key
immune cells, potentially making it a key
weapon in the fight against HIV and other
viral diseases.
Previous studies have shown that
injecting the telomerase gene into T-cells
can keep the telomeres from shortening
and enable them to maintain their HIV-fighting
function for much longer. This
gene-therapy approach, however, is not a
practical way to treat the millions of people
living with HIV.
For the present study, Rita Effros, an
immunologist, and her colleagues at the
UCLA School of Medicine focused on
cycloastragenol to boost the
immune system. The compound has previously
been shown to enhance telomerase
activity in other cell types.
After the researchers took killer T-cells
from HIV-infected people and
exposed them to the compound (renamed
TAT2 for drug-patenting purposes) they
found that it reduced telomere shortening,
increased the T-cells' ability to divide, and
enhanced the cells' antiviral activity.
According to Effros, "It is beginning
to look like telomerase is doing more than
just keeping telomeres from getting too
short. It seems to be mediating some antiviral
mechanisms as well."
In their paper, the researchers noted
that, "The ability to enhance telomerase
activity and antiviral functions of CD8 T-lymphocytes
suggests that this strategy
could be useful in treating HIV disease, as
well as immunodeficiency and increased
susceptibility to other viral infections associated
with chronic diseases or aging."
The good news is that when the compound
was added to tumor cells, it didn't
affect the amount of telomerase that was
produced by the cells. Neither did it
change the growth characteristics of
immune cells that were incubated with a
virus that can trigger cancer.
"We are fairly confident at this point
that TAT2 won't enhance cancer development,"
says Effros, although she cautions
that further trials are needed to confirm
this. Her confidence is also boosted by the
fact that, "Astragalus is used in Chinese
medicine without any obvious adverse
effects."
And in terms of more general tissue
regeneration, Effros adds, "If TAT2 can do what the
telomerase gene seems to do by keeping
cells growing and functioning longer,
maybe it could help in tissue regeneration
approaches to aging."
Patenting Natural Compounds
Raises Serious Concerns
While the UCLA study provides important
evidence for telomerase-based
enhancement of immune function, it also
showcases the tendency of Western companies
to identify natural healing compounds
and then chemically isolate, synthesize,
modify and/or genetically engineer
them to produce patentable (and
highly profitable) pharmaceutical drugs.
While this approach may lead to a
therapeutically effective compound, it
also increases the risks of introducing
potentially dangerous side effects not
seen in the original natural form.
Take for example today's popular
statin drugs. Researchers originally investigated the
natural, heart-healing properties of an
age-old Asian culinary staple, Red Yeast
Rice Extract. When the researchers successfully isolated and synthesized one of the active compounds found in Red Yeast Rice Extract –
lovastatin – the result was an expensive drug that is accompanied by a host of dangerous and
potentially deadly side effects not seen in
its natural counterpart.
Additionally, while the UCLA paper
has been hailed as a first-of-its-kind study
to demonstrate an effective telomerase-based
approach for enhancing immune
function, the millions of Chinese who
have relied on astragalus for thousands of
years as a tonic to restore health and prevent
a host of age-related degenerative
disorders may beg to differ with this
decidedly high-tech claim.
Astragalus
Astragalus (Radix Astragali) is one of the key active ingredients in a well-researched, advanced anti-aging herbal formula that has been shown to counter a host of common discomforts associated with human aging. In an early clinical trial involving 150 patients, aged 55 to 89 years, researchers measured a number of significant improvements after four weeks of daily use, including enhanced energy levels, reduced plasma viscosity and reversal of age-related capillary damage resulting in improved microcirculatory performance and enhanced organ health.
By restoring microcirculation, this formula promotes internal organ function while speeding removal of cellular metabolic waste products, such as lipofuscin, that have been implicated in age-related degenerative health issues. It has also been shown to support immune performance by increasing resistance to illness and improving overall health.
Anti-Aging Effects
This formula has been shown to have excellent therapeutic actions on such age-related disorders as chest tightness, chest pains, insomnia, coughing, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, dizziness and lack of appetite. It has also been shown to promote healthy blood circulation while supporting expansion of coronary arteries and arterioles of the brain and lungs, increasing blood flow in coronary vessels, improving vessel elasticity, enhancing T-cell immunity and promoting the synthesis and metabolism of proteins.
These findings indicate that this unique formula is a valuable anti-aging discovery that can aid in reversing various disorders affecting the elderly, such as insufficient blood supply to the brain, coronary heart disease, chronic bronchitis, and hypoproteinemia, without the risk of adverse or toxic side-effects.
Summary
Astragalus is just one example of how nature has provided safe, effective methods of improving our health and quality of life. With the emergence of AIDS and newer, more virulent strains of viruses and bacteria the search for effective drugs to treat these diseases will continue unabated. Traditional herbal remedies confer a wide range of anti-aging and immunosupportive health benefits. In addition to lacking the negative side effects of pharmaceutical drugs, advanced herbal formulas tend to be inherently safer, more effective, and less expensive than their synthetic counterparts.
References
The study, published in the Journal of Immunology, is available online at www.jimmunol.org/cgi/content/full/181/10/7400.