First Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study to Show Telomere Lengthening in Humans

TA-65 is a dietary supplement based on an improved formulation of a small molecule telomerase activator that was discovered in a systematic screening of natural product extracts from traditional Chinese medicines. This study summarizes the findings on telomere length (TL) changes from a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study of TA-65 over a 1 year period. The study was conducted on 117 relatively healthy cytomegalovirus-positive subjects aged 53-87 years old. Subjects taking the low dose of TA-65 (250 U) significantly increased TL over the 12 months period (530 ± 180 bp; p = 0.005), whereas subjects in the placebo group significantly lost TL (290 ± 100 bp; p = 0.01). The high dose of TA-65 (1000 U) showed a trend of improvements in TL compared with that of the placebo group; however, the improvements did not reach statistical significance. TL changes in the low-dose group were similar for both median and 20th percentile TLs. The findings suggest that TA-65 can lengthen telomeres in a statistically and possibly clinically significant manner.

Study Summary

This study summarizes the findings on telomere length (TL) changes from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of TA-65^® with relatively healthy cytomegalovirus-positive subjects. Subjects taking TA-65^®(250 Units) significantly increased TL over a 12 month period, whereas subjects in the placebo group significantly lost TL. Changes in TL were similar for both median and 20th percentile TLs. The findings suggest that TA-65^® can lengthen telomeres in a statistically and possibly clinically significant manner.

• Study participants: 97 men and women (53-87 years old)

• Study length: 12 months

• First study to show statistically significant (p<0.005) lengthening of telomeres in humans:

  
  

  As expected, the placebo group showed a decrease in telomere length

  Placebo Group Decrease in median telomere length over 12 months
  Median telomere length	290 ± 100 bp
  20th percentile telomere length	170 ± 50 bp

  While the group taking one capsule of TA-65^® (250 Units) per day showed an increase in telomere length

  TA-65® Group Increase vs placebo group in median telomere length over 12 months
  Median telomere length	533 ± 180 bp
  20th percentile telomere length	270 ± 90 bp

• Published in Rejuvenation Research, a PubMed-indexed and peer-reviewed journal