Gene therapy to reverse age by 20 years: World’s first trial – Specialty Medical Dialogues

Posted: November 23, 2019 at 8:42 am

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The worlds first breakthrough gene therapy clinical trial aims to reverse 20 years of aging in humans.

USA: Using genetherapy to express active telomerase (hTERT) in humans has the potential to treat many of the age-related diseases, including aging itself. Now, Libella Gene Therapeutics, has set up a pay-to-play clinical trial inColombia(South America) that aims to use the gene therapy to reverse aging by 20 years. If successful, the therapy will become the worlds only treatment to treat and cure aging.

The trial, approved by Libellas institutional review board (IRB), will be a pay-to-play model wherein volunteers have to pay $1m for enrollment in their country. Participants will then travel to Colombia to sign their consent. Gene therapy will be administered to participants under a controlled hospital setting.

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Aging has been viewed as a natural aging process. But now, scientists believe aging to be a disease. Further research in this field has led to the belief that aging in humans is primarily caused by the shortening of telomeres caps at the end of each DNA strand that protects the end of the chromosome. Every time a cell divides telomeres shorten and the cells become less efficient at dividing again resulting in aging. This has been confirmed by a significant number of scientific peer-reviewed studies. Some of these studies have shown actual age reversal in every way imaginable simply by lengthening telomeres.

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Bill Andrews, Libellas Chief Scientific Officer, has developed a gene therapy that aims to lengthen telomeres. Dr. Andrews gene therapy delivery system has been demonstrated as safe with minimal adverse reactions in about 200 clinical trials. Dr. Andrews led the research at Geron Corporation over 20 years ago that initially discovered human telomerase and was part of the team that led the initial experiments related to telomerase induction and cancer.

Telomerase gene therapy in mice delays aging and increases longevity. Libellas clinical trial involves a new gene-therapy using a proprietary AAV Reverse (hTERT) Transcriptase enzyme and aims to lengthen telomeres. Libella believes that lengthening telomeres is the key to treating and possibly curing aging.

In the Phase I trial, the gene therapy will be evaluated for its safety and tolerability in approximately five participants. It is expected to be completed in 2021.

The primary endpoint is the incidence of adverse events, while secondary outcomes are hTERT expression and telomerase activity.

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For more information visit: Libella Gene Therapeutics

Medha Baranwal joined Medical Dialogues as an Editor in 2018 for Speciality Medical Dialogues. She covers several medical specialties including Cardiac Sciences, Dentistry, Diabetes and Endo, Diagnostics, ENT, Gastroenterology, Neurosciences, and Radiology. She has completed her Bachelors in Biomedical Sciences from DU and then pursued Masters in Biotechnology from Amity University. She has a working experience of 5 years in the field of medical research writing, scientific writing, content writing, and content management. She can be contacted atmedha@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

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Source: Libella Gene Therapeutics

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Gene therapy to reverse age by 20 years: World's first trial - Specialty Medical Dialogues

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