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|| health & wellness | LONGEVITY AND REJUVENATION
Stem cells
Siberian researchers in Novosibirsk and Tomsk have
announced the completion of pre-clinical trials for G5, a
regenerative drug that stimulates production of a patient’s
own stem cells. This effect was discovered serendipitously
while the drug was being developed for use in the treat-
ment of cirrhosis of the liver. In the course of the trials,
mice given the drug survived significantly longer than
controls, and researchers who tried it on themselves
noted unexpected benefits of the kind seen in stem cell
therapy. The effect of increasing the patient’s own produc-
tion of stem cells, which then circulate in the blood
throughout the body to all organs and tissues, holds
promise for helping the body restore itself. One re-
searcher appeared to have recovered from pulmonary fi-
brosis—remarkable, considering that current stem cell
treatment of pulmonary fibrosis may promote healing,
slow the progression of the disease, and lead to improved
function and easing of symptoms, but scarring is consid-
ered to be irreversible and the disease, incurable. Indeed,
Director Andrei Bekarev of Russian Scientific Future Man-
agement, one of the developers, was quick to say that the
apparent recovery of one person was not proof of a cure.
In addition to treatment for cirrhosis and perhaps other
conditions amenable to stem cell therapy, G5 may even-
tually be taken by healthy people as prophylaxis against
aging and to improve quality of life, but it won’t be avail-
able as an “anti-aging pill” until successful clinical trials
have been completed. G5 is expected to be released for
a regimen of treatment protocols in the middle of 2018.
We’ll be interested to see if expectations are justified.
ALPEON.COM
Growth hormone
HGH has been called “the Fountain of Youth” in part
because production is highest when we’re young and
growing, and gradually declines as the signs of aging
begin to appear. And indeed, deficient production by the
pituitary gland does result in loss of bone and muscle
mass and an increase in body fat like that seen in aging.
According to WebMD.com, synthetic HGH is injected in
the treatment of specific medical disorders, including de-
ficient pituitary production, but the Federal Drug Adminis-
tration has not approved HGH for other uses, both
because its effectiveness for those uses is not well
proven, or because of its side effects, such as high cho-
lesterol and increased risk of diabetes; it can also play a
role in the growth of malignant tumors. Some athletes
have used HGH injections with steroids to enhance their
performance. Some in the public eye who look well pre-
served for their age may swear that HGH has made them
younger. Young people take HGH in hopes of staving off
aging, and the elderly take it with the idea of reversing the
effects of aging, but as yet there has been no evidence
sufficiently convincing to the FDA to approve it for these
uses. Moreover, the FDA has not found other forms of ad-
ministration of HGH to be as effective as injection. As for
use in anti-aging therapy, the FDA is awaiting solid proof
before approval.
SunMedica International, a company well known for
its bioadditives and cosmetics, is now also a producer of
a rejuvenating agent called SeroVital-hgh. On their Web
site they assert that increasing the production of human
growth hormone (HGH) plays an enormous role in miti-
gating the aging process, and that the formula developed
for SeroVital-hgh, based on an amino acid compound and
taken orally, increased bioavailable HGH serum levels by
as much as 682%. They also say that the FDA has not
verified their figure and that “individual results may vary.”
Nonetheless, SunMedica International provides a 100%
guarantee. In the prospectus to SeroVital-hgh, the for-
mula is claimed to enhance energy levels, improve sleep,
increase sexual desire and potency, lead to body weight
and muscle mass balance, and improve the condition of
skin and bones. FDA approval would put the icing on the
cake.